Gentse Feesten

Each July, the historic Flemish city of Ghent gives itself over to ten days of the Gentse Feesten, one of Belgium's largest and longest-running cultural festivals. What began as a more modest civic celebration has grown into a sprawling, city-wide event, with dozens of stages and squares hosting everything from theatre and folk performances to contemporary music, all woven through Ghent's medieval streets and canals.

Food and drink run through the entire festival as much as the performances do. Belgian classics — crispy frites served with a wide array of sauces, waffles, mussels and an enormous range of Belgian beer — are available from stalls throughout the city, giving the festival a genuinely food-forward character alongside its cultural programming. The relaxed, unticketed nature of most of the festival means visitors can wander freely between neighbourhoods, sampling food and catching performances as they go.

For visitors wanting to experience Belgian food culture within a broader, livelier civic celebration rather than a dedicated food event, the Gentse Feesten offers exactly that — ten days when one of Belgium's most beautiful historic cities turns itself fully over to eating, drinking and celebration.