XRDS 2026: Big Sound, Soft Prices and a Wild Urban Escape

For two days, XRDS turned the Parc des Étangs in Anderlecht into one of Brussels’ most striking electronic-music playgrounds. Beneath the motorway bridge, the Fuse team brought together powerful sets, a carefully designed festival site and a crowd ready to dance in a setting that felt both raw and surprisingly peaceful. At a price that remained genuinely accessible for the scale and quality of the experience, XRDS once again proved that ambitious electronic music does not have to be reserved for the few.

A festival that stays within reach

Let’s start with one of XRDS’ strongest points: its ticket price. In a festival landscape where even a single night out can quickly become expensive, XRDS offered a remarkably democratic entry point for two full days of music, staging and production.

That matters for queer communities too. Affordable cultural spaces make it easier for more people to take part: students, young artists, nightlife workers, people navigating precarious incomes, and anyone who wants to access electronic music culture without making a major financial sacrifice. A festival becomes more meaningful when the dancefloor can feel socially mixed, open and alive.

Under the bridge, beyond expectations

The location remains one of XRDS’ most distinctive qualities. Set below the motorway in Anderlecht’s Parc des Étangs, the festival creates a sharp contrast between concrete infrastructure and abundant greenery.

Even during a dry summer, the park offered a fantastic natural frame for an urban festival. Trees, open space and the water landscape softened the industrial surroundings, creating a place where ravers could step away from the city’s constant rhythm without actually leaving Brussels.

It is this tension between the roughness of the bridge and the calm of the park that gives XRDS its identity. The site feels unconventional, slightly surreal and very Brussels: inventive, layered and full of unexpected beauty.

A line-up built for the dancefloor

XRDS delivered a strong and coherent programme across the weekend, with electronic music given the room, sound and energy it deserves. The programming moved through different club-oriented sounds while keeping a clear thread: bold selections, high-level artists and a shared focus on collective release.

Rather than simply stacking names, the festival built an atmosphere. Each stage had its own rhythm, and the audience could move from intense peaks to more spacious moments without losing the feeling of being part of one larger gathering.

For queer audiences and allies, electronic music festivals can be more than a line-up: they can be places of self-expression, chosen family and temporary freedom. XRDS felt attentive to that shared dancefloor energy, where people could show up as themselves and connect through sound rather than social codes.

A main stage with a new face

Ket particularly appreciated the new Main Stage décor. The redesign gave the festival’s central space a stronger visual personality, adding scale and character without overwhelming the people or the music at its heart.

It is easy to underestimate what a well-conceived stage design can do. It changes how a crowd gathers, how artists are experienced and how a festival remains in people’s memories. Here, the new visual universe helped turn the Main Stage into a real focal point: powerful, immersive and made for those big collective moments when hundreds of bodies move together.

Four forklifts, one unforgettable zone

Another highlight was the new festival area, framed this year by four forklifts. It was a simple but highly effective piece of industrial scenography: playful, unusual and perfectly in tune with XRDS’ identity.

The installation did not feel like decoration for decoration’s sake. It made the site feel more singular, transforming a practical, working-world object into part of a temporary rave landscape. In a city where nightlife often has to negotiate with space, permits and changing neighbourhoods, XRDS showed that imagination can make a huge difference.

Smooth organisation, generous experience

The organisation was impeccable throughout the weekend. From the overall layout to the services on site, XRDS managed to keep the experience smooth and welcoming despite the scale of the event.

That care matters. A good festival is not only about what happens on stage; it is also about how easy it is to move around, find what you need, take a break, meet friends and feel comfortable in the crowd. Quality services and clear organisation help create the conditions for a more relaxed, inclusive and safer collective experience.

In that sense, XRDS felt like a festival made by people who understand nightlife from the inside: the importance of sound, yes, but also flow, care and the small practical details that make a long day outdoors feel enjoyable.

Fuse carries Brussels’ electronic legacy forward

Once again, the Fuse team carried the colours of Brussels electronic music high — in Belgium and far beyond. The club has long been one of the city’s key institutions, and XRDS shows how its vision can extend outside its walls without losing its club culture DNA.

Brussels has a deep electronic-music history, built through underground parties, independent collectives, international exchanges and dancefloors that have often welcomed queer communities. XRDS belongs to that story while adding its own outdoor, urban and nature-facing format.

It is a reminder that Brussels can produce festivals with international ambition while staying connected to the people, landscapes and creative energy that make the city special.

Practical information

XRDS took place on Friday and Saturday at Parc des Étangs in Anderlecht, beneath the motorway bridge. The festival was produced by the team behind Fuse, with a full electronic-music programme, multiple spaces and on-site services designed for a two-day outdoor experience.

The 2026 edition has now ended, but keep an eye on XRDS and Fuse’s official channels for future announcements, dates and ticket information for next year’s return.

Team of the year !

XRDS delivered exactly what a Brussels electronic festival should offer: daring music, a memorable setting, a well-cared-for audience experience and a dancefloor with real soul. We are already looking forward to meeting again under the bridge next year.