Ghent (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – COPA DOK, a new festival in Ghent (May 21-23, 2025), starts with Manu Chao. It focuses on social issues, community, and independent artists. Copacobana Festival gets €30,000 annually for 3 more years.
Ghent is getting a new festival called COPA DOK. It will happen from May 21 to May 23, 2025, at an industrial site near Gent-Dampoort. The festival will start with a show by Manu Chao. He’s a famous French-Spanish musician. He was in a band called Mano Negra in the 1990s. They made popular songs like “King Kong Five” and “Out of Time Man.”
After the band broke up, Chao kept making music. He became famous all over the world with songs like “Me Gustas Tú.” His songs are about important social issues and he mixes lots of different music styles. Officials mentioned that’s why he’s the perfect person to start this new festival.
Will COPA DOK revolutionize festivals in Ghent with Manu Chao?
According to the officials, COPA, DOK is more than just a music festival. The organizers want it to be like Manu Chao’s music, which is about important social issues. To get Chao to play, they had to agree to his ideas. He doesn’t want big companies to sponsor the festival, and he wants the local community to be part of it.
The festival is happening in an old industrial area. They haven’t announced all the music yet, but they say there will be lots of different kinds of music. They mentioned that COPA DOK is going to be different from other festivals in Belgium because it’s about the community and independent artists.
“That’s not the only important thing, we also want to make it fun. ‘COPA DOK’ is not a traditional festival, but a social initiative with a strong following and support from residents and creatives,”
says organiser Joachim Matthys.
The Copacobana Festival, an annual event held in Ghent’s Rozebroekenpark, has been facing financial difficulties in recent years. Organisers had previously requested permission from the city to introduce an entrance fee, hoping to stabilise their income. This was especially crucial since adverse weather conditions often resulted in lower attendance and reduced on-site spending.
The city denied this request, citing that the festival is held on public property and benefits from municipal subsidies. They emphasized that these subsidies necessitate free public access, making it impossible to implement an entrance fee.
The Copacobana Festival is still going to happen for at least 3 more years. The organizers got some money from the city, €30,000 each year, to help them out. They’re going to have lots of things, like music from local artists, fun stuff for families, and lots of food and drinks. They also want to get more volunteers and have the community involved.
