Florence + The Machine Turns Pukkelpop Into Therapy

Florence + The Machine delivered a transcendent headline performance at Pukkelpop on Saturday night, transforming the festival’s Main Stage into what VRT NWS described as a “collective therapy session.” The 90-minute set at Festivalpark Kiewit in Hasselt marked the band’s long-awaited return to the Belgian festival after a devastating last-minute cancellation in 2023.

A Return Three Years in the Making

Florence Welch was originally scheduled to headline Pukkelpop in August 2023 but was forced to cancel just two days before the performance. At the time, the reason was given only as “medical reasons.” Days later, Welch revealed on Instagram that she had undergone a life-saving emergency surgery, as VRT NWS reported. It was later disclosed that she had suffered an ectopic pregnancy with a ruptured fallopian tube and internal bleeding — a life-threatening condition.

“The closest I ever came to creating life was also the moment I was closest to death,” Welch told The Guardian in September 2025, as RTL Boulevard noted. The near-death experience became the driving force behind her sixth studio album, “Everybody Scream,” released on Halloween 2025 — a record that OOR magazine described as one that “drips with personality and emotion,” channeling themes of death, loss, and female power.

A Cathartic Performance

From the opening primal scream that launched “Everybody Scream,” Welch commanded the massive Main Stage crowd with an intensity that felt both intimate and overwhelming. Performing barefoot as is her trademark, she was accompanied by four expressive dancers who added a theatrical dimension to the set.

“Whatever you’re going through, I’m with you and we can give you a place to scream it out,” Welch told the audience during “Shake It Out,” setting the tone for an evening of shared emotional release. The setlist spanned her entire career, from early anthems like “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” and “You’ve Got The Love” to newer material from “Everybody Scream,” including the defiant “One of the Greats,” which takes aim at men in the music industry.

Dansende Beren captured the atmosphere perfectly, describing Welch as “the good witch who said a lot with few words.” The review noted that the show “felt like a kind of spiritual celebration, where at the end you were at least momentarily absolved of all your sins.”

The Phone-Free Moment

The most striking moment of the night came during “Dog Days Are Over,” when Welch asked the audience to put away their smartphones and be fully present. “You’re here because you want to experience this song, right?” she asked. Remarkably, the entire field complied — no phones were visible even at the back of the massive crowd, a rare sight at any modern festival.

Welch called the Pukkelpop audience “one of the best festival audiences of this summer,” a sentiment echoed by the enormous turnout. Dansende Beren noted that the crowd at the Main Stage was larger than any they could remember in recent Pukkelpop history — a testament to how deeply the band was missed in Kiewit.

Emotional Highlights

Throughout the set, Welch wore her heart on her sleeve. During “King,” a song about her unfulfilled desire to have children, tears glistened in her eyes. She gave a shout-out to a newly married couple in the audience during “Spectrum,” saying “I see you, congratulations.” And at the end of “Sympathy Magic,” she descended into the crowd to embrace crying fans on the front rows, giving one girl a particularly intense hug.

Superfan Marie, who has seen Florence + The Machine 27 times, told Studio Brussel the experience was “an insane experience, you come out so happy and confident.”

The performance capped off a remarkable comeback year for Welch, who turns 40 at the end of August. After headlining a sold-out AFAS Dome in Antwerp in February — a show that Dansende Beren called “a show to write home about” — her Pukkelpop set confirmed that she remains one of the most powerful live performers of her generation.

What’s Next

With the “Everybody Scream” tour in full swing and the Pukkelpop headline slot finally fulfilled, Florence + The Machine continues to build on the emotional and artistic rebirth that followed Welch’s health crisis. The concert ended with “Free,” Welch dancing and spinning barefoot across the stage, appearing liberated — and her fans left the festival feeling the same way.

As VRT NWS noted when the booking was announced in February, Pukkelpop called Welch “one of the most defining voices of her generation.” After Saturday night’s transcendent performance, that assessment feels more accurate than ever.