Held annually in Belgium, the Caribbean Festival provides an alternative to an expensive trip to Cuba for all tourists with a passion for Cuban culture.
The Caribbean Festival in Belgium is traditionally held 2 times a year - in the spring (in March) and in the summer (in August). The Spring Festival takes place at the Sportpaleis Sports Palace, while the Summer Festival takes place in the open air. It is to the August festival that a large number of tourists strive to get, since it has a much wider scale. In 2012, the summer festival was held on August 10 and 11.
The main events of the festival take place in the small town of Hoogstraten in the province of Antwerp, located near the Belgian-Danish border. More than 50 thousand tourists come here every year.
Before the start of the Caribbean Festival, a huge dance floor is set up in the center of Hoogstraten to withstand the crowd. Fans of hot dances from all over the world gather during the festival to indulge in the fiery rhythms of Caribbean music performed only live.
The best musicians from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Suriname and other Caribbean countries are traditionally invited to the festival. More than 3,000 musicians took part in the 2012 festival.
In addition to the main dance floor, small dance floors are installed throughout the Hoogstraten, where live music is also played. Entertainment activities last all night - until five in the morning.
Numerous open-air cafes invite all guests of the festival to enjoy the taste of famous Caribbean cocktails and equally attractive dishes of national Cuban cuisine. Mango and papaya salsa, fried bananas, Cuban fruit croutons, Camaro, Karapulka - these and many other exotic dishes can be tasted during the Cuban Festival in Belgium.
The cost of an adult ticket to visit the festival in 2012 was 50 euros for one day and 80 euros for two days. For children under 17 years old, the ticket cost 15 euros per day.
