Hasselt (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Neos Kuringen kicked off its 2026-2027 working year with a busy cabaret night that saw the appearance of experienced humorist Karel Declercq, who carried on the age-old local tradition of starting the season with biting satire of current affairs. This was held on August 28, 2026, at the Gildezaal to an audience of members and their guests.
Why did Neos Kuringen choose Karel Declercq to open the season?
Neos Kuringen, the local chapter of the Flemish seniors’ association Neos, framed the evening explicitly as a way to
“start the new working year with a laugh”
by booking one of Flanders’ most recognised satirists. Promotional material described Karel Declercq as “nar in dit bizarre Koninkrijk”, promising “spitse comedy over de actualiteit met gevatte jokes” for an audience that follows Belgian and international news closely. For a membership organisation built around culture, information, and social contact, a comedian who turns current affairs into accessible, musical satire is a natural fit to energise members at the start of a new programme year.gentsefeesten.
How does this event fit into Neos Kuringen’s annual pattern?
This particular exhibition in the Declercq series is not unique, as it is a continuation of a definite pattern in Kuringen. It is characteristic that Neos Kuringen always starts its “werkjaar” with some cultural performance followed by walks, lectures, and travels. Thus, at the end of September 2024, there were 106 inschrijvingen and 106 present at its starting performance that the chairman called “een opsteker voor het bestuur”.
Exactly one year later, on 12 September 2025, the starting event included a cabaret performance of Lieven Debrauwer with the presentation of the travel programme that includes the trip to Slovakia in June 2026. As for the 2026 series, it is shifted only a bit in time – the starting event takes place on 28 August.
What kind of comedy did the audience experience?
The audience attending the performance at the Gildezaal was offered Declercq’s typical mix of actualiteitscabaret, parody, and impersonation. The current work of the artist, who performed shows at the Gentse Feesten entitled “België Schalks Bekeken – een scheve Kijk op dit Koninkrijk,” includes various aspects of Belgian politics, the monarchy, football, cycling, elections, and the general development of Europe and beyond.
The 2026 show at the Gentse Feesten included a parody of fans’ songs for Romelu Lukaku in two languages, “Donald Trump” for the Red Devils based on YMCA melody, as well as Kevin De Bruyne and Belgian Cats songs. Although the particular list of items for the Neos Kuringen show has not been provided, one can reasonably expect the similar combination of political satire, sports humor, and musical jokes for the interested news-following audience of Flemish seniors.
What precedents exist for similar openings in previous years?
Reflecting on previous years, the format of the 2026 season very much repeats itself. For example, the beginning of the 2024 season was marked by full attendance and was clearly designated as a boost for the local board. Similarly, in the case of the 2025 season, the combination of cabaret and useful information about the trips to come also highlighted the dual nature of these evenings. Finally, the choice to organize a walk in September of 2025 as a warm-up before the main cabaret evening illustrates that Neos Kuringen knows how to organize its activities to generate buzz from the very beginning of the season.
