Looking back on 10 years of Listen Festival with this exceptional long-read by Koen Galle.

We all know what happens in the DJ-booth and on the dancefloor. One could argue that setting-up these exact elements is a super essential element of nightlife and festivals. And yet the production teams that build our booths and dancefloors are seldom recognised for their work. Time for a talk with Isea from Autonom, the company that makes Listen (and many other events) possible. 

For well over a decade, David Mizero Tricot aka DTM Funk has stood front and centre in Antwerp and the Belgian music scene. When he isn’t busy guiding an elated crowd through his eclectic record collection on a dancefloor somewhere, you can find him behind the counter of his newest venture: Black Gravity Records in Antwerp. It’s here that we meet up for a chat with the Antwerp local.

Time to catch up with Leah Weberman, a well known face in the Brussels music scene running Cherry Bomb, The [W]hole agency, Vestige Klub and involved in a lot of other musical projects. A conversation about sidequesting, running an agency, artists versus DJ’s and much more.

Chatting with Casper about her musical wanderings of the last few years, working in music and organising ghost club.

Once a year, during Listen Festival, you can rave in the Brussels Central Station. This year, the tempo is shooting up like a TGV, showcasing a cutting-edge selection of DJs including Belgian Helena Lauwaert. Helena was everywhere on the festival circuit this past summer—and rightly so. Her fresh, joyful sound makes you dance with a smile. Singing along is not a crime. We caught up with Helena for a proper chat.

Earlier this year, an open call for nightlife concepts was launched in collaboration with fritz-kola and your response was nothing short of inspiring. A professional jury was faced with the tough task of selecting a winner. After careful consideration of all submissions, Club Hshouma emerged as the standout project!

With a career spanning over three decades, Renaud Deru stands as one of the most enduring figures in Brussels’ nightlife. A quiet architect of the city’s sonic evolution, his track record reads like a who’s who of seminal spaces and scenes—Dirty Dancing, Libertine Supersport, Jalousy, Sono Ventura… the list goes on. His latest chapter is Umi, where he now curates Saturday nights in a venue revered for its heavyweight sound system.

Helping us trace the connections between drum & bass and Brussels across the past three decades are The Untouchables—the legendary producer outfit and DJ duo of Ajit Steyns (Nitrox) and Kate McGill (Kay). Performing at Fuse during this year’s Listen Festival, their story is an intriguing testimony to how music travels and how city scenes inspire one another.

On Friday 07.11 we're bringing the legendary British duo Leftfield to the Les Halles de Schaerbeek. Another surprise event at Les Halles will be unveiled in September, and trust us this will be a big one.. Time for a conversation with Les Halles' Artistic Director Matthieu Goeury and Anouk Grimaud, who, as assistant to the Technical Director, also oversees safety at the venue.

The Basilica of Koekelberg. It’s the most striking location of Listen Festival — a name that resonates. Everyone in Brussels knows the towering structure watching over the city like a sturdy gatekeeper, but who’s ever actually been inside? On Tuesday, November 4, there’s a rare chance to explore the basilica as none other than Loverman will perform live within its walls.