Worth doing

Ghent loves its music – every imaginable genre and style. The city’s broad and diverse music scene with its many events draws music lovers from all over the world. Some of the most significant of these events are the ten-day “Gentse Feesten“, the renowned “Festival van Vlaanderen“ Classic Festival, and the Ghent Jazz Festival.

One unique feature of the city is that the important musical institutions are housed in buildings that are designated architectural cultural heritage. For instance, the Conservatory is located in a 15th century Patrician complex, the Grote Sikkel and Achtersikkel. The music centre De Bijloke offers premium concerts in the former city hospital, and not to forget the Vlaamse Opera Gent, which is regarded as one of the most beautiful opera houses in Europe.

There is also a highly diverse pop and rock music scene in Ghent. It numbers more than 600 bands and is dedicated to the musical education of next generation musicians, who are given lots of opportunity to experiment.

Beyond that, Ghent also beckons with events like the Carnival, the Ghent winter festivals with the International Choir Festival, the Festival of Lights that takes place every three years, and the Flikkentag, the open house of the Ghent Police Department.