BANG! START!
FREE*
Ticket prices
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* Most activities are free of charge and open to all.
You only need a ticket for the expo 'An Eternal Gaze'. During this opening weekend, you pay half the price.
Accessibility
- Entrance via Geldenaaksebaan.
- At the abbey, there's a bicycle parking lot and a (small) disabled parking lot.
However, access to the abbey site is difficult if you're wheelchair-bound. - The bus stop 'Heverlee Abdij van Park' is less than 100 meters from the entrance.
- Plenty of standard parking is available in the Philipssite underground car park.
A city festival about the origin of the cosmos simply has to start with a BANG, just like the big bang.
During the opening weekend of the festival, you will feel like a curious astronaut wandering through an artistic light spectacle. Just like in space, you will feel small and big at the same time, always part of an even bigger whole.
At dusk, the ponds of Park Abbey form the perfect setting for this special experience. You can also enjoy a few stellar concerts as well as a Star Party.
DOWNLOAD THE HANDOUT OF BANG!START!
Programme
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LIGHT TRAIL
Discover the abbey from a different, darker angle. Stroll through a mysteriously illuminated setting, spurred on by the curiosity of a true space voyager. Everywhere you turn, there are striking images, inexplicable lights, and enigmatic sounds to captivate your senses. Transported to the farthest reaches of the artistic light universe, you’ll feel like a giant and a mere speck, reminded of how you are forever part of an even greater whole. A torch is a must on this mysterious adventure.
artists Nele Fack, With Other Words, Bram Lattré, 88888, Tamar Frank, Niels Bloneel (AMyn), Staf&stiel, Studio Sandy and tBEDRIJF ft. Marjolijn van Heemstra production VDB PA, Beam Inc., Staf&stiel, Studio Sandy and 30CC thanks to EAP, Stad Leuven, Vrienden van de Abdij and Wonen en Werken
Daily from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Trail departure: Mariapoort (the first gate on the Geldenaaksebaan side)
Trail length: 1.5 km
Solid footwear is required and we recommend a small pocket torch. -
THE BIGGEST BANG
Saturday is the big day, and we’re opening with a bang! The beats of countless Leuven percussion ensembles will shatter the stars from the heavens at Park Abbey in concerts spread across the abbey grounds.
After that, it’s time to team up and polish your ‘drum sticks’ for a cosmic composition directed by Jo Zanders and Tom Permentier. That’s right. We need your help! Collect your best home, garden, and kitchen ‘drums’ and play with two hundred seasoned percussionists – including the Big Bang Band, assembled specially for the launch – in a musical sensation sure to be remembered for ages to come.
SAT 16.10
Drum bands: from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
De Madammen
Three Been Wèh (aka Fabotastix)
Molotov
Percussie-ensemble Conservatorium Leuven
Barabanda
Baguette
DROM
The Biggest Bang: from 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Neerhof -
ALAMIRE FOUNDATION – PARK COLLEGIUM
Park Collegium is reviving a fantastic musical heritage. With bits and pieces gleaned from various compositions in the Mechelen Choirbook, they’ve composed an all-new polyphonic mass – a piece never heard before. This madrigal music from the Flemish Renaissance comes straight from the antique pages of the Mechelen Choirbook. This melodic masterpiece is the master calligrapher Petrus Alamire’s sole manuscript, preserved in Leuven for over 500 years.
Daily at 6 p.m., 8 p.m., and 10 p.m. (30 min.)
Location: Park Abbey Church -
STAR PARTY - CAPELLA & WEGA
Peer through a telescope to search the galaxy for new stars and brand-new worlds. It’s the perfect occasion to discover the cosmos in a down-to-earth way. Around 15 telescopes are available for you to journey to the moon’s craters, Venus, and other celestial bodies with your feet firmly on the ground. And don’t forget the constellations and the North Star! The ‘party’ is ongoing and free of charge for everyone aged six and up. Be sure to dress warmly to keep out the evening chill.
Daily from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Location: Parkweg
only takes place in clear weather. -
CARILLON
Abbey carillonneur Luc Rombouts invites you to transcend to a higher plane with his heavenly carillon concerts every day. Travel the celestial bodies, carried along by the music’s pull: ‘Here Comes the Sun’, ‘Moonlight Shadow’, ‘Life on Mars’ …
Daily from 5:30 p.m. to 5:50 p.m. -
LIBRARY OF VOICES – CAPPELLA PRATENSIS
The ambient soundscape that greets you in the beautifully restored Library of Voices at the Norbertuspoort (Norbertine Gate) soothes the soul. The voices of Cappella Pratensis resurrect the 16th-century Gregorian chant of Antifonarium Tsgrooten (Antiphonarium of Tongerlo).
Daily from 5 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (15 min.), starts every half hour
Location: Norbertuspoort
Only accommodates 15 -
PLANETARIUMS
Immerse yourself in the wondrous world of stars and planets in Volksterrenwacht Urania’s planetariums, where you’ll also learn more about Georges Lemaître. Voyage through the starry sky in a planetarium programme brought to life by an expert guide.
The first three time slots at the large dome are uniquely designed for families with children.
Daily from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Location: Neerhof
Large dome: continuous universe presentation (30 min.) - Only accommodates 40
Small dome: continuous Georges Lemaître presentation (15 min.) - Only accommodates 20 -
TO INFINITY AND BEYOND – A KIDS’ INSTALLATION
A spaceship makes an emergency crash landing on earth – in Park Abbey. Needing repairs, the ship sends out an SOS for help. Who’s ready to lend a hand? ZANDZAND is on a quest for children brimming with kid power, imagination, and creativity. The ship depends on it to return to its voyage of space exploration. Equip the toolkit of your imagination and lend a hand on Saturday and Sunday.
SAT 16.10 from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
SUN 17.10 from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. -
PARCUM EXHIBITION OPENING
Park Abbey is an exceptionally well-preserved 12th-century heritage site on the outskirts of Leuven, surrounded by lush green nature. And it sets the stage for your visit to PARCUM’s exhibition An Eternal Gaze. The exhibition invites you to explore our origins – how we got here – from the lens of religion and spiritual experience.
Opening: Friday, 15 October at 6:30 p.m. (until 10 p.m.)
On Saturday and Sunday: open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
During KNAL START!, you pay only half the price. You can order your ticket in advance.
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MUSA HORTI
Musa Horti has been associated with Park Abbey for over 25 years, where it rehearses every Sunday evening.
American saxophonist Don-Paul Kahl will be joining the ensemble, especially for the occasion. Set in the majestic Park Abbey Church by moonlight, it promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime dynamic artistic experience.
SAT 16.10 & SUN 17.10, from 6:45 to 7:45 m. and from 8:45 tot 9:45 p.m.
Location: Park Abbey Church -
BAR & FOOD TRUCK
And of course, you can enjoy some delicious drinks and bites on-site.
Don't miss out on the KNAL! beer, created for the festival by the abbey brewery Braxatorium Parcensis.
BAR
FRI 15.10: 17.00 - 23.00 h / SAT 16.10: 13.30 - 23.00 h / SUN 17.10: 15.00 - 23.00 h
Location: Tiendenschuur
FOOD TRUCK ALFALFA
FRI 15.10: 17.00 - 22.00 h / SAT 16.10: 13.30 - 22.00 h / SUN 17.10: 15.00 - 22.00 h
Location: Neerhof
More info
programme 30CC in collaboration with Park Abbey heritage site, Studio Sandy, Parcum, Alamire, Musa Horti, Jo Zanders & Tom Permentier, Volkssterrenwachten Urania, Mira, Luc Rombouts, Friends of Park Abbey, 't Plukgeluk, The Abbey shop, The Abbey brewery, and others.
