Mayor Thomas Geyns is seeking sponsors for the free music festival Hee Tervuren that takes place on Tervuren Markt on 5 and 6 July 2025. With talk of €140,000 costs — around €6 per resident — sponsorship can help the mayor cover part of the price tag, especially as major Flemish artists can charge upwards of €45,000.
Hee Tervuren promises to be a lively celebration: a family-friendly event by day, and a hotspot for young people from Tervuren, Overijse and even Brussels until the early hours. The free festival is meant to bring the community together, Geyns says. Companies interested in sponsoring can contact the mayor or City Marketing councillor Ineke Casier.
Sponsorship packages start at €500 for Bronze level, including a logo on the festival website and two VIP tickets. The Diamond package, priced at €4,100 (excl. VAT), includes 30 VIP tickets, reserved seating, 10 bottles of cava, catering, and prominent logo placement on digital screens, the stage and even the toilets. Sponsorship is tax-deductible.
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According to Geyns, sponsors will help turn the festival — returning after nine years — into a “spectacular success.” Bringing back Hee Tervuren was one of Geyns’ campaign pledges in the run up to the municipal elections of October 2024.
Municipal councillor Elmo Peeters (Groen+Vooruit) supports Hee Tervuren but criticises the lack of a clear budget. A live band show like Les Truttes can cost upwards of €8,995, excl. VAT and music rights. And the stage has been booked for some €18,500 and the sound system for €21,735.
“These prices aren’t unusual. The issue is that expenses are approved without a budget. With big names and such a setup, the budget seems impossible even with sponsorship,” says Peeters, faction leader for Groen+Vooruit. Big name artists like Niels Destadsbader command star fees starting at €45,000 for a 75-minute performance, excl. VAT and tech.
Geyns (OpenVLD, Voor Tervuren) defends the spending as an investment in community spirit, pointing out that the previous administration spent €200,000 on legal fees for permit disputes.
Political tensions run deep: five years ago, Geyns — then opposition leader — demanded the resignation of alderman Mario Van Rossum over a controversial €563,000 festival contract. Van Rossum is now president of the municipal council.
With acts like Zornik, Berre, Les Truttes, Barbara Dex, Alice Mae, Lalla Unicorn and Niels Destadsbader, Hee Tervuren aims to attract a wide audience. Families will fill the square during the day, with youth from Tervuren and Brussels taking over at night.
Practical info: https://www.heetervuren.be
Author: Dafydd ab Iago. © Article and photos licensed © 2024 for Tervuren+ under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.
