Cactusfestival

The story of Cactusfestival, from a leftist café on a Bruges square in 1982 to the single-stage festival on the swan lake of Minnewaterpark. Four decades of world music, soul, reggae and indie: Gil Scott-Heron, Salif Keïta, Patti Smith, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Massive Attack and Grace Jones, all on one stage under the trees.

A chronological documentary of 603 moments spanning 1982–2025 on Loreline.

Curated by Olivier · last updated 2026-09-20

1. 1982 - Cactusfestival - Cactus sluit af in schoonheid (Focus WTV). ), Cactus Muziekcentrum, the Bruges music organisation, live at Cactus 1982.
2. 1982 - Cactusfestival - Minnewaterpark klaar voor Cactusfestival. 1982.
3. 1982 - Cactusfestival - Muzikale Hoogdag in Brugge (Focus WTV). ), Cactus Muziekcentrum, the Bruges music organisation, live at Cactus 1982.
4. 1989-07-08 - MAN X (Mannix) - 'Bad Willy Will Give You A Kiss' @ Cactusfestival Brugge 8 juli 1989. 1989 in the Minnewaterpark, Bruges.
5. 1989-07-08 - MAN X (Mannix) - 'Little Sister' @ Cactusfestival Brugge 8 juli 1989. 1989 in the Minnewaterpark, Bruges.
6. 1989-07-08 - MAN X (Mannix) - 'Looser' @ Cactusfestival Brugge 8 juli 1989. 1989 in the Minnewaterpark, Bruges.
7. 1989-07-08 - MAN X (Mannix) - 'No Tears To Cry' @ Cactusfestival Brugge 8 juli 1989". ", genuine footage from Cactusfestival 1989 in the Minnewaterpark, Bruges.
8. 1989-07-08 - MAN X (Mannix) - 'You Told me' @ Cactusfestival Brugge 8 juli 1989. 1989 in the Minnewaterpark, Bruges.
9. 1991 - THE BOONDOCKS OP HET CACTUSFESTIVAL 1991 IN BRUGGE. 1991 in the Minnewaterpark, Bruges.
10. 2004 - Heather Nova Cactusfestival, Brugge 2004. 2004 in the Minnewaterpark, Bruges.
11. 2005-07-08 - MADRUGADA (2005). MADRUGADA at Cactusfestival 2005, Minnewaterpark Bruges, Site 3voor12 www.madrugada.net Madrugada excels in dark and menacing guitar rock, with dramatic and affecting soundscapes. Their band name literally means 'between day and night' and it fits their mus.
12. 2005-07-08 - THE FRAMES (2005). THE FRAMES at Cactusfestival 2005, Minnewaterpark Bruges, With their sharp, authentic sound and effortless 'from a whisper to a scream' mood changes these Irishmen bring to mind the music of Sparklehorse, Pixies and Belgium's own dEUS. With their emotional s.
13. 2005-07-08 - DIEFENBACH (2005). DIEFENBACH at Cactusfestival 2005, Minnewaterpark Bruges, This five piece from Copenhagen push the boundaries of their postrock roots by graciously incorporating electronica, funk and jazz..
14. 2005-07-08 - FUN LOVIN' CRIMINALS (2005). FUN LOVIN' CRIMINALS at Cactusfestival 2005, Minnewaterpark Bruges, Eloquently mixing hiphop beats, Chicago blues and seventies funk & soul, these New York gangsters rose from the underground in 1996 with their smash debut "Come Find Yourself". Songs like "Scooby Sna.
15. 2005-07-09 - ZUCO 103 (2005). ZUCO 103 at Cactusfestival 2005, Minnewaterpark Bruges, Not to dance is not an option, when you hear Zuco 103's exuberant mix of Brazilian melodies, drum 'n' bass, triphop, r&b, jazz and Afrobeat. Essential to this 'magical formula' are the disparate backg.
16. 2005-07-09 - ADMIRAL FREEBEE (2005). ADMIRAL FREEBEE at Cactusfestival 2005, Minnewaterpark Bruges, In 2000 the band of Tom Van Laere won the silver medal on Humo's Rock Rally. Subsequent albums "Admiral Freebee" (2003) and "Songs" (2005) were hailed by the music press as minor masterpieces. On stag.
17. 2005-07-09 - ASIAN DUB FOUNDATION (2005). ASIAN DUB FOUNDATION at Cactusfestival 2005, Minnewaterpark Bruges, Exclusive concert from these '21st century warriors', whose infectious music not only incorporates Asian and dub, but also drum'n'bass, rowdy rock, jungle beats, punk, pop, energetic ragga and funk..
18. 2005-07-09 - BABYLON CIRCUS (2005). BABYLON CIRCUS at Cactusfestival 2005, Minnewaterpark Bruges, This motley crew from Lyon combine good vibes, Baudelaire, Shakespeare, ska-rock and reggae-ragga-dub sounds, resulting in an infectious enthusiasm, not unlike that of Mano Negra. Underpinning this pa.
19. 2005-07-09 - THE PRESIDENTS OF THE USA (2005). THE PRESIDENTS OF THE USA at Cactusfestival 2005, Minnewaterpark Bruges, 1 | 2 www.presidentsrock.com Arising in the wake of the grunge era, The Presidents of the USA offered a welcome antidote to the serious, dark and doomy music of Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Their 'party pun.
20. 2005-07-09 - BONNIE 'PRINCE' BILLY + MATT SWEENEY (2005). BONNIE 'PRINCE' BILLY + MATT SWEENEY at Cactusfestival 2005, Minnewaterpark Bruges, Will Oldham performs his 'country noir' in many guises: Palace Brothers, Palace Music, plain Palace, and of course Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. His morbid songs about death and ruin effortlessly mix indie.
21. 2005-07-10 - KONONO N°1 (2005). KONONO N°1 at Cactusfestival 2005, Minnewaterpark Bruges, File under Congotronics. Konono N°1 are a traditional Congolese twelve piece ensemble experimenting with afro-electro. With the thumb piano, trash recycled rhythm instruments, three singers and three.
22. 2005-07-10 - LAURYN HILL & BAND (2005). LAURYN HILL & BAND at Cactusfestival 2005, Minnewaterpark Bruges, Lauryn was just thirteen when she joined Wyclef Jean and his Fugees. With their album "The Score" - featuring the hits "Killing me softly" and "Ready or not" - the band became a household name. Her ev.
23. 2005-07-10 - TRANSGLOBAL UNDERGROUND (2005). TRANSGLOBAL UNDERGROUND at Cactusfestival 2005, Minnewaterpark Bruges, The godfathers of World Beat! They take in every sound around and recycle it into a global, danceable sound. Some of the ingredients: dub, hiphop, ambient, African percussion, trance, ethnic singing.
24. 2005-07-10 - WUNMI (2005). WUNMI at Cactusfestival 2005, Minnewaterpark Bruges, This British-Nigerian singer/dancer started out in the influential Soul II Soul. Since then she was guest singer with acts like Truby Trio, Masters At Work and King Britt. She has put the underground.
25. 2005-07-10 - YOUNGBLOOD BRASS BAND (2005). YOUNGBLOOD BRASS BAND at Cactusfestival 2005, Minnewaterpark Bruges.
26. 2005-07-10 - GABRIEL RIOS (2005). GABRIEL RIOS at Cactusfestival 2005, Minnewaterpark Bruges, 1 | 2 www.gabrielrios.be This talented singer and guitar player lives in Ghent, but was born in Puerto Rico. With an experimental mix of Latin, rap, hiphop, salsa and electronic dance music he has cru.
27. 2006-07-07 - THE WAILERS (2006). THE WAILERS at Cactusfestival 2006, Minnewaterpark Bruges, In their heyday, the Wailers were the main ambassadors of reggae and Rasta faith. When their legendary frontman Bob Marley died, now 25 years ago, THE WAILERS had to pick up the pieces. Now they are b.
28. 2006-07-07 - ABSYNTHE MINDED (2006). ABSYNTHE MINDED at Cactusfestival 2006, Minnewaterpark Bruges, ABSYNTHE MINDED came to fame in the 2004 edition of the unsurpassed talent scouting contest Humo's Rock Rally. With 'Acquired Taste' and 'New Day' they now have two excellent CDs under their belt. Son.
29. 2006-07-07 - THE PROCLAIMERS (2006). THE PROCLAIMERS at Cactusfestival 2006, Minnewaterpark Bruges, Nearly 20 years after their initial success these Scottish twins are still masters at writing infectious pop songs. In the late eighties they caused a stir with hyperactive songs about love, rebellion.
30. 2006-07-07 - GARLAND JEFFREYS (2006). GARLAND JEFFREYS at Cactusfestival 2006, Minnewaterpark Bruges, The fascinating career of GARLAND JEFFREYS has recently been compiled on the brilliant CD 'I'm alive'. Jeffreys makes music on the borderline of rock and reggae. But his lyrics are just as striking.
31. 2006-07-08 - GNARLS BARKLEY (2006). GNARLS BARKLEY at Cactusfestival 2006, Minnewaterpark Bruges, - St. Elsewhere (19 may 2006 - Warner) www.gnarlsbarkley.com GNARLS BARKLEY 's single 'Crazy' will go on record as the first song ever to reach the number one spot on the British charts based solely o.
32. 2006-07-08 - GROUNDATION (2006). GROUNDATION at Cactusfestival 2006, Minnewaterpark Bruges, The future sound of reggae! GROUNDATION combine their reggae roots and social consciousness with the technical expertise of jazz and the wild force of rock. Originally a trio (bass, keyboards and voic.
33. 2006-07-08 - AN PIERLE & WHITE VELVET (2006). AN PIERLE & WHITE VELVET at Cactusfestival 2006, Minnewaterpark Bruges, With her debut album 'Mud Stories' the frail, classically trained pianist AN PIERLÉ did not conform to expectations: instead of sweet piano pop her music is wild, thorny and experimental. She has an a.
34. 2006-07-08 - MEMBERS OF MARVELAS (2006). MEMBERS OF MARVELAS at Cactusfestival 2006, Minnewaterpark Bruges, - Members of Marvelas (2006 – Bang!) www.marvelas.be MOM (short for MEMBERS OF MARVELAS ) is a loose collective with members from bands like Metaphora and Sioen. They started as a crossover jazz band.
35. 2006-07-08 - RUFUS WAINWRIGHT (2006). RUFUS WAINWRIGHT at Cactusfestival 2006, Minnewaterpark Bruges.
36. 2006-07-08 - BUFFALO TOM (2006). BUFFALO TOM at Cactusfestival 2006, Minnewaterpark Bruges, It took this Boston trio a while to get rid of the Dinosaur Jr influence (whose front man J. Mascis produced their debut album), but now they are rightly regarded as a band that defined alternative gu.
37. 2006-07-08 - THE TRAGICALLY HIP (2006). THE TRAGICALLY HIP at Cactusfestival 2006, Minnewaterpark Bruges, Neither 'hip’ nor 'tragic' really apply to this five piece from Ontario: though worldwide success has (so far) unjustly passed them by, they are rightly regarded as the crown jewels of Canadian rock..
38. 2006-07-09 - TIKEN JAH FAKOLY (2006). TIKEN JAH FAKOLY at Cactusfestival 2006, Minnewaterpark Bruges, For those who may have missed his impressive show in Bruges last year, don’t let this opportunity pass you by: TIKEN JAH FAKOLY will blow you away! Calling his performance 'energetic' is almost an und.
39. 2006-07-09 - ZITA SWOON (2006). ZITA SWOON at Cactusfestival 2006, Minnewaterpark Bruges, Josiesomething | Disco! Camera Concert - A Band in a Box (november 2005 – Chikaree/Bang!) www.zitaswoon.com Alongside dEUS, ZITA SWOON is still in the vanguard of the alternative music scene in Antwer.
40. 2006-07-09 - MARCELO D2 (2006). MARCELO D2 at Cactusfestival 2006, Minnewaterpark Bruges.
41. 2006-07-09 - BAJOFONDO TANGO CLUB (2006). BAJOFONDO TANGO CLUB at Cactusfestival 2006, Minnewaterpark Bruges, In recent years Argentine music has been subjected to all kinds of experiments – electronic and otherwise. Not unlike Gotan Project, BAJOFONDO TANGO CLUB treat tradition in a surprising way. This coll.
42. 2006-07-09 - STEEL PULSE (2006). STEEL PULSE at Cactusfestival 2006, Minnewaterpark Bruges, The eternal fight against injustice never left the agenda of these British roots reggae-rockers. They caught the public eye when punk was all around. They started a lawsuit against a taxi company refu.
43. 2006-07-09 - DAVID GRAY (2006). DAVID GRAY at Cactusfestival 2006, Minnewaterpark Bruges, Armed with a rough-edged voice, an acoustic guitar and melancholic melodies such as 'Babylon', 'Please forgive me' and 'This year's love', singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist DAVID GRAY prov.
44. 2006-07-09 - ERYKAH BADU (2006). ERYKAH BADU at Cactusfestival 2006, Minnewaterpark Bruges, Right from the start the airy but menacing soul of ERYKAH BADU left the mediocrity of most R&B output far behind. Her album 'Baduizm' earned her 4 Grammy's and was the highest chart entry of a debut a.
45. 2006-07-14 - The Tragically Hip - Live at Cactus Festival in Brugge, Belgium on July 8, 2006. 2006 in the Minnewaterpark, Bruges.
46. 2006-07-15 - BELGIUM- CactusFestival 2006 (live) - The Proclaimers. 2006 in the Minnewaterpark, Bruges.
47. 2006-07-16 - Tragically Hip Cactus Festival 2006 Belgium - Grace To. 2006 in the Minnewaterpark, Bruges.
48. 2007-07-13 - Cake @ Cactus Festival 2007. 2007 in the Minnewaterpark, Bruges.
49. 2008-07-11 - Cactusfestival 2008. 2008 in the Minnewaterpark, Bruges.
50. 2008-07-11 - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings "100 Days, 100 Nights". SHARON JONES & THE DAP KINGS, the video Cactusfestival featured on its 2008 line-up page (Minnewaterpark, Bruges).

…and 553 more moments.

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