Pukkelpop To Continue

The future of Belgium’s Pukkelpop Festival appears assured, and it has initiated a three-year plan to compensate those with tickets for this year’s gathering.

Ticket-holders are being offered food and drink vouchers for the next three editions of the festival as compensation for missing this year’s event, which was canceled shortly after starting because a violent storm swept through the site.

It uprooted trees, leveled two stages, killed five people and injured dozens more, making it impossible for the 2011 edition to continue.

At the beginning of the month, the festival’s chances of recouping some of the outgoings from insurance claims were dashed with the ruling that the disaster was “force majeure,” a chance occurrence or unavoidable accident.

“In spite of the force majeure ruling and the fact that the expenses for Pukkelpop 2011 far exceeded the benefits, the Pukkelpop organization does not wish to leave those who bought a ticket for Pukkelpop 2011 out in the cold,” read a statement on the festival website.

Those with lost or damaged possessions will likely find their own insurance is also invalidated as a result of force majeure, although they can seek some compensation from the Belgium National Disaster Fund. The fund compensates for direct material damage in excess of euro 250.

The festival has also set up a support fund to help victims of the storm facing expenses not covered by their insurance policies.

At press time it wasn’t possible to discover the extent of the “considerable financial losses” the festival has suffered.
Pukkelpop 2012 is slotted for Aug. 16-18.