Zwarte Cross festival guarantees four days of partying. The 220,000 annual visitors won’t be able to get their senses around it, because with more than 250 bands, 33 stages, lots of parties, stunts, theatre performances, motocrossers and various themed areas, there is plenty to experience.

The festival grounds are grandly decorated and also offer the necessary humour. Signs with slogans such as ‘Chilling in the name of’ can be found everywhere. Flügel was the main sponsor of the festival for a long time. When the company decided to stop, the organisation of the Black Cross came up with its own drink: Nozem Oil. This liqueur, with a citrus flavour and an alcohol content of 10%, is often downed both on the festival grounds and at the campsite.

Since 2009, Zwarte Cross has been the event where most beer is consumed. In 2008 and 2009, the festival was voted the most popular festival in the Netherlands. Enjoy the bike races, legendary parties and go nuts on the music. What more could you ask for?

What music at Zwarte Cross?

Each music style is represented at Zwarte Cross. From Guus Meeuwis to De Staat, from Ronnie Flex to Blondie. In recent years, musicians of various musical styles have entered the stages of the Zwarte Cross. There is a stage for fans of metal, hip-hop, reggae, disco, rock, world music, gospel and even a tirolertent where the schlagers sound until deep in the night. A selection from the Zwarte Cross acts through the years: Volbeat, Black Eyes Peas, Anouk, The Kooks, Seasick Steve, The Hives, Status Quo, Kaiser Chiefs, Blondie, Within Temptation, Bloodhound Gang, Golden Earring, The Opposites.

Why the name Zwarte Cross?

The Zwarte Cross was first organised in 1997 and is a bizarre mix of motocross, music, stunts, theatre, humour and lots of craziness and spectacle. The coming together of these seemingly totally different worlds makes for a globally unique festival. The festival is accompanied by a cross-country competition in which anyone can participate with a motorbike, moped, scooter or any other vehicle of their choice.

The name Zwarte Cross goes back to a phenomenon from the 1960s. Loud-mouthed pub goers who boasted too much about their achievements on a dirt bike or moped were challenged to prove their skills in a Black Cross. Although the name suggests that the Black Cross is illegal, the founders have been applying for a licence for the event since the first edition.

The festival has grown into the largest cross-country event in Western Europe with increasingly crazy stunts. A tank has already appeared on the cross-country track, motorcyclists have jumped over a cage with hungry tigers, a car with a caravan has jumped over the party tent and motorbikes have even done loops.

Date: 20, 21, 22 & 23 juli 2023
Location: Lichtenvoorde, Nederland
Website: https://www.zwartecross.nl/

Zwarte Cross Aftermovie 2022

Playlist Zwarte Cross 2022

The Zwarte Cross campsite is right next to the festival grounds. Nice and easy! There is room for more than 20,000 campers and believe us: this is where the real party is! The Black Cross campsite is rightfully called ‘Valhalla’ and campsite guests are the real VIPs of the festival, because when the festival closes at night, the party goes on in one of the neighbourhood pubs on the campsite.

Book your pre-erected tent

Don’t feel like dragging your stuff along to the campsite and do you horror at the thought of tent poles, inner and outer tents, guy ropes and air mattress pumps? Then there is the FestiTent. Just a decent tent set up in advance so you don’t have to carry it around. It is ready for you when you arrive, even fully equipped if you want it. And you can leave the whole mess behind when you leave.

Opening hours

Our FestiTent village is located at the Zwarte Cross campsite and is open to everyone, so your friends who might not have a FestiTent are always free to visit you. The opening hours of the Zwarte Cross campsite are from Thursday the 20th of July at 7AM until Monday the 24th of July at noon. The FestiTent is yours during that entire period.

Entertainment & facilities

Valhalla is an event in itself with numerous bands in the renowned Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus, a mini Oktoberfest in the ‘Spiel mir einer Tiroler’ tent and a cosy campfire with acoustic music at night. In addition, there are all the amenities of a ‘real’ village, a supermarket, bathhouse, massage parlour and laundry. On the campsite you will find all necessary facilities such as: food & drinks, hot showers, fresh toilets and all the well-known Black Cross entertainment. Everything is accessible to FestiTent guests.

FestiTent voucher

After your booking you will receive an email as payment confirmation. Our Guest Support will check and confirm your booking. You will then receive an email with your FestiTent voucher. This voucher only gives you access to your FestiTent, not to the festival or the campsite. The entrance ticket to the campsite must be purchased separately in the ticket shop of the festival.

Is your spam filter stronger than our vouchers? No problem, you can download your voucher straight from the FestiTent Guest Center.

A few days before you travel to the festival, you will receive an email from us with additional information about the location and check-in.

Check-In

After entering the campsite, proceed to the FestiTent reception. Our hosts will be waiting for you and guide you to your FestiTent. You can check in by handing in your voucher. If you have lost your voucher (your dog ate it, your printer ran out of ink just when you tried to print it or your phone ran out of power) we will find your name in our check-in system. No worries! During the check-in we will check if your FestiTent is damage free and fill in a check-in form together.

Check-Out

Come over to the FestiTent reception when you want to check out. We will check together if your FestiTent was not damaged during the weekend. If everything is ok, your deposit will be refunded the day after. From then it’s out of our hands. Depending on your payment method it can take several weeks before you will see it appear on your account.

More info about the Deposit.

More questions?

Find the answers on our Support page or Contact us.