Marktrock is a music festival held each year around 15 August, in the heart of the university town of Leuven, Belgium.[1] There is also a smaller Marktrock festival in Poperinge, which is held on the last Saturday of August.
The name Marktrock comes from the Dutch word markt, meaning market, and it is held on 2 squares (4 until 24th edition) in the historical city center of Leuven: "Oude Markt" and "Ladeuzeplein". Until the 24th edition (2006), the three-day festival always had 15 August Assumption Day as its last day.
In 2004, the 22nd edition of the Marktrock festival was held in Leuven and it has grown into one of Europe's biggest urban music festivals with over 350,000 visitors each year.
On 5 February 2007, the Marktrock VZW organization announced the end of the festival. The main reasons behind the decision were the raising price of quality artists and groups, the low capacity of the main stage on the Oude Markt, the new and expensive legal regulations each year, the financial risk of open-air festivals, and the organization refused to raise entry tickets for the Oude Markt stage again. The rain during the 2006 edition certainly didn't help either. Over the 24-year history of the original Marktrock, more than 1,400 artists performed at Marktrock, more than 5 million people visited the festival, and it launched several Belgian artists.
In March 2007, Marktrock came under new management, which revived the festival and redesigned the 2007 edition. The free stages disappeared, replaced by two paying stages: the Oude Markt focused on local and upcoming bands, while the larger Ladeuzeplein featured established and international artists. This new set-up met with significant criticism and attendance was low.
For the 2008 edition, the festival was once again revamped, bringing back the various free stages throughout the city, leaving only the Oude Markt with an entry fee. The festival still struggled to draw the crowds it used to draw.
The 2009 festival changed its approach once more, ditching both the entry fee and international acts. It secured additional funding from the city of Leuven on the condition that the festival would focus on local talent. Despite a line-up of mostly obscure bands, this edition drew an estimated 95,000 visitors, causing minor organisational problems as visitors were turned back from venues that were filled to capacity.
Lineup: Eric Melaerts Group, Guido Belcanto, Will Tura, Beri Beri and Romeo Spinelli, Boogie Boy, Roland & Centimeters, The Hattricks, 2 Belgen, The Boxcars, The Kids, The Blasters, Nick Lowe
Lineup: De Kreuners, Rufus Thomas, The Luther Allison Band, The Skyblasters, Big Bill, LSP Band, Midnight Service, The Pop Gun, Dirk Blanchart, The Yéh-Yéh's, Catalog of Cool, Don Dixon, Graham Parker
Lineup: Clouseau, Maurane, Johan Verminnen, The Push, BJ Scott, Dave Edmunds, Family Duck, The Soulsisters, Jo Lemaire, Dr. Feelgood, Katrina & the Waves, Southside Johnny and the Jukes
Lineup: Sweat By Two, Elli Medeiros, Junior Walker & the All Stars, Blue Blot, K13, The Skyblasters, Bart Peeters & the Radios, Dr. Feelgood, Ze Noiz, Tröckener Kecks, Won Ton Ton, Brendan Croker & the 5 O'Clock Shadows, Womack & Womack, The Fabulous Thunderbirds
Lineup: The Scene, De Dijk, Clouseau, De Kreuners, Raymond Van het Groenewoud, The Pebbles, Wreckless Eric, Bart Peeters & de (nieuwe) Radios, Soulsister, The Wolf Banes, Sam Cooke Singers, Squeeze, The Scabs, Kevin Mc Dermott Orchestra, The Inmates, Fisher Z, The Average White Band
Lineup: Mama's Jasje, Hugo Mathijsen & de Bomen, Will Tura, Pitti Polak, Bart Peeters, Ronny & Robert, The Pop Gun, De Kreuners, Arno, Eli Jones, Blue Blot, The Blues Band, Ten Years After, Noordkaap, The Paranoics, Candy Dulfer, Dan Reed Network, Nils Lofgren, The Kinks
Lineup: Pitti Polak, Elvis Belgisch, The Popgun, Clouseau, The Dinky Toys, Khadja Nin, David Rudder & Charlie's Roots, Zap Mama, The Radios, Running Cow, 2 Tribes, The Scabs, Charles & Les Lulus, The Levellers, The Scene, Van Morrison
Lineup: The Beautiful Babies, Mama's Jasje, Hugo Mathijsen & de Bomen, Roland Celebration Band, L & M and Soulsister, Soapstone, Brendan Crocker & the Serious Offence, Tom Robinson & Band, Björn Again, J.Geils Band, The Scabs, Shine, Betty Goes Green, Noordkaap, Radiohead, Quireboys, Luka Bloom, Arno, Willy De Ville
Lineup: Pop in Wonderland, Ronnymo', The Choice, Gorki, The Dinky Toys with guests, The Nits, De Lama's, De Mens, Chris Daniëls & the Kings, Roland, CPeX, The Counterfeit Stones, The radios, Ashbury Faith, Inspiral Carpets, Magnapop, Axelle Red, The Creeps, Primal Scream, Pretenders, Frankie Miller
Lineup: The Same, Edwyn Collins, Clouseau, Big Country, CPeX, Mike & the Mechanics, Nick Lowe, Belgian Asociality, Ashbury Faith, Supergroove, M People, Paul Weller, Thrum, Junkhouse, Heather Nova, Bettie Serveert, Noordkaap, Richard Thompson & Band, Status Quo, The Scene
Lineup: Blaise and Da Funkamental, Bart Peeters, Clouseau, Paul Young, Boudewijn De Groot, No Way Sis, Funky Green Dogs, Dodgy, Channel Zero, The Paladins, Thé Lau, Joan Osborne, Gary Moore, Sunny Side Up, Catherine, Katrina & the Waves, Coolio, Axelle Red, Khaled
Lineup: Mozaiek, Bløf, Volumia!, Clouseau, Trish & Kash, Hooverphonic, Praga Khan, Das Pop, Ilse Delange, Soulwax, Purple Prose, featuring Danny Klein, Errol Brown (voice of Hot Chocolate), The Flying Dewaele Bros, The Roswells, Eden, Jessica, Apollo 440, Jovanotti, Brand New Heavies, Buddy Guy
Lineup: Babel, Abel, Tröckener Kecks, Mama's Jasje, Frank Boeijen, Raymond v/h Groenewoud, Will Tura, Metal Molly, Postmen, Liquido, Zap Mama, Heater Nova, The Flying Dewaele Bros, Dilana Smith, Steve Wynn, De Heideroosjes, The Scene, De Mens, Arid, Anouk, Joe Cocker, Soulwax, Beck
Lineup: Judith, Voice Male, Jukebox 2000, The Bomfunk MCs, Krezip, Lords of Acid, El Tattoo del Tigre, The Dallas Explosion, Twarres, Laïs, Eagle-Eye Cherry, Travis, Emmi, Mauro, Das Pop, Wheatus, Finley Quaye, Frank Black and the Catholics, Fun Lovin' Criminals, James Brown, Bastian
3 free stages (Vismarkt, M. De Layensplein, Hogeschoolplein)
1 stage requiring a 25 euro entrance fee (Oude Markt) - first year in MarkRock history they accepted pre-orders for entrance tickets to the "Oude Markt" stage.
Official sponsors: Telenet, Inbev (Stella Artois), Dexia (Axion), Het Laatste Nieuws, Groep T, JIMtv, Studio Brussel, Nationale Loterij, ResPlus, Coca-Cola, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.
2 stages: "Ladeuzeplein" (entrance 30EUR (pre-sale 25EUR for 1day, 65EUR for 3days)) and "Oude Markt" (entrance 20EUR (pre-sale 15EUR for 1 day, 38EUR for 3 days))
