We will rock you: Studio Brussel’s ‘Warmest Week’ kicks off in Kortrijk

The annual end-of-year party, concert series and charity drive De Warmste Week (The Warmest Week) has kicked off in Kortrijk. While the culmination of rock station Studio Brussel’s fundraising initiative usually takes place in a grassy recreation domain, this year DJs have taken to the middle of a city.

Three Studio Brussel DJs will spend 24 hours a day broadcasting From Nelson Mandelaplein, not far from Kortrijk’s train station. They will base all song selections on requests from listeners, both in the square and online.

Every request is connected to a donation to a charity. There are more than 2,000 charities to choose from on the Warmste Week website.

The very first request played came from Kortrijk mayor Vincent Van Quickenborne, who chose a medley of three tunes: Queen’s “We Will Rock You”, Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” and David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”. The medley was accompanied by 100 live drummers for a noisy and joyful opening at 8.00 this morning.

De Warmste Week is the finale of weeks of fundraising by average citizens, who register their efforts online. Everyone can choose their own charity and method for raising money for it. People can also sign up to help other people with their charity drives or show up at events to donate money.

Flaming

Studio Brussel runs its own charity drives as well, including the Warmathon, a series of walking and running events across the country. The routes are short and kick off today in Kortrijk before move on to five other locations on subsequent days. While Kortrijk, Ghent and Leuven are fully booked, there’s still space for participants in Brussels, Antwerp and Beringen.

People are also buying up Warmste Week merchandising in droves, particularly the little gold pin shaped like a flame. Proceeds are split among all of the 2,088 charities that are part of De Warmste Week. Flames can be bought in several local retailers, including Spar, Dreamland and AS Adventure, as well as online.

In Kortrijk, meanwhile, concerts and parties are taking place on the square – all sold out. In between, everyone is welcome to join the festivities, where people will arrive on stage with regularity to turn in funds raised for specific charities.

And as is tradition, the DJs – Eva De Roo, Joris Brys and Fien Germijns – will also sleep on location, each with their own cubbyhole housed above the square, under the watchful eye of local residents and visitors.

Photo: 100 drummers kicked off De Warmste Week in style. DJs will spend the next week broadcasting live from the square in Kortrijk, even sleeping on site in compact cabins (pictured to the right of the stage)
©Kurt Desplenter/BELGA