Antwerp Zingt moves to Scheldt quays: “Place for 30,000 people if necessary” (Antwerp)
We still have to wait for Saturday 20 August, but then the Antwerp Zingt folk festival can start again. The party moves from the Gedempte Zuiderdokken to the renovated Scheldt quays, where even more amateur singers can perform.
Rebecca Van Remoortere
Antwerp’s national holiday, as the Antwerp Zingt event is organized in all Antwerp modesty. Thousands of people are expected for the 25th edition this summer. And it may be a little more, because the Antwerp resident had to wait two years for a new full-fledged edition.
“Antwerp Zingt will continue on the renovated Scheldt quays near the Cockerillkaai. We will be the first full-fledged event to take place there. A week before that, the closing party of the Pride also takes place there,” says Wim Van Der Borght, who has been part of the organization since this year.
Receive up to 30,000 visitors
In 2019, the last edition, Antwerp Zingt continued on the Gedempte Zuiderdokken, where work is now underway to create a park. “The surface slopes slightly downwards along the south side. Down there is the stage so that everyone has a good view. We could put 30,000 men here, but we’re aiming for 15,000. Our last edition was good for about 17,000 people.”
The entire site is signed for the singers and opens in time for visitors to get started. Another change is that Antwerp Zingt will not take place on Sunday, but will continue on Saturday. “So nobody has to rush to catch the last train or tram to be fresh the next day. We will stop at 11 p.m. so as not to burden the neighborhood too much,” says Van Der Borght.
The principle remains the same. “Thousands of people gather in one place to sing together, accompanied by a large stage choir. Everyone gets a singing newspaper on site with all song lyrics and the program includes both old and new classics in all languages and genres,” says presenter Marc Dhollander.
It is not possible to buy tickets in advance. The entrance fee is paid in the form of two consumption tickets.
The weekend of August 19 and 20 will immediately be a very musical weekend in Antwerp, because the new one-day festival Springtij takes place at the same location with Camille Dhondt and Niels Destadsbader.