Hailstorm Injures Dozens at Carl Cox Concert in Belgium
A sudden and violent hailstorm swept through an outdoor concert in Liezele, Belgium, on Saturday evening, leaving approximately 30 people with minor injuries as hailstones the size of ping-pong balls and golf balls rained down on 9,000 festivalgoers. The storm struck in the evening during a four-hour set by legendary British DJ Carl Cox at Park Fort Liezele in Puurs-Sint-Amands, sending attendees scrambling for shelter under food tents and entry canopies.
The Event
The concert, organized by Labyrinth Belgium, marked Carl Cox’s only Belgian show of 2026. Following a successful appearance under Antwerp’s cranes the previous year, the event drew approximately 9,000 attendees to the outdoor venue, which opened in the afternoon and was scheduled to run until late night. Emergency services had prepared extensively in coordination with the organizers, with police conducting drug controls, medical teams on standby, and a command post monitoring weather conditions.
The Storm
As evening set in, the skies opened — but instead of rain, large hailstones began pelting the venue. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, some hailstones were as large as golf balls, while others had sharp, pointed edges. The storm lasted only 10 to 15 minutes but caused significant chaos.
“Suddenly everyone fled, looking for shelter,” said Laura, a 26-year-old attendee. Another festivalgoer, Nathan, 25, noted that “there was no panic.” Attendees who reached the food tents and entry canopies in time escaped injury, while others were less fortunate.
Dirk Van de Sande, spokesperson for the Rivierenland police zone, confirmed that approximately 30 people required medical attention. “They had scrapes or bruises, some had small open wounds,” Van de Sande told VRT NWS. All injuries were treated on-site by the festival’s first aid station and mobile medical services from Vyvex ambulance service. No one required hospitalization.
Broader Weather System
The hailstorm at Liezele was part of a much larger severe weather system that swept across Belgium on May 30-31. The Royal Meteorological Institute (KMI) had issued a code orange thunderstorm warning for large parts of the country, active from late Saturday afternoon until early Sunday morning.
The broader impact was substantial. In Vlaams-Brabant alone, fire brigades received over 408 calls. Wallonia saw more than 1,000 emergency calls, with flooding reaching 1.2 meters in some areas and people requiring rescue from rooftops in Namur province. Train services were disrupted due to mudslides and lightning strikes on signal installations. The NOS reported that hailstones with diameters of approximately 5 centimeters caused damage to vehicles, greenhouses, and infrastructure across multiple regions.
Marc Gilbert, fire brigade commander for the Val de Sambre zone, told VRT: “In my 52-year career, I have rarely experienced something like this.”
Aftermath and Response
Despite the intensity of the storm, the festival continued after the weather passed. Emergency services maintained vigilance but reported no further incidents. Beyond the injuries, several attendees discovered damage to their vehicles, including dents and broken windows. Police reported minor altercations and one administrative arrest for public drunkenness.
VRT weather presenter Sabine Hagedoren noted that while hail in thunderstorms is not abnormal, hailstones of this size — comparable to ping-pong and golf balls — are exceptional. The localized nature of the most severe hail made precise prediction difficult, even with the code orange warning system in place.
Looking Ahead
The incident highlights the vulnerability of outdoor events to sudden, extreme weather, even when comprehensive emergency preparations are in place. The relatively low injury count among 9,000 attendees and the absence of serious casualties reflect effective planning by Labyrinth Belgium and local authorities. As climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including severe hailstorms, organizers of large outdoor gatherings may need to reassess their shelter and emergency protocols to ensure attendee safety in an era of increasingly volatile spring weather.