Thursday 01.05
Friday 02.05
Saturday 03.05
INFO
A festival for collective creation and placemaking
Rooted in the ongoing development of Asiat Park, Horst Festival brings together emerging talent and established voices to explore how creativity can shape and activate public space. Each edition builds on the park’s evolving story, transforming the former military base into a living laboratory for artistic and communal experimentation. Through music, performances, and exhibitions, Horst offers a space for artistic collaboration. The festival forms the beating heart of a wider cultural programme that unfolds throughout summer, nurturing dialogue between artists, audiences, and the park itself. Horst Festival 2026 is set to take place on 14, 15, and 16 May. More info about the complete programme will follow soon.
2026
Blooming, B(l)ending
& Becoming
Horst is many things at once. Never singular, always plural. We’re shifting, shedding, shaping; exploring new versions of ourselves, letting go of others.
This year, we embrace the complexity that comes with it. In a culture that rewards clarity and sameness, we choose the opposite: the beauty of contradiction and collision. Not as noise, but as a source of inspiration. A living ecosystem where friction becomes connection, and where tension might just lead to transformation.
Horst 2026 celebrates the complexity of metamorphosis, and the countless possibilities it brings. We’re a work-in-progress, and honestly, that’s kind of the point ;)
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ARTS
Annually, Horst invites artists and architects, encouraging them to engage in dialogue with Asiat Park as a wellspring of inspiration and a canvas for open-air exhibitions. The Horst Arts & Music festival acts as a pivotal moment, contributing to the flourishing artistic tapestry within Asiat Park and enhancing the festival experience.
Those straying from the predestined routes between those stages, end up in a Horsty wonderland. In 2025 Horst Arts will further embrace its home and run its roots ever deeper into the ground, eventually unveiling itself as a full-grown expo for everyone to see. After the festival, all art will be on public display during the summer exhibition of Horst 2025 and welcome visitors to engage with the Park.
Anal pompidou
Apolemia
Bureau Bas Smets
Eline Dewit
Emma Cogné & Flore Fockedey
Fallon Mayanja
Jenkin van Zyl
Jeremy Shaw
L’Équipe architectes
Lisa Vereertbrugghen
Marilou Dejans & Nel Maertens
Nazar - Paul Maheke
Queereeoké
TAKK (Mireia Luzárraga &
Alejandro Muiño)
TEd’A arquitectes
More than a party
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Little by little, a little becomes a lot. 12 years in, Horst still stands fully independent. Working with, not for our partners. Driven by intention, not trends.
Since moving to Vilvoorde, our aim has always been to transform this urban ground into a living park: a space where creativity can root and blossom with the city. Horst lives within Asiat Park. Our landscape evolves, and so do we. Growth brings possibilities, but also friction. We’re learning to hold both, aware that it comes with trade-offs. Sometimes less intimacy, often more feet on the floor. New faces. Larger capacity. Pricier tickets. We’re grateful for newcomers, and your contribution keeps us thriving - not just surviving.
Growth also enables us to build a better Horst every year. It means planning the future realistically, while daring to dream radically. It means staying true to our mission: a festival as a catalyst for cultural and social change. It does not mean less spirit. It means doubling down on why we’re here in the first place. Building, bending, not breaking.
Everything at Horst starts with intention: in how spaces are built, how music and art are brought together, and how this site is developed. Nothing is accidental. Every detail has purpose. Some take days, others years. We ask the same of everyone who finds their way here: to arrive with awareness and respect. Come intentional. Come kind. Share this space we’re creating together; don’t just occupy it.
Recognise that you’re part of this living ecosystem made up of a club, ateliers, exhibitions, park residents, our festival - and you :)
Horst is more than a party, more than a backdrop, more than a commodity.
A place to rave, to rove, to rêve.
fritz-kolab
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fritz-kola and Horst team up once again for our annual open call!
This year, the fritz-kolab invites young architects and collectives to reimagine the fire pit at Asiat Park — turning it into a warm, communal space for the 2026 festival (and years beyond).
A place to gather, cook, and reconnect.Find the full brief and all practical info here. Applications close Friday, January 2nd at 23:59 (CET).
How to get there
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Horst prioritises accessibility for all attendees, ensuring that all stages and the majority of the artworks at the festival are wheelchair accessible. Each sanitary zone across the site is equipped with at least one toilet for people with disabilities.
If you would like to receive more information or assistance, please get in touch via info@horstartsandmusic.com.
Accessibility
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Horst prioritises accessibility for all attendees, ensuring that all stages and the majority of the artworks at the festival are wheelchair accessible. Each sanitary zone across the site is equipped with at least one toilet for people with disabilities.
If you would like to receive more information or assistance, please get in touch via info@horstartsandmusic.com.
Asiat Park
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Our home - Asiat Park - is the former Arsenal of Instruments and Equipment for Telecommunication, which operated from 1946 to 2008. The terrain housed soldiers who were responsible for the production of components for military telecommunication. Over time Asiat Park’s vast warehouses, efficient barracks and spacious driving courts have been taken over by nature. In partnership with the City of Vilvoorde Horst has been the cultural catalyst of the site, reshaping its landscape and regenerating its buildings since 2022. Stimulating the development of Asiat Park in a fruitful longer-term collaboration
Camping
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