Pukkelpop 15 Years On: Witnesses Recall Darkest Day

Exactly fifteen years ago, on 18 August 2011, a sudden and violent storm tore through the Pukkelpop festival grounds in Kiewit, near Hasselt, Belgium, killing five young festival-goers and injuring approximately 140 others. As Belgium marks the somber anniversary, four witnesses have come forward to share their harrowing memories of what has been called the darkest day in the festival’s history, according to VRT NWS.

The Storm That Changed Everything

On the first day of the festival, around 60,000 people were on the site when a severe thunderstorm struck just after 18:00. The storm, characterized by powerful downdrafts under thunderstorm clouds, lasted approximately ten minutes but caused catastrophic damage. A large tent collapsed, part of a lighting structure came down, and numerous trees were uprooted by the force of the wind.

The five victims were Kristof Lenaerts (35) from Rijkevorsel, Wendy Burecke (20) from Ham, Marijke De Wilde (21) from Hamme, Marlo Ghys (21) from Beringen, and Jurgen Enzlin (24) from Brasschaat. As BBC News reported at the time, the death toll rose to five after a fifth victim died in hospital days after the storm. The entire festival was cancelled out of respect for the victims.

Witnesses universally describe the distinctive green sky that appeared before the storm broke—a meteorological phenomenon that occurs when sunlight scatters through storm clouds’ water droplets and hail. “That sky didn’t turn black, but green. So green, you can’t imagine it. In my whole life I had never seen anything like it,” recalls Denise Manteleers, a neighbor who has lived near the festival grounds for 50 years.

Four Witnesses, Four Perspectives

The Emergency Doctor

Raf Fransen was on duty as an emergency doctor at Sint-Franciscusziekenhuis in Heusden-Zolder when the disaster unfolded. “I remember telling them that if that dark, threatening, green sky above Pukkelpop would burst, we would drive to the field. A quarter of an hour later the phone rang. The disaster plan had been announced,” he told VRT NWS. Fransen helped set up the field hospital in the sports hall of Kiewit, where triage lines with color codes were created for the wounded. “Now that I think back on it so many years later, I still get ‘the jitters.’ It seemed like a hypnotic exodus,” he says.

The Searching Mother

Ann Lavigne from Kermt was in a library in Hasselt when the storm hit, unaware of what was unfolding outside. It was only when she drove home through flooded streets and fallen trees that she realized her son Sander was at the festival. “It was chaos. Ambulances, fire brigade, people running in all directions. I didn’t know where to start looking,” she recalls. The mobile phone network had collapsed under the overload, making communication impossible. Lavigne and her daughter searched until midnight before discovering that a neighbor had recognized Sander and brought him home safely.

The Godfather’s Grief

Johan Oyen, godfather of victim Marlo Ghys, still finds it difficult to speak about what happened. “That evening you can’t describe. You look for him, you don’t find him, and then at 1 AM the police are at your sister-in-law’s door,” he says. Marlo and his girlfriend Wendy died at the Boilerroom when part of the structure collapsed on them.

To mark the 15th anniversary, Oyen—who is also an artist—has created a large commemorative artwork consisting of nine canvases. The piece incorporates flowers, the structure under which Marlo and Wendy died, the Pukkelpop skyline with its iconic flags, and five butterflies representing the victims. “By making this painting, I now dare to look at the news broadcasts from back then. It has helped me give the loss a place in my head, but for me the grieving process will never be complete,” he says. The artwork is being exhibited at CC Casino Beringen, with proceeds from its sale going to De Warmste Week.

The Neighbor Who Helped

Denise Manteleers opened her garage to shelter dozens of soaked and frightened young people as the storm raged. “Those young people were all so frightened. My grandchildren had pain in their lower backs from those large hailstones,” she recalls. “Every time it’s warm, there’s not a breath of wind and the sky darkens, I hold my heart. Never, ever will I forget that storm.”

Memorial and Resilience

A permanent monument designed by Hasselt artist Tom Vanuytrecht was unveiled at the festival grounds on 5 August 2012, nearly a year after the tragedy. At the memorial ceremony, festival organizer Chokri Mahassine spoke of the victims: “For most, life continued after August 18, but for Kristof, Wendy, Marijke, Marlo and Jurgen life stopped abruptly and mercilessly.” Dirk De Wilde, father of victim Marijke, shared his daughter’s last text message: “‘It’s baking hot here and yesterday was already very fun.’ Two hours later a storm wiped everything away. Never again did we receive a message,” he said, as reported by Knack.

The families of the victims maintain close ties with the festival organization, which invites them every year. A support fund (Steunfonds Slachtoffers Pukkelpopstorm) was established as an independent private foundation. Following a criminal investigation, authorities concluded the storm was exceptional weather and the organization bore no fault, as documented in the Dutch Wikipedia article on the disaster.

The tragedy has also forged lasting bonds among survivors and families. As VRT NWS reported in 2021, Radio 2 Limburg produced a podcast titled “10 minutes of storm, 10 years of friendship,” exploring how the disaster brought people together. Sarah De Schryver, who was paralyzed when a tree fell on the Proximus tent, put it simply: “Five people died that day. I’m still here and I’m glad about that.”

What’s Next

As Belgium commemorates the 15th anniversary of the disaster, the Johan Oyen artwork—created as an homage to all five victims—is being exhibited at CC Casino Beringen, with the proceeds from its sale going to De Warmste Week, as detailed in the VRT NWS anniversary report. The festival has continued to thrive since 2011, drawing around 60,000 visitors per day, and Pukkelpop 2026 is scheduled to take place from 20-23 August at the same festival grounds in Kiewit. But the memory of that green sky and the five lives lost remains ever-present.

For the families and witnesses, the grief never fully fades. As Johan Oyen reflects: “The continued support from Pukkelpop still means a great deal to our family. They invite us every year. In the beginning it was difficult to be there, because how can you still have fun after what happened? It remains emotional, but ultimately you notice that music is healing.”

Fifteen years on, the darkest day in Pukkelpop’s history serves as a reminder of nature’s unpredictability and the resilience of a community that chose to remember, heal, and keep the music playing.