Sfinks is a global pop festival that annually takes place in Boechout, Belgium, a village southeast of Antwerp. The first edition dates back to 1976. The festival usually takes place on the last weekend of July. Since 2023, Sfinks has been organizing two festivals: the one-day festival "Sfinks Mundial" in May, and the four-day festival "Sfinks Mixed" in July.
Both festivals are free and focus on sustainability, accessibility, gender equality, and safety for everyone.
Etymology The name Sfinks comes from the two stone sphinxes in the park of Sint-Gabriëlcollege, where the festival used to take place.
History In its early years, Sfinks focused on folk music. It mainly featured Anglo-Saxon groups, such as the Irish band Clannad. From 1982 onwards, it slowly grew into the world music festival it is today. Youssou N'Dour, Cheb Khaled, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, among others, performed in Boechout during this period.
In 1994, the festival moved to a larger site, the Molenveld. By then, it had grown into a four-day event with more stages and a more diverse program. In 2008, Sfinks was reduced to three days and the name of the festival was changed to Sfinks Mixed. In addition to music, theater, circus and comedy acts were also programmed for the first time.
In 2013, Sfinks faced financial difficulties due to the loss of government subsidies. In response to these changes, it was decided to implement some drastic changes: admission was made free and the duration of the festival was increased by one day. The organizers hoped that this would attract a larger audience.
Secondary activities The Sfinks organization is also responsible for programming "de Zomer van Antwerpen" (The Summer of Antwerp); two months of theater, music, film, and dance at various locations in Antwerp. It also coordinates the European Forum of Worldwide Music Festivals, a network of 46 festivals in 18 European countries. And they collaborate aswell with the annual Festival au Désert, held every January in Mali.
Line-up 1976 Jesse Winchester & Band, Garden, 5th Ball Gang, Mmmm, Lieven, Recompensa
1977 Brenda Wootton, Swan Arcade, Battle Field band
1978 De Snaar, John Kirkpatrick & Sue Harris, La Romanderie
1979 Wannes Van De Velde, Clannad, John Renbourn
1980 Vermenton Plage, The McCalmans, Marie Jeanne Tellez, Arthus, Fiddle Feaver, Rum, Aristide Padygros, Stockton's Wing, Fran O'Rourke, Trol, Ossian, Bob Frank en Zussen, Brenda Wootton, Angélique Ionatos, Nino de San Andres y sus Flamenco Orkestra, Rocking Dopsie & The Cajun Twisters
1981 Cromlech, Samboa, Paula Lockheart, Le Quator, André Bialek, Queen Ida & Le Bon Temps, Mandanga, Canto Libre, Carlos Andreu, Akka, Bonga, Juan Jose Mosalini Y Su Gran Orchestra De Tango, Vizönto and Deka
1982 Super Combo Créole, Big Bamboo Calypso Band, Lazare Kenmenge, Sacy Perere, Bovick and Partners, Koko Taylor Blues Machine, Makam es Kolinda, Toto Guillaume, Francis Bebey, Manu Dibango, Azuquita y Su Melao
1983 Bula Sangoma, Los Salseros, Francis Bebey Quartet, Xalam, Tito Puente, Dudu Pukwana, Lembá, Ronald Shannon Jackson, Abdullah Ibrahim and Touré Kunda
1984 -> Sfinks introduces a new stage (the Tent Stage)
Andy Narell, Idir, Mongo Santa María, Franco et le T.P.O.K. Jazz, Machitún, El Kholoud, Baklava, Ekomé Dance Co., Fawzy Al Aïedy, Sun Ra Arkestra, Orchestre Jazira, Malembe, Lamogoya, Original Bushtown Rumours
1985 Somo Somo, Zazou & Bikaye, Joia, Astor Piazzolla, JR Walker & the All Stars, Mashenka, Thoko Mdlalose, Paulinho Ramos, DjurDjura, Thomas Mapfumo and The Blacks Unlimited, Revanche, The Lounge Lizzards
1986 Claudy & Co, Carte de Séjour, Don Cherry Quintet, Working Week, Tania Maria, The Skyblasters, Eko Kuango, Desmond Dekker, Mahmoud Ahmed ft Neway Debebe & The Roha Band, Carmel, Youssou N'Dour, Kabbala and Waka Wakah
1987 Sahl'omon, Lee Perry & The Upsetters, The Real Sounds of Africa, Gil Scott-Heron, Gilberto Gil, Macoubary, Zeebra, Flaco Jiménez su Conjunto, Courtney Pine Quartet, Gonzalo Rubalcaba y su grupo projecto, Kaba Mane, Toots & The Maytalls and Kalabash
1988 Ramiro Naka & N'Kassa Cobra, Andy Sheppard Quintet, David Rudder & Charly's Roots, Nina Simone, Thione Seck & Le Raam Daan, Shalawambe, S. E. Rogie, Toumani Diabate-Ketama ft Danny Thompson, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Abdel Aziz El Mubarak, Alpha Blondy & The Solar System, Yemaya and Ali Farka Touré
1989 Gilberto Gil, Umbelina, Pardesi Music Machine, King Sunny Adé, Remmy Ongala & Orchestre Matimila, Cheb Khaled, Panache Culture, Trilok Gurtu, Les Musiciens du Nile, Kristi Rose & The Midnight Walkers, Papa Wemba, Zouk Machine and Chi-Kin-Chee & Akwaaba
1990 Irshad Khan, Toto Bissainthe, Chaba Djena, Les Têtes Brulées, Les Négresses Vertes, Princesse Mansia M'Bila, Sido ft Tamba Kumba, Jemaa, Najma Akhtar, Ivo Papazov & His Bulgarian Wedding Orchestra and Mexe Com Tudo
1991 Hossan Ramzy, Caramusa, Super Diamono de Dakar, Aster Aweke, Femi Anikulapo ft Kuti, Mav Cacharel, Xiomara Fortuna & ses Kaliumbe, Seckou & Ramata, the Rebirth Brass Band, Farafina, Sapho, Rubén Blades and Zekle
1992 Taraf de Haïdouks, Staatskoor van de Bulgaarse radio en televisie, Anoosh, Donke, Marisa Monte, Wallias Band, Los Reyes, Fuzue, Stella Rambisai Chiwese and The Earthquake Band, Eduardo Muniz, La Kumpania Zelwer, Lili Boniche, Orchestre Anti Choc de Bozi, Boziana, Olodum, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Paulus Damenië & Band and Phantoms
1993 Donnisulana, Karoline Zaidline, Amiina, Ritos, Sarband, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Party, Abana Ba Nasery, Lokua Kanza, Jean Emilien, Ghorwane, Classic Swede Swede, Ara Ketu, Les Amazones de Guinée, Donn Pullen's Afro Brazilian Connection, Bauls, Hedningarna, Los Van Van, Barrister, Fabulous Trobadors, Joji Hirota, Julie Mourillon, Molequa de Rua, Mouth Music, Ali Hassan Kuban, Reconciliation, Dmitri Pokrovsky Ensemble, Zap Mama, Super Rail Band de Bamako and Ray Lema et les voix Bulgares de l'ensemble Pirin
1994 N'Java, Simentera, Lo'Jo Triban, Transglobal Underground, Jah Wobble & The Invaders of the Heart, Ngaari Laaw, N'Java, Gary Thomas & Hossam Ramzy, Simentera, Gitans ft Thierry Robin, The Last Poets, Aziza Mustafa Zadeh, Baaba Maal, Tierra Caliente, Snowboy, N'Dai N'Dai, Cheb Mami, Les Quatre Étoiles, Psamim, Gulabo Sapera, Tammurriata Di Scafati, A Filetta, Tuareg Bali, Juan Jose Mosalini Y Su Gran Orchestra De Tango, Cheb Khaled, I Muvrini, Lo'Jo Triban, The Klezmatics, The Western Diamonds, Papa Jube & The Jubelation Band, The Academy Brass Band and Kočani Orkestar
1995 Ang Grupong Pendong, Gary Thomas & Hossam Ramzy, Mandé Foli, Youssou N'Dour, Sangit, Tuu, Yat-Kha, Patrick Persée, Balanescu Quartet, Lotfi Bouchnak & Ensemble Al Kindi, Ali Farka Touré, Master Musicians of Jajouka, Mandé Foli, Totó la Momposina, Prophets of Da City, Granmoun Léle, Remmy Ongala & Orchestre Super Matimila, Fanfare Jaïpur, Lulendo, Aurora Moreno, Eric Marchand et Le Taraf de Caransebeş, Mynta, Les Grand-Mères de Djanet, Sabri Brothers, Remmy Ongala & Totó la Momposina, Manu Dibango's Wakafrika Project ft Ray Lema & Mory Kanté & Bonga, Habib Koité et Bamada, Chico Science & Nação Zumbi and Papa Wemba
1996 Danyèl Waro, La Vieja Trova, Mestre Ambrosio, Genetic Drugs ft Karma Club, Yawar, Cesária Évora, La Vieja Trova, Kayo Fujino, Langa, Luzmila Carpio y sus Llaqtamasikuna, Noche Flamenco, Kangaroo Moon, The Bollywood Band, Danyèl Waro, Up, Bustle and Out, Chaba Fadela & Cheb Sahraoui, Kanda Bongo Man, Tenores di Bitti, Hukwe Zawose & Wagogo Woman Drummers and Dancers, Banyumas Bamboo, Zehava Ben, Mighty Sparrow, Crocodile Style & Yawar, Iwakichi & Noriko Yamashita, Ekova, Yungchen Lhamo, Te Ava Piti, Ferus Mustafov, Mestre Ambrosio, Jaojoby, Mama Ohandja, Detrimental, Malouma Mint Meideh, Flamenco de Jerez, Yulduz Usmonova and Marzieh
1997 Los Activos, Lunar Drive, Sally Nyolo, Tambours Sacrés, Voces Del Al-Andalus, Daniel Abebe, Ailanis, Ensemble Mzetamze, Didg Trio ft. Gary Thomas & Alan Dargin & Phillip Peris, Musafir, Lunar Drive, Gil & The Perfects, Sierra Maestra, The Asian Equation, Angélique Kidjo, Diblo Dibala & Matchatcha, D'Gary, Sékouba Bambino Diabate, Enrique Morento Y Gruppo, Amampondo, Carlinhos Brown, Tchota Suari & Antoni Sanches, Alla, Matlubeh, Sam Mangwana, Los Activos, Ouza Diallo, Sally Nyolo, Anastasia, Cándido Fabré, Psarantonis, Te Vaka, Emil Zrihan & the Israeli Andalusian Orchestra, Natacha Atlas and Radio Tarifa
1998 Nēnēs, Zarboutan, Combays, Daúde, Jorge Ben Jor, Maracuta Naçao Pernambuco, Zarboutan, Jimi Mbaye, La Familia Valera Miranda, Avaton, Kadda Cherif Hadria, Monique Séka, Bulgarka Junior ft Ivan Lantos & Missa Primi Toni, Moriba Koita, Shahram Nazeri & Ensemble Dastan, Isabel Bayón, Nēnēs, Tartit, La Charanga Habanera, Wimme, Extra Musica, Gnawa 'Lila', Combays, Ismael Rudas & Daniel Celedon, Sawt El Atlas, Africando, Musa Dieng Kala, Susana Baca, Ismael Rudas & Daniel Celedon, Liu Sola, Nahawa Doumbia, Xu Chao Minh, Musa Dieng Kala, Massa Konate, Liu Sola, Didges ft. Gary Thomas & Alan Dargin & Mark Atkins, Susana Baca, Likembe Geant and Eleftheria Arvanitaki - Adonis Mitzelos
1999 Leilía, Swédé Lokelé, Bagunçaço, Brotherhood of Brass, Trip do Brasil, Mahnimal, El Hadj N'Diaye, Teófilo Chantre, Alim Qasimov, Belén Maya & Mayte Martín, Sahraouis, Swédé Lokelé, Abdel Ali Slimani, Frédéric Galliano & Néba Solo, Super Cayor De Dakar, Bloque (band), Empire Bakuba, DJ Jungle Jazz, Manos Achalinotopoulos, Urna, La Banda Municipale de Santiago de Cuba, Sertab Erener, Alfredo de la Fé, Dhol Foundation, El Hadj N'Diaye, RDB, Black Star Liner, Dj Master Volume, Dj Ritu, DJ Aki, Joi, The Saint Nicholas Orchestra, The Farlanders, Aterciopelados, Brother Resistance & Rapso Riddum, Mamar Kassey, Jigme Drukpa, Abed Azrié (Suerte), Camerata Romeu, DJ Timmax, Melina Kana & Ashkabad, Leilía, Pact, Sheikh Yasîn Al-Tuhâmi, DJ Cheb i Sabbah, Amadou & Mariam, Sidestepper, DJ Armand, Ashkabad and Hypnotix
2013 Concert tent: The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band, Dakhabrakha, Akua Naru, Che Sudaka, Buscemi, Daniel Haaksman Xamanek, Gaby Amarantos, Batucada Sound Machine, Ky-Mani-Marley, Civalizee Foundation, Dj Babybang, Salam Musik, Azalai Project, Guido Belcanto, Terakaft, Gaby Amartontos, Turntable Dubbers, mps PILOT, Coely, The Flexican ft. MC Sef, Captain Steel, Kapitein Winokio, Sana Bob, Lindigo, Ricardo Lemvo & El Bataillon De La Rumba, Clement Peerens Explosition (CPeX)
2014 Vroink, Amigos, De Piepkes, Radio Oorwoud, Leki, Palenke Soultribe, Jupiter & Okwess International, Orquesta Aragon, Discobar Galaxie, Tinariwen, Flip Kowlier, Binti, Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita, Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba, Boddhi Satva, Karol Conka, Lady S., Lefto, Dj Marfox, Broukar,...
2015 Los De Abajo, Uproot Andy, Fresku, Jan Leyers, Merdan Taplak, Mr. Fuzz, Mystique, Omulu, Cheikh Lo, Slongs Dievanongs, Discobaar A Moeder, The Flexican ft. Mc Sef, Cookachoo, Zwartwerk, Bunny Wailer, Mashrou Leila, Nomobs, Fs Green & Mc Fit, Dj , Dj Ike, Olcay Bayir, Noreum Machi, Lady S, Ferro Gaita, Bart Peeters, Nidia Minaj, Pablo Fierro, Bossa Negra, Bachar Mar-Khalifé
2016 Barrio Lindo, Freddie Mc Gregor, Heinz Baut, KarKarKar, Kel Assouf, Papa Mojito, Positive Sound Soldier, Rachid Taha, Sven Van Hees, Wesli, Young Gum Superior, Abder, Bambou Negro, Buscemi, Dj Firmeza, Ertebrekers, Selector Matanzas, Tsiganisation Project, U Percutirlos, Blick Bassy, Broederliefde, Den Sorte Skole, Doylu, Ephiniko, Esteban Murillo & Marisol, Gan Gah, Jesse Royal, Junior Goodfellas, Kasba, Makazi, Manu Dibango, Masai, Osei Bantu, Raion Martirò, Renato Baccarat & UTZ, Roland, Savane, Sol Del Nene, Subtronics, Bibi Seck, Bora?, Borokov, Deltas, Elida Almeida, Fornication Hifi, Guido Belcanto, Khaira Arby, Marcia Griffiths, Mensch erger je niet, Noura Mint, Radio oorwoud, Tigana Santana, Troitsa, Vardan Emre
2017