As the curtains rise on this year's edition, the Alcatraz metal festival in Kortrijk has set its sights on welcoming a crowd of 45,000 enthusiastic attendees, as affirmed by

organizer Bernard De Riemacker. "With our fifteenth edition, we're taking a step beyond," De Riemacker confidently states.

Last year, Alcatraz drew 32,000 participants to De Lange Munte in Kortrijk. However, for this special fifteenth-anniversary celebration, the organizers are gearing up for an influx of up to 45,000 fervent metal fans. The festival had an informal prelude on Thursday evening with a pre-party featuring various tribute bands. The official inauguration occurred on Friday, led by Swedish metal sensation Eleine on the Prison Stage. Throughout the day, the lineup boasts acts such as Mad Sin, Dismember, and Agnostic Front.

"Conditions are perfectly conducive for a festival. The weather strikes a balance between warmth and chill, with minimal wind or rain." Save for a brief spell of rain on Friday night, attendees can anticipate a dry weekend ahead. De Riemacker reassures, "The rain should subside by tomorrow morning. The weather is, in fact, ideally suited for a festival—neither excessively hot nor cold, and with minimal wind or rain." The organizer pinpoints the Sunday evening performance by Electric Callboy as one of the weekend's highlights. "The band's appeal transcends a wide audience, promising to create an electrifying ambiance," he affirms.

The festival's extravaganza continues until Sunday. Those without tickets as of yet can conveniently make their purchase directly at the festival grounds. Photo by Tristan Isaac, Wikimedia commons.