Every year, the Red Bull Elektropedia Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded to people who have made an enormous contribution to Belgian electronic music. This year, we’re handing out two of them. Both to festivals that have shaped the national festival landscape for good: Pukkelpop and Dour Festival. The former’s role in the upbringing of many Belgian music fans is something worth applauding for. For its remarkably large size, Pukkelpop never fails to deliver a well-balanced lineup of established and upcoming acts, educating young and old visitors in the process. The festival’s strength is found in its embrace of diversity and its constant drive for innovation. Maybe that’s why it has been growing and expanding, even after 34 impressive years. To celebrate this remarkable achievement, we drove to Leopoldsburg for an interview with Pukkelpop’s main man Chokri Mahassine , who was joined by the festival’s long-time advisor and host Luc Janssen and his son, Eppo Janssen , the festival's leading booker.

Dour

Every year, the Red Bull Elektropedia Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded to people who have made an enormous contribution to Belgian electronic music. This year, we’re handing out two of them; both to festivals that have shaped the national festival landscape for good: Pukkelpop and Dour Festival. The latter’s importance cannot be underestimated. Across the country, teenagers’ first experience with electronic music often comes from their first visit to Dour Festival. By doubling down on alternative music in all its shapes and forms, Dour was able to cultivate a loyal and ever growing following of dedicated fans across the continent during its 31 years of existence. At the same time, the festival’s expansion never came at a cost of intimacy or low ticket prices. “Dour is a community we value deeply”, says main promoter Damien Dufrasne. We visited the man at the office after this year’s edition to see what it takes to lead such a massive undertaking every year, thanking him and his team of thousands for their incredible achievements over the last 3 decades.