Pinkpop Festival
The Pinkpop Festival or PINKPOP is a large, annual music festival held at Landgraaf, Netherlands. It is usually held on the Pentecost weekend. If Pentecost falls on an early date in May, the festival is held later in June. Starting in 1970, at Burgemeester Damen Sportpark in the city of Geleen, Pinkpop is the oldest and longest running annual dedicated pop and rock music festival in the world.
Nowadays, Pinkpop is a three-day festival, from Saturday through Monday when on Pentecost weekend, or Friday through Sunday otherwise, with a 60,000 people per day capacity, and with performances on 4 separate stages. From 2006 through 2011, Pinkpop sold out six years in a row. During 44 editions, more than 2 million people have attended Pinkpop. Some 700 music acts have played at the festival.
In 1994, it was decided to sell only 60,000 tickets, to prevent overcrowding due to the popularity of the festival. In 1995, it was made into a 2-day festival. Two years later, in 1997, this was further expanded to three days.
2007 saw a spin-off, later in the year, on 11 August, called Pinkpop Classic, for an older rock audience, with bands that previously performed there in past decades. This spin-off was held again in following years, with exception of 2011, in which the organisation was not able to sign enough interesting older bands.
In 2008, Pinkpop was for the first time in its history not held on Pentecost weekend, which fell too early that year for the convenience of fans and performers alike. This was decided following the 2005 edition, in which the Pentecost weekend also fell early and therefore Pinkpop could not convince many great performers to come play at the festival. Sales were disappointing in 2005, so by shifting the 2008 festival, the organisation hoped to solve these problems. Pinkpop 2008 turned out to have had the largest concert attendance to date. The dates for the 2010, 2013, 2015 and 2016 edition have been shifted as well, for similar reasons.
Name and logo
The name consists of two parts. 'Pink' comes from the Dutch word for Pentecost and 'pop' comes from pop music. But a later creative interpretation for the name combines the English word pink and the Dutch word pop, which means doll, thus forming the origin for the logo, a doll in a pink dress.The precursor to Pinkpop was held on Pentecost Monday in 1969. It was completely free, and called Pinknick because people were supposed to bring their own food. Only a free pig roast and free apples were provided by the organizers. Inspired by the Monterey festival from 1967, a number of hip local bands were persuaded to come and play unpaid. Almost 10,000 visitors were attracted, ranging from pop music lovers to grandparents and their grandchildren. And families with empty shopping bags, loading up on apples.
Editions
2007
Pinkpop 2007 was held on May 26, 27 and 28 2007. It was the 20th time the event was held at the Megaland Park. On February 28, most of the line-up was revealed. Pearl Jam was announced to make their 3rd appearance on the Pinkpop stage, but they cancelled, for two of their members would become fathers in the Pentecost weekend.| Mainstage | 3FM Stage | BUMA/John Peel Stage | |
| Saturday 26 May | - Goose - Juliette and the Licks - Within Temptation - Marilyn Manson | - Noisettes - Wir sind Helden - Good Charlotte | - Viberider - Stevie Ann - C-mon & Kypski |
| Sunday 27 May | - Gabriel Ríos - Razorlight - Iggy & The Stooges - Snow Patrol - Muse | - Ozark Henry - Gogol Bordello - Ilse DeLange - Lostprophets | - The Nightwatchman - Paolo Nutini - Maxïmo Park - Krezip |
| Monday 28 May | - The Fratellis - Wolfmother - Scissor Sisters - Arctic Monkeys - Linkin Park - The Smashing Pumpkins | - Thirty Seconds to Mars - Stone Sour - Dave Matthews Band - KoЯn - Evanescence | - Five O'Clock Heroes - Maria Mena - Macy Gray - The Magic Numbers - The Kooks |
2008
Pinkpop 2008 was held in the Landgraaf Megaland Park on 30 May, 31 May and 1 June 2008. On 10 and 17 December there were 3 bands officially announced to headline on each of the three festival days. These headlining bands are the internationally renowned Foo Fighters, Metallica, and the recently reunited Rage Against the Machine. Pinkpop 2008 had the largest audience of concert attendees to date, with an average of just over 60,000 people arriving each of the three days, prompting the festival organizers to announce that 180,000 people had visited the festival. Because the 42,500 available three-day passes sold out completely, the actual number of unique visitors is 94,000.| Mainstage | 3FM Stage | GM Next Stage | |
| Friday 30 May | - Flogging Molly - Incubus - Metallica | - Sat2D - Animal Alpha - Alter Bridge | - From First to Last - Jonathan Davis - Porcupine Tree |
| Saturday 31 May | - Moke - KT Tunstall - Editors - Kaiser Chiefs - Foo Fighters | - Air Traffic - Bad Religion - Eagles of Death Metal - Stereophonics - The Verve | - Blood Red Shoes - Voicst - Amy MacDonald - Justice - Groove Armada |
| Sunday 1 June | - Fiction Plane - Gavin DeGraw - Racoon - Alanis Morissette - Queens of the Stone Age - Rage Against the Machine | - The Wombats - Cavalera Conspiracy - The Hives - Serj Tankian - Counting Crows | - Patrick Watson - Kate Nash - Pete Murray - Saybia - Róisín Murphy |
2009
On 4 March 2009, the Pinkpop Board gave a press conference in Paradiso in Amsterdam, to answer questions from the press and announce which artists will be performing on Pinkpop 2009 will be announced.| Mainstage | 3FM Stage | Tent Stage | |
| Saturday 30 May | - Chris Cornell - The Killers - Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band | - Kings of the Day - Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Elbow | - Noisettes - Just Jack - Dr. Lektroluv |
| Sunday 31 May | - Milow - Volbeat - Madness - Krezip - Placebo | - De Staat - Rowwen Hèze - Maria Mena - James Morrison - Keane | - You Me At Six - Kyteman's Hiphop Orchestra - The Rifles - White Lies - Pendulum |
| Monday 1 June | - The Gaslight Anthem - Novastar - Amy Macdonald - Franz Ferdinand - Anouk - Snow Patrol | - Shinedown - Mando Diao - Billy Talent - De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig - The Kooks | - The All-American Rejects - Hollywood Undead - The Script - Katy Perry - The Ting Tings |
2010
2011
Pinkpop 2011 was held on 11, 12 and 13 June, headlined by Coldplay, Kings of Leon and Foo Fighters on Saturday, Sunday and Monday respectively.| Lineup | Mainstage | 3FM Stage | Converse Stage |
| Saturday 11 June | - De Staat - Lifehouse - Elbow - Coldplay | - Manic Street Preachers - Simple Plan - Alter Bridge | - Madi - Ash - Selah Sue |
| Sunday 12 June | - Hurts - Tim Knol -Wolfmother - White Lies - Kings of Leon | -VersaEmerge - Justin Nozuka - Graffiti6 - Avenged Sevenfold | - The Garden of Love - Hanson - Cage the Elephant - Laura Jansen - The Bloody Beetroots - Death Crew 77 |
| Monday 13 June | - Scouting for Girls - Two Door Cinema Club - Go Back to the Zoo - Volbeat - Kaiser Chiefs - Foo Fighters | - Plain White T's - Beatsteaks - The Gaslight Anthem - The Script - Thirty Seconds to Mars | - Dazzled Kid - Eliza Doolittle - All Time Low - Band of Horses - deadmau5 |
2012
Pinkpop 2012 was held on 26, 27, 28 of May.| Lineup | Mainstage | 3FM Stage | Converse Stage |
| Saturday 26 May | - Moss - Kyuss Lives! - Anouk - The Cure | - Major Tom - The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - The Ting Tings | - Will and The People - The Afghan Whigs - Ben Howard |
| Sunday 27 May | - Babylon Circus - Racoon - The Kyteman Orchestra - Soundgarden - Linkin Park | - The Bosshoss - Mastodon - The Wombats - Keane | - Hungry Kids of Hungary - Bombay Bicycle Club - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Chase & Status |
| Monday 28 May | - Gers Pardoel - Seasick Steve - The Specials - Mumford and Sons - Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band | - Rival Sons - Blood Red Shoes - Herbert Grönemeyer - The Hives - James Morrison | - Serena Pryne & The Mandeviles - Jonathan Jeremiah - Miike Snow - Chef’Special - Paul Kalkbrenner |
2013
Pinkpop 2013 was held on June 14, 15 and 16; the third time that it was not held in the weekend of Pentecost.| Lineup | Mainstage | 3FM Stage | Brand Bier Stage |
| Friday 14 June | - Handsome Poets - Paramore - The Script - The Killers | - Masters of Reality - Jimmy Eat World - Queens of the Stone Age | - Christopher Green - Kodaline - Andy Burrows - Netsky Live |
| Saturday 15 June | - La Pegatina - Passenger - The Opposites - Thirty Seconds to Mars - Kings of Leon | - Douwe Bob - Fun. - The Gaslight Anthem - Phoenix | - Palma Violets - Graveyard - Miles Kane - Ellie Goulding - C2C |
| Sunday 16 June | - Kensington - Will and the People - The Vaccines - Ben Howard - Green Day | - Tom Odell - Trixie Whitley - Blaudzun - Stereophonics - Triggerfinger | - Puggy - Bastille - Lianne La Havas - Die Antwoord - Alt-J |
2014
Pinkpop 2014 was held on June 7, 8 and 9.| Lineup | Mainstage | 3FM Stage | Brand Bier Stage | Stage 4 |
| Saturday 7 June | - Ed Kowalczyk - Flogging Molly - John Mayer - The Rolling Stones | - Haim - Joe Bonamassa - Bastille | - Les Djinns - Thé Lau/The Scene - White Lies - Epica | - Paceshifters - Afterpartees - Gecko |
| Sunday 8 June | - Chef'Special - The Kooks - Ed Sheeran - Editors - Arctic Monkeys | - North Mississippi Allstars - Limp Bizkit - Rudimental - Paolo Nutini - Robert Plant and the Sensational Spaceshifters | - - Portugal. The Man - Twenty One Pilots - The Boxer Rebellion - John Newman | - Nina Nesbitt - Intergalactic Lovers - Brother & Bones |
| Monday 9 June | - Mastodon - Rob Zombie - Biffy Clyro - Avenged Sevenfold - Metallica | - Jett Rebel - Kodaline - Stromae - Jake Bugg - Arcade Fire | - Clean Bandit - Ghost - Young the Giant - Bombay Bicycle Club - Gogol Bordello | - Birth of Joy - Powerman 5000 - Kraantje Pappie |
2015
Pinkpop 2015 was held on June 12, 13 and 14; the fourth time that it will not be held in the weekend of Pentecost.2016
Pinkpop 2016 was held on June 10, 11 and 12.| Lineup | Mainstage | 3FM Stage | Brand Bier Stage | Stage 4 | Garden of Love |
| Friday 10 June | - The Common Linnets - Bastille - James Bay - Red Hot Chili Peppers | - Gary Clark Jr. - Years & Years - Major Lazer | - Storsky - Lukas Graham - Bear's Den - De Staat | - The Struts - Sara Hartman - One Ok Rock - Skip&Die & Friends | - Clean Pete |
| Saturday 11 June | - Walk Off The Earth - James Morrison - Lianne La Havas - Doe Maar - Rammstein | - Imelda May - Halestorm - Skillet - De Staat - Puscifer | - Miamigo - Lucas Hamming - Matt Simons - Nothing But Thieves - Robin Schulz | - The Sore Losers - Parquet Courts - Lucky Fonz III - Bazart - Noisia | - Madi Hermens |
| Sunday 12 June | - Douwe Bob - John Newman - Kygo - Lionel Richie - Paul McCartney | - Jungle By Night - Vintage Trouble - All Time Low - Bring Me The Horizon - Skunk Anansie | - Harts - St. Paul & The Broken Bones - Jamie Lawson - Tom Odell - Balthazar | - Walking on Cars - Slaves - The London Souls - Graveyard - Sevn Alias/Broederliefde | - Midas |
2017
Pinkpop 2017 was held on June 3, 4 and 5.| Lineup | Mainstage | 3FM Stage | Brightlands Stage | Stage 4 | Garden of Love |
| Saturday 3 June | - James TW - Chef'Special - Kensington - Justin Bieber - Martin Garrix | - White Lies - Kaiser Chiefs - Five Finger Death Punch | - The Ten Bells - Pierce Brothers - Crystal Fighters - Richard Ashcroft | - Alma - Declan McKenna - Ronnie Flex & Deuxperience Band | - Lotte Walda |
| Sunday 4 June | - Gavin James - Kodaline - Broederliefde - Imagine Dragons - Green Day | - Anne-Marie - James Arthur - Clean Bandit - Biffy Clyro - Sean Paul | - Jack Savoretti - My Baby - The Charm The Fury - Birdy - Rancid | - Undeclinable Ambuscade - Busty And The Bass - Amber Run - Bomba Estéreo | - Charl Delemarre |
| Monday 5 June | - Seasick Steve - Guus Meeuwis - Passenger - Live - Kings Of Leon | - Machine Gun Kelly - Rag'n'Bone Man - Sum 41 - Prophets of Rage - System Of A Down | - Gutter-Dämmerung - Oh Wonder - Liam Gallagher - Fat Freddy's Drop - MØ | - Midas - Don Broco - Chris Ayer - JP Cooper | - Gerson Main |
2018
Pinkpop 2018 was held on June 15, 16 and 17.A fatal traffic accident involving festival-goers took place in the early morning of June 18. After the festival, at around 04:00, a group of persons , which was not closed to vehicular traffic. Information as it is now, indicates that a white Opel van travelling along this road could not avoid the group and ran into them, killing one and severely injuring three more. The driver reported himself to the police several hours later in Amsterdam.
During the performance of the Foo Fighters on June 16, the disintegration of a large meteor was observed in the sky right behind the main stage and caught on video. The fireball and its disintegration was widely observed also elsewhere in the Benelux countries, Germany and France. An analysis of over 200 eyewitness reports suggests that the disintegration took place at 23:11 local time near the Belgian city of Liège.