Genk (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Koen Vanmechelen’s first Wild Gene Festival at LABIOMISTA in Genk drew 2,500 people, with 1,000 on the waitlist. Music, art, and culture mixed, featuring Youssou N’Dour and Hope Masike Trio.
AS VRT News reported, Koen Vanmechelen held his first Wild Gene Festival at LABIOMISTA in Genk. Music and art came together for the crowd. Youssou N’Dour and his band played while Vanmechelen painted a 9-meter canvas.
BBC journalist Kirsty Wark spoke to the visitors during the show. The Hope Masike Trio from Zimbabwe also played their music. People called the day wonderful and liked the setting and the mix of different people.
“Koen Vanmechelen’s world is very big, I hope he wants to make it a new event,”
adds another man
What made Koen Vanmechelen’s Wild Gene fest a big hit?
Koen Vanmechelen says the first Wild Gene Festival was a big success and gives hope for the future. He started it as a small test, but it turned into something much larger than he thought. The event drew 2,500 visitors.
Another 1,000 people joined a waiting list hoping to get in. Vanmechelen says this huge interest almost guarantees there will be another festival in about 2 years. For him, the reaction from the crowd was more than just good news.
Koen Vanmechelen said the evening was special and made him very happy. He said he always starts new ideas with excitement. He said the festival was not only his work. It was made together with the team, the artists and the visitors.
“We made something beautiful together,”
Koen said.
An earlier event took place in 2022 when Koen Vanmechelen launched KOEXISTENCE, a large open-air gathering at LABIOMISTA. That event also combined art, music and performances in the same park setting and drew a big crowd. Officials mentioned that tickets for KOEXISTENCE sold out quickly, and many visitors asked for more editions.
