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TREK travelling food festival visits Rotterdam - info, dates

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TREK Festival continues to innovate

Every year, new elements are added to the festival site. This year, a genuine birdcage, complete with a TREK bird, will be erected, and visitors can enjoy a Mediterranean experience with various types of Sangria and sparkling wines at a cosy ‘Sangria & Bubbles Bar’. This is paired with delicious oysters and/or Spanish bites. There will also be a large wine terrace, a Beer Garden, and a cocktail bar. Additionally, several stages are set up for up-and-coming musical talent, with extra performances this season due to a high number of applications. The 'Burger Mayor of TREK' welcomes visitors, the theatre caravan provides the necessary cultural entertainment, and visitors with a nice message for someone else can turn to the postman of the gastronomic village. The youngest visitors of TREK have also been considered: they can enjoy themselves at the children's theatre, the nostalgic fairground attractions, or with a wide range of traditional Dutch games.s.

Festival TREK visits 9 of the Netherlands' most beautiful city parks

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Festival TREK - MAASTRICHT 2024

Thu may 23 2024 at 04:00 pm to sun may 26 2024 at 09:30 pm, stadspark maastricht | maastricht.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Stadspark Maastricht, Maastricht, Netherlands

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Festival TREK geopend in Nijmegen

Vanmiddag werd in het Hunnerpark  de aftrap gegeven aan Festival TREK. Bij het grootste foodfestival van Nederland kunnen Bourgondiërs uit de omgeving genieten van de mooiste foodtrucks met het lekkerste streetfood, verfrissende drankjes en natuurlijk het nodige muzikale vermaak. Festival TREK is nog tot en met zondag te bezoeken, gratis toegankelijk en geschikt voor jong en oud.

Festival TREK kenmerkt zich - naast lekker eten en drinken - door het brede entertainmentprogramma. Het Hunnerpark is weer omgetoverd tot een Bourgondisch Dorp met daarin verschillende podia, een theatertent, een Silent Disco, een nostalgische zweefmolen, retro platenbus en diverse kermisklassiekers. Zodra de avond valt draait een DJ de lekkerste hits van vroeger. 

Festival TREK staat bekend om zijn ongedwongen sfeer. Bezoekers kunnen tijdens een rondje langs de mooiste foodtrucks van Nederland een keuze maken uit uiteenlopende gerechten: van sushi tot Quesadillas van Libanees platbrood en van de lekkerste (al dan niet vegetarische) burgers en saté tot churros met bijzondere dips. Natuurlijk ontbreken ambachtelijk friet en krokant gebakken steenoven pizza’s niet. In combinatie met een drankje uit de verschillende (speciaal)bier-, wijn- en cocktailbars kunnen bezoekers genieten van een muzikaal optreden op één van de podia. Ouders hoeven zich in het omheinde stadspark geen zorgen te maken om hun kroost. Voor hen is er ook genoeg te beleven, met o.a. een kindertheater en oudhollandse spelletjes.  

Kijk voor meer informatie op  www.festival-trek.nl.

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Swim to Fight Cancer: Naast emotie en inspanning heel veel plezier aan de Spiegelwaal in Nijmegen

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Opening nieuwe expowinkel ZMUK

De verhuizing van ZaadeL Makerij naar Nijmegen-Midden is nog in volle gang. Het grote openingsfeest laat nog even op zich wachten, maar op zaterdag 7 september kan iedereen wel alvast even een kijkje komen nemen bij de opening van nieuwe expowinkel ZMUK!

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Arthouse LUX vertoont opening- en slotfilm van Nederlands Film Festival

Ook deze 44e editie van het Nederlands Film Festival (NFF) zijn de openings- en slotfilm té mooi om te missen, daarom zijn deze niet alleen in Utrecht maar ook in Nijmegen, in LUX, te zien!

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Festival Jazz International Nijmegen onthult programma

De achtste editie van Festival Jazz International Nijmegen (FJIN) barst los op 25 en 26 oktober 2024. De organisatie kondigt het volledige programma aan, dat dit jaar onder andere plaatsvindt in Doornroosje, LUX Nijmegen, The Big Draw en Merleyn.

Meer lezen over Festival Jazz International Nijmegen onthult programma

Ernie Bossmann sluit periode als Stadstekenaar Nijmegen af met expositie in Valkhof Museum

Twee jaar lang was Nijmegen haar grootste inspiratiebron. Stadstekenaar Ernie Bossmann toont van 6 september t/m 6 oktober haar stadscollages in het Valkhof Museum. De tentoonstelling Stadsgezichten is onderdeel van het The Big Draw festival.

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The Big Draw Nederland in 2024

De afgelopen jaren organiseerden P-Art vanuit Nijmegen The Big Draw Festivals in verschillende steden. Ook dit jaar gaan ze weer op heel veel plekken het programma uitrollen.

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Aangrijpende expositie over de vervolging van Joden in Nijmegen

In september is in de aula van de Joodse Begraafplaats in Nijmegen de indrukwekkende expositie ‘Razzia 17 november 1942’ te zien over de vervolging van Joodse inwoners tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog.

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Bert van den Brink brengt Harry Bannink naar het Königorgel in de Stevenskerk

Op dinsdag 3 september om 20.15 uur vindt in de Stevenskerk in Nijmegen een bijzonder improvisatieconcert plaats. De gerenommeerde jazzmusicus Bert van den Brink neemt plaats achter het Königorgel en duikt in het rijke repertoire van Harry Bannink.

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Campagne ‘bewust omgaan met alcohol’: ‘Choose your Cheers’

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Home » Foodtruck Festivals » Festival TREK ‘s-Hertogenbosch

Festival TREK ‘s-Hertogenbosch

Festival TREK Den Bosch 2024

Beleef van vrijdag 28 t/m zondag 30 juni een smaakvolle reis tijdens Festival TREK. Met lekkere hapjes, drankjes, live-muziek en entertainment.

Openingstijden:

Festival TREK Den Bosch is gratis .

Het foodtruckfestival TREK telt ongeveer 35 verschillende foodtrucks. Met het ruime aanbod aan hapjes en drankjes zal het zeker bij iedereen in de smaak vallen. Binnenkort zal bekend worden gemaakt welke foodtrucks jij kan verwachten.

Accommodaties in de buurt

Heb je vragen over festival trek ‘s-hertogenbosch laat het weten, gerelateerde festivals.

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Festival trek | 8.9.

• Activities , Den Bosch , Den Haag , Food & Drinks , Foodcourt , Nijmegen , The Netherlands , Tilburg
• June 9, 2023

The “Trek” food truck festival is a nomadic event that takes place from May to September. This gastronomic caravan travels through Rotterdam, Maastricht, Utrecht, Nijmegen, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Amsterdam, Tilburg, and Den Haag, bringing a delightful food experience to each location. Unlike the popular “Rollende Keukens” festival, “Trek” offered not only an array of nice dishes, but also provided a lot of seating areas and even games to keep visitors entertained.

We stared the day with some sushi from “I Love Sushi,” a well-known sushi shop with branches in several cities in the Netherlands. While the sushi was decent, it didn’t quite reach the level of being the best we’ve ever tasted.

A food truck that definetly won our hearts was the “Duck Truck,” known for its succulent duck burgers. We couldn’t resist ordering them twice because they were simply outstanding. The flavors were perfectly balanced, and the tender duck meat was perfectly complemented by the accompanying toppings. If you have the chance, don’t miss out on trying their duck burgers.

For seafood lovers, “Sea Salt Saloon” was a must-visit. We indulged in Zeeuwse and French oysters that were bursting with freshness and briny flavors. As a fish restaurant in Utrecht, they certainly lived up to their reputation for serving exceptional seafood dishes. If you appreciate oysters, this is a spot you shouldn’t overlook.

However, not all our culinary adventures were without a hiccup. We decided to try the bavette from “Proeven is Geloven,” which was advertised as a wagyu A5 steak. Despite confirming twice with the vendor, the texture of the meat was far from what we expected from wagyu. Although the bavette itself was decent, it did not meet the high standards associated with true wagyu beef.

To accompany our delicious food, we sampled some red wines. Our evening began with a bottle of Elevado Tinto, a blend of Syrah and Malbec. It had a rich and fruity profile that complemented our meal perfectly. However, it was the bottle of Epicuro Negroamaro, hailing from Puglia, Italy, that stole the show. This wine had a depth of flavors and a smoothness that left a lasting impression on our palates.

In conclusion, the “Trek” food truck festival in Utrecht offered an unforgettable culinary experience. With a variety of food trucks serving mouthwatering dishes, the festival catered to diverse tastes. From sushi and duck burgers to oysters and bavette, there was something for everyone. Despite a minor disappointment with the wagyu claim, the overall atmosphere and selection of food made the event a worthwhile visit. If you find yourself in Utrecht during the festival’s season, be sure to treat yourself to an evening of indulgence and gastronomic delights.

Click here for more restaurants and activities in the Netherlands.

Review: 8.9/10 

Price / Experience: 9 | Service: 8 | Atmosphere: 9.5 | Freshness: 9 | Choice: 9

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Jenna ortega conjures beetlejuice-themed looks to promote ‘beetlejuice beetlejuice’.

• Telluride Film Festival Lineup Includes ‘Saturday Night’, ‘The Piano Lesson’, ‘Conclave’ & ‘Nickel Boys’ World Premieres

By Pete Hammond

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The 51st Telluride Film Festival gets underway Friday with a number of world and North American premieres highlighting an impressive lineup of movies, many of them Oscar hopefuls. The Colorado gathering, along with the concurrent Venice and upcoming Toronto film festivals, signals the start of the six-month-long Oscar season.

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Among the films appearing in the mountains for the first time anywhere are director Jason Reitman’s ode to the 1975 first episode of SNL , Saturday Night ; the film version of August Wilson’s acclaimed stage play The Piano Lesson , a Washington family affair with producer Denzel, director Malcolm and star John David; Oscar winner Edward Berger’s papal thriller Conclave ; Scott Magehee and David Siegel’s heartwarming The Friend, starring Naomi Watts, Bill Murray and scene-stealing Great Dane Bing (it’s also a sales title, and look for the dog to hit town to help it along); and MGM, Orion and Plan B’s Nickel Boys, an adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer-winning novel.

RELATED: ‘Saturday Night’ Cast: Who’s Who In ‘SNL’ Opening-Night Movie From Jason Reitman

There also will be numerous world premiere documentaries on view including Carville: Winning Is Everything Stupid ! which chronicles legendary Democratic political consultant James Carville; and Nobu, the story of famed restauranteur and chef Nobu Matsuhisa. Carville and wife Mary Matalin, a past Republican consultant, along with Nobu will be on hand at the festival, as will Martha Stewart in support of a riveting new Netflix docu on her life, Martha.

RELATED: Breaking Baz: Malcolm Washington Summons Ghosts From His Mother’s Family To Aid Him Shooting ‘The Piano Lesson’ — Telluride Film Festival

National Geographic Films will be represented by Blink, the journey of a family taking their kids, three of whom are going blind, on a year-long memory trip around the world before they lose their sight. Another docu is Will & Harper, which won raves and an eight-figure Netflix deal after premiering at Sundance in January. It features Will Farrell and Harper, a comedy writer working with Farrell at SNL and elsewhere who came out as a trans woman at age 60. It is one of the rare films from Sundance also to be showcased at Telluride this year.

Also heading to the Rocky Mountains from Sundance are Searchlight’s A Real Pain, with both stars Jesse Eisenberg (who also directed) and Kieran Culkin on hand, and Sony Pictures Classics’ The Outrun, which stars Saoirse Ronan, who will be receiving one of Telluride’s Silver Medallion tributes.

Another Silver Medallion tributee is French director Jacques Audiard, who is bringing his Cannes Film Festival-winning Emilia P é rez to Telluride for its North American premiere (yet another movie with a unique musical hook this year). Also imported from Cannes debuts in May are Palme d’Or winner Anora ; Grand Prize winner All We Imagine As Light ; the official German Oscar entry The Seed of the Sacred Fig, a harrowing tale from Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof; the very funny French pic Misercordia; and the wonderful Memoir of a Snail on the toon front at Telluride.

Making the long trek straight from the Venice Film Festival will be Angelina Jolie and her Maria Callas biopic Maria from director Pablo Larraín — just acquired for U.S. by Netflix — as well as the nail-biting Munich Olympics hostage drama September 5 as told from the POV of the ABC sports crew covering the games.

RELATED: Breaking Baz: ‘September 5’ Vividly Recalls Tragedy Of The 1972 Olympics Massacre & Jim McKay’s Haunting Announcement, “They’re All Gone”

This year’s Telluride runs through Monday, Labor Day, and all eyes will be on it to get some clues to genuine Oscar contenders. Among past Best Picture winners that made their North American debuts first at Telluride were Slumdog Millionaire, The King’s Speech, The Artist, Argo, 12 Years a Slave, Moonlight, Parasite, The Shape of Water and more.

Here is the complete schedule:

FEATURE FILM & EPISODIC WORKS

· ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT (d. Payal Kapadia, France-India-Netherlands-Luxembourg, 2024)

· ANORA (d. Sean Baker, U.S., 2024)

· APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS (d. Petra Costa, Brazil-U.S.-Denmark, 2024)

· BETTER MAN (d. Michael Gracey, Australia, 2024)

· BIRD (d. Andrea Arnold, U.K., 2024)

· CARVILLE: WINNING IS EVERYTHING, STUPID! (d. Matt Tyrnauer, U.S., 2024)

· CONCLAVE (d. Edward Berger, U.K., 2024)

· DISCLAIMER (d. Alfonso Cuarón, U.K.-U.S., 2024)

· DON’T LET’S GO TO THE DOGS TONIGHT (d. Embeth Davidtz, South Africa, 2024)

· EMILIA PÉREZ (d. Jacques Audiard, France, 2024)

· IN WAVES AND WAR (d. Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk, U.S., 2024)

· JEAN COCTEAU (d. Lisa Immordino Vreeland, U.S., 2024)

· LEONARDO DA VINCI (d. Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon, U.S., 2024)

· MARIA (d. Pablo Larraín, Germany-Italy-U.S.-Hungary-France-Greece, 2024)

· MARTHA (d. R.J. Cutler, U.S., 2024)

· MEMOIR OF A SNAIL (d. Adam Elliot, Australia, 2024)

· MISERICORDIA (d. Alain Guiraudie, France-Spain-Portugal, 2024)

· NICKEL BOYS (d. RaMell Ross, U.S., 2024)

· NO OTHER LAND (d. Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor, Palestine-Norway, 2024)

· ONE TO ONE: JOHN & YOKO (d. Kevin Macdonald, U.K., 2024)

· PIECE BY PIECE (d. Morgan Neville, U.S., 2024)

· SANTOSH (d. Sandhya Suri, U.K.-Germany-France, 2024)

· SATURDAY NIGHT (d. Jason Reitman, U.S., 2024)

· SEPARATED (d. Errol Morris, U.S., 2024)

· SEPTEMBER 5 (d. Tim Fehlbaum, Germany, 2024)

· SOCIAL STUDIES (d. Lauren Greenfield, U.S., 2024)

· THE END (d. Joshua Oppenheimer, Ireland-Germany-Italy-Sweden-Denmark-U.K., 2024)

· THE FRIEND (d. David Siegel, Scott McGehee, U.S., 2024)

· THE OUTRUN (d. Nora Fingscheidt, U.K.-Germany, 2024)

· THE PIANO LESSON (d. Malcolm Washington, U.S., 2024)

· THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG (d. Mohammad Rasoulof, Germany-France-Iran, 2024)

· THE WHITE HOUSE EFFECT (d. Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk, Pedro Kos, U.S., 2024)

· WILL & HARPER (d. Josh Greenbaum, U.S., 2024)

· ZURAWSKI V TEXAS (d. Maisie Crow, Abbie Perrault, U.S., 2024)

SHORT FILM IN MAIN PROGRAM

· A SWIM LESSON (d. Rashida Jones, Will McCormack, U.S., 2024)

· ALOK (d. Alex Hedison, U.S., 2024)

· THE TURNAROUND (d. Kyle Thrash, Ben Proudfoot, U.S., 2024)

Kenneth Lonergan, this year’s festival Guest Director, presents the following film selections:

· ARCH OF TRIUMPH (d. Lewis Milestone, U.S., 1948)

· BARRY LYNDON (d. Stanley Kubrick, U.K.-U.S., 1975)

· DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (d. David Lean, U.K.-Italy-U.S., 1965)

· GRAND HOTEL (d. Edmund Goulding, U.S., 1932)

· MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (d. John Ford, U.S., 1946)

· A SUDDEN GLIMPSE TO DEEPER THINGS (d. Mark Cousins, U.K., 2024)

· ¡CASA BONITA MI AMOR! (d. Arthur Bradford, U.S., 2024)

· CHAIN REACTIONS (d. Alexandre O. Philippe, U.S., 2024)

· HER NAME WAS MOVIOLA (d. Howard Berry, U.K., 2024)

· MADE IN ENGLAND: THE FILMS OF POWELL AND PRESSBURGER (d. David Hinton, U.K., 2024)

· NOBU (d. Matt Tyrnauer, U.S., 2024)

· RIEFENSTAHL (d. Andres Veiel, Germany, 2024)

· THE EASY KIND (d. Katy Chevigny, U.S., 2024)

· THE HEXAGONAL HIVE AND A MOUSE IN A MAZE (d. Tilda Swinton, Bartek Dziadosz, U.K., 2024)

· THE SWALLOW (d. Tadhg O’Sullivan, Ireland, 2024)

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Lana Del Rey Sparks Dating Rumors After She's Spotted Holding Hands with Alligator Tour Guide Jeremy Dufrene

The "Say Yes to Heaven" singer has known the Louisiana-based guide, Jeremy Dufrene, since at least March 2019

Lana Del Rey/Facebook

Lana Del Rey ’s love life is taking a walk on the wild side — literally.

The singer-songwriter, 39, is rumored to be dating Jeremy Dufrene, a Louisiana-based alligator tour guide, after the pair were spotted holding hands at Reading & Leeds Festival over the weekend.

In footage captured Aug. 24 by artist Chris Lloyd, Dufrene can be seen walking hand-in-hand backstage with Del Rey, who headlined the U.K. festival.

Coupled with another sighting of the duo eating lunch together — allegedly also snapped in London, per a post on the singer’s subreddit — the footage has led fans to believe that they are dating.

It appears that the “Summertime Sadness” artist first crossed paths with the 49-year-old airboat captain during a trip to Louisiana in 2019. At the time, she and some friends stopped by Dufrene's employer, Airboat Tours by Arthur , and he led them on a swamp tour — which the singer then documented in a Facebook post .

The post, shared March 22, 2019, shows the singer sitting beside Dufrene on the boat and striking a playful pose, as well as the captain photobombing a group photo she snapped with her pals.

She even named him in the caption, writing, “Jeremy lemme be captain at Arthur’s Air Boat Tours x.”

The singer seemingly reconnected with Dufrene earlier this year when she returned to the Des Allemands-based company — which has also taken Glen Powell on a tour — for another trek through the swamp.

In an Instagram post she shared on May 16, the “Let the Light In” singer once again donned the noise-canceling headphones necessary for the airboat tours and tagged Dufrene in the caption, seemingly referring to him in the caption as “my guy.”

Dufrene is father to two daughters and a son. According to his company bio , he was a chemical plant worker and shrimp fisherman prior to his job as a guide. 

Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty 

"After a little convincing by his family, he got his captain's license and started running tours,” the official bio reads. “He quickly realized that this was a great fit and he has never thought of going back to his previous career at the plant. Jeremy's a great airboat captain and loves interacting with wildlife & customers.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

In recent years, Del Rey has been linked to musician/manager Evan Winiker , Jack Donoghue of the band Salem, real-life cop and Live PD analyst Sean "Sticks" Larkin as well as musician Clayton Johnson .

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Photo:   Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images

Get Ready For Fool In Love Fest With This Soulful Playlist: Hits & B-Sides From Chaka Khan, Thee Sacred Souls, Smokey Robinson & More

A new, single-day festival in Los Angeles promises to bring generations of soul and R&B fans together for a stacked lineup of legends and fast-rising groups. Ahead of the Aug. 31 event at SoFi Stadium, press play on 25 songs from Fool In Love's lineup.

When organizers of the inaugural Fool In Love festival first announced the event's lineup this spring, soul and R&B heads across the internet went nuts.

The reaction was to be expected: There hadn't been such an ambitious mix of GRAMMY-winning legends and young, popular soul acts on a shared bill in recent memory. And certainly not in a single-day event.

The Aug. 31 event will highlight six decades of soul, R&B and funk — proof that those sounds are anything but oldies. The sounds of the 1960s through the '80s and beyond will be well represented by headliners Diana Ross and Lionel Richie , as well as Smokey Robinson and a recently reunited Nile Rodgers and Chic. Sets by Dionne Warwick , 2024 Special Merit Award honoree Gladys Knight , and sweet soul legend Brenton Wood promise to turn up the heat, sweet and memories. 

A cadre of up-and-coming soul acts — many of whom call Southern California home — also appear high up on the lineup, highlighting a younger generation's decade-long revival of interest in soul sounds. 

"I never want people to hear my records and wonder if it's new or not," GRAMMY nominee Mayer Hawthorne told GRAMMY.com in 2023. "I’ll never do classic '70s Philly soul better than the Delfonics . Plenty of artists do regurgitation of something old, but I’m all about putting my new spin on it."

In addition to Hawthorne, Fool In Love's lineup includes L.A.-based singer Trish Toledo, San Diego sweet soul phenoms Thee Sacred Souls , singer/drummer Aaron Frazer and singer Durand Jones , who will appear solo and together as Durand Jones and the Indications. 

While some of the older acts may be missing original members ( Kool and the Gang's George Brown , for example, passed in 2023; Henry Fambrough , the last original Spinner died in early 2024; Ruth Pointer is the only living Pointer Sister) or have feuding families, the legendary acts playing across Fool In Love's four stages are not to be missed.

Ahead of the Labor Day weekend show, cruise over to your favorite streaming service and enjoy this playlist of Fool In Love performers.

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Photo: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Coachella

After a successful first year, Afro Nation Detroit returns to Bedrock's Douglass Site on Aug. 17 and 18. Get to know some of performers who are sure to be weekend highlights, from Uncle Waffles to Scorpion Kings.

Since its inception in 2019, Afro Nation has brought together the world's best and brightest entertainers in Afrobeats, amapiano, R&B, and hip-hop to perform on stages across the world. For the second year in a row, the festival takes over Bedrock's Douglass Site in Detroit — promising to continue its tradition of highlighting the best in Black music.

With its unique Detroit location, the festival bridges the gap between African music, global Black music, and the rich musical traditions that came out of Motown. In fact, the festival's site was once home to the first federally funded housing project for Black citizens in the city; Diana Ross and Smokey Robinson were among its residents. 

Afro Nation Detroit offers as much history as it does global appeal, as its lineup is filled with buzzy rising stars and beloved veteran acts. Among those on the star-studded roster are Nigerian sensations Omah Lay , Rema and Asake , amapiano stars Kelvin Momo and TxC, and hitmakers Lil Wayne and PartyNextDoor . 

Of course, it wouldn't be a Detroit event without native rapper Kash Doll, who performs on Saturday. And she won't be the only Detroiter performing over the weekend: genre-bending soul singer Charity and DJ Donavan Glover will also be repping their city amid sounds from around the globe.

That's just a taste of the exciting performances scheduled to showcase the diversity of Black music in one of its influential cities. Below, get to know eight acts who you won't want to miss at the second edition of Afro Nation Detroit.

Sat., Aug. 17 (Lit Stage)

At the age of 22, Ayra Starr is already making history. In February, The Beninese-Nigerian singer was the youngest nominee in the inaugural Best African Music Performance Category at the 2024 GRAMMYs ; and in June, her debut album, The Year I Turned 21 helped her become the first female Nigerian artist to debut on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Just before her Afro Nation appearance, Starr added another first to her resume: she became the first Afrobeats singer to be part of Amazon Music's Breakthrough Artist program. The honor aligned with the release of her Amazon Music documentary, Dare to Dream , which chronicles her rise to global fame. There's no doubt that Ayra Starr will offer a showstopping performance that proves why she's such an acclaimed artist to watch.

Uncle Waffles

Sat., Aug. 17 (Piano People Stage)

Often regarded as the "princess of amapiano," Uncle Waffles is one of the genre's most forward-facing talents. In less than five years, the internationally recognized DJ/producer has been listed on TikTok's inaugural Visionary Voices Africa List, been nominated at the BET Awards and MOBO Awards; this year, she became the first amapiano artist to perform at Coachella.

Her talents have also earned Uncle Waffles co-sign from Beyoncé — whose Renaissance World Tour homage to Uncle Waffles' "Tanzania" nearly brought the star to tears — Drake, Ciara, and Missy Elliott. Needless to say, Uncle Waffles is an act that you won't want to miss at AfroNation Detroit.

Read More: 11 Women Pushing Amapiano To Global Heights: Uncle Waffles, Nkosazana Daughter, & More

Think Daft Punk , but amapiano. Masked South African DJ duo 2woBunnies decided on the concept of anonymity as a way to create intrigue about their unique take on the genre, and let their music do the rest.

Though it has only been two years since their debut, they have done just that, from garnering more than 1 million likes on TikTok to performing sets everywhere from Dubai to Australia. Following first-time performances in major cities like Paris and Toronto, they'll make their Detroit debut next — and you don't want to miss the excitement they'll bring to Afro Nation. 

Kizz Daniel

Since releasing his breakout single, "Woju," in 2015, Kizz Daniel has been a trailblazer in bringing Afrobeats to the world. And nearly 10 years in, he's continuing to deliver songs that resonate — including a hit remix of "Twe Twe" with fellow Nigerian star Davido .

Kizz Daniel's Afro Nation performance comes on the heels of another fiery remix, as he recently hopped on Nigerian artist Kaestyle's "My Dealer." He'll have plenty of new songs from his own catalog to bring to his set, too, including his latest single, "Double,” and EP TZA . Whether new or old, Kizz Daniel will be ready to give his crowd a lesson in Afrobeats.

Sun., Aug. 18 (Lit Stage)

In May, Shenseea released her sophomore studio album, Never Gets Late Here , which solidified the GRAMMY nominee as one of Jamaica's most promising rising stars. "Hit & Run", the album's single, was warmly received throughout the Caribbean, reaching No. 1 on several charts across Antigua and Barbuda, Turks and Caicos, Bermuda, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and many other countries in the region.

Fittingly, Shenseea first brought Never Gets Late Here to life on stages across the Caribbean, where her onstage energy matched the hyped crowds. She stops by Afro Nation Detroit just after kicking off her Never Gets Late Here North American Tour in Chicago on Aug. 16, so she'll surely be ready to show festgoers why she's so beloved in her home country and beyond.

To say Amaarae is in demand would be an understatement. Sabrina Carpenter personally requested the Ghanaian American artist as an opening act for her forthcoming tour; Childish Gambino featured her on his new album, Bando Stone & the New World , and its accompanying tour; and she recently made history as the first Ghanaian artist to perform on NPR's Tiny Desk.

Her latest release, roses are red, tears are blue — A Fountain Baby Extended Play , are equal parts Afropop and alté, a fusion genre that originated in West Africa and combines hip-hop, R&B and Afrobeats. Her sweet, alluring nature signifies her place as one of the most exciting new talents to take over pop. Don't miss the opportunity to see a new global pop girl take center stage. 

Scorpion Kings

Sun., Aug. 18 (Piano People Stage)

DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small — often referred to as the "godfathers" of amapiano — are the men behind Scorpion Kings. Already established in their own right and respected in South Africa's dance scene, the two have been inextricably linked to the global rise of the genre, and the celebration of South African and African music across the globe.

Last month, the pair performed alongside the who's who in amapiano — Kelvin Momo, Oskido, DJ Tunez, DJ Moma, Aquite, and the Descendants — in Central Park, making history as the first amapiano performance in the famed New York landmark. The duo is sure to keep the party going with their signature flair in Detroit.

There is a good chance that you know of DJ Moma. In addition to being one of the founding members of Everyday People, the Sudanese American DJ has been playing African music in venues throughout the country and world for over a decade.

His blend of African and Diasporic music, and incorporation of soca, amapiano, and dancehall are a celebration of everything that is global Black music. It is more than music to him, but a way to bring Diasporic musical traditions to the forefront, in an effort to connect and unify People of the African Diaspora across the globe. His mission will make for an Afro Nation Detroit moment that is as meaningful as it is joyful — a combination that's exactly what the fest is all about.

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Held 30 years ago Aug. 12-14, Woodstock '94 featured an eclectic (and muddy) lineup that launched Nine Inch Nails, Green Day and others into the limelight.

Woodstock '94 is no middle child music festival. While not as groundbreaking as Woodstock '69 or as infamous as Woodstock '99, Woodstock '94 boasts a unique legacy that deserves recognition.

Held Aug. 12-14 in the Hudson Valley town of Saugerties, New York, Woodstock '94 was set to commemorate the silver anniversary of the original Woodstock festival in 1969. Nodding to its origins in '69, Woodstock '94 was billed as "2 More Days of Peace and Music" (a third day of the festival was eventually added).  

Woodstock '94 featured a wide range of acts that both reflected the nostalgia of Woodstock '69 and highlighted a myriad of new groups. Original Woodstock performers such as Crosby, Stills & Nash (minus Neil Young) and Santana topped the bill, and now-household names including Green Day and Red Hot Chili Peppers performed some of their earliest festival sets.

Even Bob Dylan , who initially declined an appearance at Woodstock '69 despite living near the festival at the time, had a change of heart and agreed to play at Woodstock '94.

It seemed that everyone wanted to capture a sliver of the magic from the original Woodstock. Although roughly 164,000 tickets were sold, the actual number of attendees exceeded 350,000 (surpassing even Coachella 2024's attendance rates).  

Spirits were high as the festival opened on Friday with dry, sunny skies highlighting performances from Sheryl Crow , Collective Soul, and others. By the weekend, the weather took a turn and transformed the festival grounds at Winston Farm in Saugerties into a giant muddy puddle. Although Woodstock '69 was also rainy and mud-filled, the madness that ensued at Woodstock '94 led it to be dubbed " Mudstock ."

As Primus performed "My Name Is Mud" on Saturday, festival-goers seized the opportunity to fling the wet dirt at the band on stage.  

"Once I started singing the words to "My Name Is Mud," all of a sudden huge chunks of sod started flying my way and it was pretty frightening," Primus' lead singer told Billboard 20 years later. "I still have those [speaker] cabinets to this day, and those cabinets still have mud in them."

With high energy from Friday's acts and some mud-induced chaos, attendees were buzzing with anticipation and excitement for the rest of the weekend. The party atmosphere continued throughout day two — and not solely because Blind Melon lead vocalist Shannon Hoon strolled on stage tripping on acid, wearing his girlfriend's dress.

Aerosmith may have been day two headliners, but Nine Inch Nails ' 15-song set remains a highlight of Woodstock '94. The band drew the biggest crowd of the festival, and were catapulted into wider mainstream visibility. Taking advantage of the unpredictable weather, then-bassist Danny Lohner pushed lead vocalist Trent Reznor into the mud, prompting Reznor to retaliate. The other members of the band soon joined in on the fun, strutting onto the stage covered in mud.  

Opening with Pretty Hate Machine 's "Terrible Lie," NIN turned the massive audience into a giant mosh pit and maintained that high energy until the end of the set. While the band faced technological difficulties onstage, it only seemed to enhance their raw, gritty image.

The set was so celebrated that it is forever memorialized in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame , with art installations featuring a life-sized mannequin replica of Reznor singing into the microphone and his keyboard, both covered in mud.

By day three, Woodstock '94 was clearly becoming an iconic music festival that would be discussed for years to come. If Saturday's mud-slinging electric performances weren't enough, the final day of the festival featured performances from Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Dylan, Santana, and others.  

When Green Day — fresh off the success of their third studio album Dookie — took the stage, all hell broke loose. While the band was and continues to be known for their rowdy live sets, their performance at Woodstock '94 remains unmatched.  

By the time Green Day started performing, the fairgrounds had turned into a full-blown mud fight. The band tried to push through the performance and embrace the chaos, but the set came to an abrupt stop when lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong told the crowd, "Everybody say shut the f— up and we’ll stop playing." When the crowd shouted the phrase back, Armstrong said goodbye on behalf of the band, and the rest of the group fled the stage.

By the end of the performance, lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong had lost his pants and the band had to be escorted out of the festival grounds by a helicopter. On their way off the stage, security confused mud-covered bassist Mike Dirnt for a crazed fan and tackled him, leaving him with five fewer teeth than he started the set with.  

"He actually sheared my teeth, and I blew like five teeth. Only one of them died. I fixed the rest of them, but he all sheared up the back of my teeth," Dirnt confessed to The Aquarian in 2013. "It was horrible. But the great thing about it is that I was able to get out of there, and I'd do it again tomorrow if I had to."  

Peter Gabriel closed out the weekend by remaining true to the original mission of the festival, offering fans peace filled with good vibes. Gabriel's music, though deeply contrasting with the hard rock and punk acts that dominated the festival, provided a flawless end to the chaos that had unfolded over the past three days.

While the 1994 installment of Woodstock hasn't basked in the same spotlight as its 1969 and 1999 siblings — the latter of which has been the subject of two documentaries in as many years — it remains far from forgotten.

Woodstock '94 stands as one of the legendary music festivals of all time. Although the rain may have soaked the grounds, turning it into a muddy catastrophe, it also nourished the roots of some of the most iconic musical acts and sent them into the mainstream media. The festival was more than just a series of performances, but rather a unique cultural event.

Photo: Alex Harper

With Her 'Winter's Diary' Return, Tink Is Ready To Rep For "The Girls Going Through It"

On her latest album, 'Winter's Diary 5,' R&B songstress Tink perfects the soul-baring storytelling that put her on the map — and further leans into her purpose.

The first time Tink's name was on a lineup with Jhené Aiko , they were at Sacramento's R&B festival Sol Blume in 2022. Two years later, they're billed together again — this time, as tourmates.

Tink is one of four opening acts for Aiko's Magic Hour Tour, which also features Coi Leray , UMI and Kiana Ledé . As the 27-date trek begins winding down with its final stretch of shows (wrapping in Columbus, Ohio, on Aug. 22), Tink can't help but think about how "full-circle" the tour has felt.

"That was just a real manifestation," Tink tells GRAMMY.com, explaining that she's been "praying" for the opportunity since meeting Aiko at Sol Blume. "There's so many R&B girls that could have been in this position. The fact that she brought me on this tour speaks volumes."

Her slot on the sold-out tour signals Tink's growing appeal, and the all-female lineup is no coincidence for the singer. Tink's matter-of-fact storytelling and no-holds-barred approach is what made listeners gravitate toward her, especially women. Fans and critics alike praise Tink for her unwillingness to sugarcoat her emotions, particularly on her Thanks 4 Nothing album, and she continued it with her latest release, Winter's Diary 5 , out now.

A long-awaited new installment of her Winter's Diary mixtape series, the project (which, this time, is a studio album) digs deep into her ongoing journey toward self-acceptance in the face of heartbreak and betrayal. From the fed-up lyrics of "Huh," to the sexually charged "Bless Me Don't Stress Me," to the deeply personal "Lows & Highs," Winter's Diary 5 sees Tink holding herself accountable for the failed relationships she sings so honestly about.  

"The past few years have been a lot of isolation, and I've had days where I had to lock myself in my room and kind of recoup and get myself right," Tink says. "This album is definitely for those moments when you have nothing to do but face your own thoughts and your reality."

Tink's music has always mirrored her own life, but the Winter's Diary narratives involve more introspection, bringing another level of rawness and vulnerability — as she said in a teaser for WD5 , "things only a diary knows." As a result, the Winter's Diary series has largely been the reason for Tink's cult following.

Tink was just 16 when she made her debut with 2012's Winter's Diary , releasing iterations 2, 3 and 4 in 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively. In between, the Chicago native made a name for herself as a rapper in the drill scene with mixtapes Alter Ego , Blunts & Ballads and Boss Up in 2012 and 2013. Early singles like "Finger's Up" and "Bad Girl" showcased her grit, while her viral hit "Treat Me Like Somebody" revealed her angelic singing voice and vulnerability. 

The string of acclaimed mixtapes earned a then 19-year-old Tink a deal with Timbaland 's Mosley Music Group/Epic Records as well as a coveted spot in XXL's 2015 Freshman Class . That same year, her song "Million" (which samples Aaliyah 's "One in a Million") whet fans' appetite for her debut album, Think Tink . The much-awaited project was slated for a July 2015 release before ultimately being shelved due to label issues.

By the end of 2017, Tink took matters into her own hands and reclaimed her narrative. She launched her own label — appropriately called Winter's Diary — in 2019 and hasn't looked back. 

Working independently has brought her greater success, pointing to her resilience, work ethic and prowess as an artist who stops at nothing to get what she wants. It has also sparked quite the creative streak: in those five years, Tink has released five studio albums, one EP and a mixtape.

"I was just really trying to make up for lost time — I want to make sure that I'm keeping my name in the streets and that my fans are fed," Tink says. "As an independent artist, I don't have to adhere to anyone but myself, and that's what's making [the music] feel authentic. What I'm trusting works for me, so the songs I enjoy and feel proud of, I get to push those out. That's the difference."

Now 29, she brings a level of maturity and wisdom with Winter's Diary 5 that can only be learned through trial and error. But even after navigating toxic relationships in the Summer Walker -featuring "Songs About U" and acknowledging her battle scars on "Insane," she ends the album with "Pretty Girls," a powerful self-worth anthem that confidently reminds, "Pretty girls don't beg/ Pretty girls bounce back/ Pretty girls don't trip/ Pretty girls run game/ Pretty girls don't slip." 

Whether or not she keeps adding to the Winter's Diary series, Tink is eager to continue growing her fan base and manifesting more big-name team-ups (she has her eye on Brent Faiyaz , SZA , and Drake next). Wherever her career goes from here, she'll always keep one thing on her mind: those who find the same solace in her music as she does.

"So many women and girls who listen to my music really need these lyrics… that's my reason and my purpose," Tink says. "I know my lane is for the girls going through it. I'm telling women's stories."

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Behind Ne-Yo's Biggest Hits: How Jay-Z, A Wardrobe Malfunction & Stargate Influenced "So Sick," "Closer" & More

As Ne-Yo takes his hit-filled catalog to the Las Vegas Strip, he shares hilarious stories about some of his most popular songs, from a three-minute writing session to a Wembley Stadium moment with Pitbull.

Aug. 7, 2024 was not just another Wednesday in Las Vegas. It was Ne-Yo Day.

No, really: Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman proclaimed that Aug. 7, 2024 was officially "Ne-Yo Day" in the city, presenting Ne-Yo with a Key to the City during his first night of his three-show Human Love Rebellion residency at the Encore Theatre at Wynn Las Vegas. 

It had already been a full-circle day for the R&B hitmaker, who grew up in Sin City and got his start in the entertainment business as an understudy in the David Cassidy -starring show "EFX." As a hometown boy, Ne-Yo knew there'd be at least a few familiar faces in the crowd — and that makes his Key to the City even more special.

"I've run into a lot of girls that were not interested in me in high school and, yes, it's a totally different story now," Ne-Yo tells GRAMMY.com with a smile. "There's a part of me that wants to be petty, but I can't do that. [But] when I run into those that were mean in high school, those are always fulfilling moments."

Ne-Yo 's career has been full of fulfilling moments — beginning with his 2005 chart-topping smash "So Sick," and followed by two No. 1 albums, 12 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and three GRAMMY Awards. He celebrates it all with his 100-minute show , which features other favorites like "Because of You" and the diamond-certified Pitbull collab "Give Me Everything."

In June, he began his journey as an independent artist after nearly 20 years with Motown and Def Jam Records, releasing the confessional single "2 Million Secrets" alongside a "CSI"-inspired video he directed himself. With a fresh start, Ne-Yo says he rarely feels like he's already two decades into his career. 

"The only time it feels like it's been 20 years is right after a show where my back and my knees are bothering me," he says with a laugh. "If you don't see the age out here, I'm feeling it on the inside!"

Ahead of his Las Vegas residency, Ne-Yo sat down with GRAMMY.com to share his most memorable moments with some of his most beloved hits, from a hilarious wardrobe malfunction with "Because of You" to how Jay-Z helped save "Closer."

"So Sick," 'In My Own Words' (2006)

What instantly comes to mind with "So Sick" is my initial introduction to Stargate . I was at Sony Studios in New York City working with [another] group of producers. [I pass] Stargate's manager — his name is Tim, I met him before briefly. He said, "Hey, are you busy right now? I would love you to come in for a second and meet my producers."

So I walk with him over to the studio — mind you, he says they do R&B, they do hip-hop, they do a little bit of everything. And Tim is Black, so I'm expecting to walk in the room and see two Black guys. I walk in the room and they are absolutely not Black. They are two tall, lanky, white guys with accents. They're from Norway. And I'm like, These guys are gonna do some R&B music for me, huh?

The very first track they played was the music that we now know as "So Sick." I listened to it for like, 10 seconds, and I'm like, "Run it back." So they played it again, and by the time the song finished playing the second time, the song was written. I wrote that song in maybe 3 minutes.

It was a song that needed to be written for a long time. It just hadn't found the right backing music for it yet.

"Sexy Love," 'In My Own Words' (2006)

Here's the first time I realized that Stargate was producing around what I was writing. I wrote "Sexy Love" to the skeletal track they gave me, and then about a week later, I go to the studio and they're like, "You got to hear this." A beat comes on, and it's vaguely what I'd recalled, but completely different. They basically changed the whole beat based around [what] I wrote. So the "Sexy Love" we now know, that was not the original track.

I'm like, "I don't mind, because it sounds great, but why did y'all do that?" And they were like, "We just felt like this direction complemented the song more." They're the only producers that I've ever worked with that do that.

Nowadays, the producer is kind of a celebrity too. Everybody has a tag, and you hear the producer's name before the song starts. You'll never hear that from Stargate. They're like, "You're gonna listen to this song, and you're gonna love it so much that you're gonna ask who did it."

"Because of You," 'Because of You' (2007)

The part in the video where I don't have any shoes on — the performance piece — that was not by design. I don't remember who styled that video, but all the shoes they brought were too big. [They] were 11 1/2, I'm a size 10. But I couldn't do it barefoot, so I'm like, "Alright, let's just do it."

So I'm dancing, and then whoop ! There goes one shoe. I look at the director, and he's like, "Just keep going!" So I kicked the other one off, and just continued doing what I was doing.

I've danced barefoot and in socks in the kitchen, you know, trying to moonwalk and all of that countless times as a kid. But I'd never done it as an adult. It was a bucket-list moment, scratched it off: performed with no shoes.

"Closer," 'Year of the Gentleman' (2008)

I wrote it with the intent of selling it to somebody who would make more sense with that style. We stayed overseas for damn near two years, just touring around. While I was over there, I started listening to a lot of house, techno, EDM. With a lot of those songs, there might be two words in the whole song just repeated over and over. But I'm paying more attention to what the music is doing to the people that are listening… Everybody goes nuts. These people are getting this kind of response with no words!

So I'm like, imagine if somebody took that energy and wrote a song over it that actually means something — it'd be double the effect, right?

Me and Stargate get in the studio. They start putting together the track, I write the song, it's done. We're listening back, and I'm like, "Yeah, we will be able to sell this easy." And they're like, "Sell it? No, no, this is yours." And I'm like, "Nah, I don't think my fan base is gonna understand that."

I let my management hear it, and they're like, "Yeah, this is yours." I let Jay-Z hear it, [and he's like] "Bro, this is the one!" I'm like, "What are y'all hearing? Because I don't get it."

I did not expect the song to do well. And for the first three, four months, it didn't. Here in the States, nobody was feeling it, to the point where we walked into the label one day with the total intention of telling L.A. Reid we should switch to another single. As we're walking to L.A. Reid's office, Jay-Z stops me and goes, "I know you about to tell him that you want to get off that record. Do not get off that record." And I'm like "Bro, it's been four months!"

That same year, we did the BET Awards. I performed "Closer," and the Jabbawockeez was a part of the show. After that performance, that song took off. My manager hits me with the "I told you so" every single time we think of "Closer."

"Miss Independent," 'Year of the Gentleman' (2008)

"Miss Independent" was the first time I ever won a GRAMMY. I learned through winning a GRAMMY for that song that there are GRAMMY wins that are not televised.

I'm walking the red carpet, just soaking it all in, taking pictures, doing interviews, and as I'm talking to some interviewer, this girl blows by me and goes, "Congratulations, you just want a GRAMMY," and keeps walking.

So I go to my manager, I'm like, "Yo, um, did we win?" And he's like, "F—, who told you?" And I'm like, "I don't got my speech!" He's like, "You don't need a speech. You won for a category that's not televised, so you're not gonna get on stage."

It was kind of bittersweet, because I've been dreaming of a GRAMMY since childhood. I have my acceptance speech written already. I was gonna get up on stage and thank my mom, and do the whole thing, like, "Oh wow, this thing's heavy!"

I've won three GRAMMYs, and I've yet to walk across the GRAMMY stage and thank my mom. I might just do a Kanye . I might just walk up on stage when somebody else is accepting their GRAMMY and go, "Hey, congratulations, but while I'm here — um, yeah, never got to do this before, so" and just have somebody bring mine out and do it right then. I think that'd be a moment! And then I'd instantly get arrested and kicked out of the GRAMMYs and banned forever. [ Laughs .]

"Give Me Everything," Pitbull's 'Planet Pit' (2011)

We were in the U.K., Wembley Stadium, 80,000 people, me and Pitbull [for Capital FM's Summertime Ball in 2015]. Right at the part where it says, [ sings ] "Grab somebody sexy tell 'em hey," 80,000 people [are] jumping up and down at the same time. The whole place was shaking. It felt like electricity shooting through you, there was just so much energy coming at the stage. I literally felt sparks.

Pitbull felt it too. After the show, he was like, "Yo, right at the part where we went—" and I was like, "YO I know right! You felt it too?"

Me and Pitbull are actually really good friends. I met him before he became Mr. Worldwide and started wearing the suits and the whole nine. We've actually done a bunch of music together that the world has never heard. 

Pitbull is not your typical celebrity. From a guy who's having the success that he's having, you would expect an ego, a big, huge entourage, and a whole bunch of commotion around him. He doesn't club. He does the most amazing party music ever, and he doesn't go to regular clubs. Pitbull's definition of a club? He has his own island, and he'll just invite you to the island.

"2 Million Secrets" (2024)

The song is about owning your s—. No one is perfect, no one is above making a mistake. But no one is beneath redemption, either. I absolutely made some mistakes in my previous marriage. And, you know, one thing that music has always been for me is therapy. If I have things that I couldn't say out of my mouth, I could write it in a song.

It took a little bit of growing up, maturing, for me to even write that song. For whatever reason, when you do something wrong and you know that you're wrong, my first instance was to place blame on anybody but myself. I quickly realized that that's not the way to heal, that's not the way to move on, that's not the way to receive redemption for what you have done. You have to own your mistakes… and then pray for redemption and acceptance of your apology from the people that you've wronged. 

Writing the song was very much therapeutic for me. I don't even call it a song. It's more of a confessional — it's me confessing to the wrongs that I did, and realizing that the best way to go about it is to get it out and then figure out how to move on. And that's exactly what me and my ex-wife have done. We moved on. We're in a great place now.

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Experience the Star Trek Movies in 70mm at Out of this World L.A. Event

If you want to know how difficult it is getting 70mm film prints screened at movie houses these days, just talk to Jerry Blackburn.

Blackburn is the senior manager and director of public programming for the Beverly Hills-based Fine Arts Theatre. Built in 1937, the repertory theater is one of the handful of historic movie palaces that still exist in Los Angeles. It’s also one of the few places in town where you can actually see films in 70mm. 

This Labor Day Weekend, Blackburn has rounded up several 70mm prints for the “Star Trek” 60th Anniversary Series. All weekend, the first six films in the “Trek” movie franchise will be shown, accompanied by post-screening discussions from special guests. This isn’t the first time Blackburn curated a 70mm film series for Angeleno Trekkies. In the summer of 2010, Blackburn created “Star Trek Saturdays,” doing midnight screenings of the OG “Trek” films over at the Laemmle Royal in West LA. Special guests also showed up  — most notably, original castmates Koenig and George Takei.

“I, myself, have always been a fan of 70mm and I saw some of these pictures in the theater, in 70mm, when they first came out,” Blackburn says over the phone. “The picture resolution is much better than 35mm. I feel that the sound on the mag tracks is better than other films. And I know that there are a lot of people who like to see things in 70mm, specifically. And there are so few prints left of various things and seldom do they make new ones. And I get a very positive reaction when we play these.”

“Trek” installments 2 through 6 will be shown in 70mm, but “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” will not be. (Blackburn will play the digitally-restored “Director’s Edition” that dropped in 2022.) It turns out the least beloved, notoriously troubled ‘Trek’ film had problems getting blown up to 70mm. “They never finished the first print,” says Blackburn. “They did reel one and reel two, and [director] Robert Wise looked at it and – they had bookings for it – he didn’t like it. And it was too close to distribution or opening day for them to try to fix it.” (According to the in70mm.com website , a 70mm print was eventually struck and had screenings at 70mm film festivals and other venues a couple years later.) 

The prints for “Wrath of Khan,” “The Search for Spock” and “The Voyage Home” are archival prints straight from the Paramount vaults. Blackburn was given strict guidelines in order to borrow the prints. “They’ve been run very little and the only way I was really allowed to have them is if I had this lineup of talent, and [the prints] were not easy to get,” he says. “I would have to have a lineup of guests and, because they are archival prints, there’s an inspection fee. That’s for them to assure what’s the condition it’s in before they give it to me. So, when I give it back to them, it’s in the same condition.”

Blackburn thankfully wrangled a nice collection of guests to attend, including “Khan” director Nicholas Meyer, longtime producer Ralph Winter, actresses Robin Curtis & Catherine Hicks, and writer/film preservationist Michael Matessino, who supervised the 4K restoration of the first “Trek.” The big get is filmmaker/author Adam Nimoy, aka the son of Leonard Nimoy. He’ll be there for a double feature of “Khan” and “For the Love of Spock,” a 2016 documentary Nimoy directed about his dad and the impact his iconic character has had on popular culture. Blackburn admits that he threw in a “Spock” showing as an appreciative bonus. “It wasn’t that he requested it,” he says, “but I asked if he would like to do that. And he didn’t object to it.” Nimoy will also be signing copies of recently released memoir “The Most Human,” which gives a very revealing look at his life and the often contentious relationship he had with his father.

During a Zoom call, Nimoy discussed how pleased he is that his tribute to his old man will be paired up with his finest performance in a “Trek” film. “[‘Spock’] in particular is really a celebration of the character of Spock,” says Nimoy. “It’s a celebration of this incredible character he created – that’s number one. It’s also a celebration of Leonard Nimoy. I mean, a multi-talented individual, a real renaissance man with a lot of ability, a lot of drive. You know, it’s a celebration of life.” 

This weekend of screenings will most likely be heavily populated with fans and novices fully ready to go warp speed with the USS Enterprise crew. But, even after all these years of screening super-cinematic spectacles, Blackburn remains pessimistic. In this age of people preferring to stay home instead of spending a night at the movies, you can hardly blame him. “I hope that it does well,” he says. “I hope that it sells out. It will do well. As far as it selling out, I’m not sure about that exactly.”

But even if every screening isn’t sold out, he’s looking forward to giving those who are in attendance one helluva experience. “I want people to have a good time while they’re here,” he says. “I want to hear them laugh. I want to hear the applause. We played the 70mm print of ‘Spaceballs’ in May. It wasn’t one of Mel Brooks’s better pictures, but they knew all of the lines and they laughed at every joke, regardless of how many times they’ve seen it. They came in and they had a good time. They were smiling on the way out. They were happy. That’s what I care about.” 

For more information on the ‘Star Trek’ 60th Anniversary Series, go to the Fine Arts Theatre website .

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Diot said this year’s attendance level, which amounts to roughly 3,000 accredited attendees, is on a par with the 2023 VPB edition’s surging numbers. As is customary, the bulk of film execs are making the trek to the Lido are from Europe and Latin America. There is also a robust contingent of Asians, since Japan is one of the countries in focus. But the Chinese presence has shrunk, possibly due to tighter censorship. From the Arab world, Saudi Arabia features prominently. The North American presence is small.

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Hoe kom ik bij Festival TREK?

Via onze Facebookpagina of stedenpagina op deze website houden we je op de hoogte van de snelste en meest makkelijke route naar Festival TREK!  

Heb ik munten nodig voor eten en/of drinken?

Munten zijn niet nodig, je hoeft dus niet lang in de rij te staan, maar je kunt meteen overal bestellen! Ook hoef je je niet druk te maken of je wel voldoende contant geld bij je hebt, je kunt namelijk bij alle barren en de meeste food trucks pinnen. Wel zo makkelijk!

Vraagt Festival TREK entree? 

Festival TREK is gratis toegankelijk! Bij de bestelling van het eerste drankje betaal je een kleine vergoeding van €2,95 voor een speciaal Festival TREK glas (een luxe wijn- of cocktailglas is € 3,95), een milieuvriendelijk hardplastic glas dat je het hele festival kunt gebruiken. Een tweede, derde of vierde drankje? Geef het glas af bij de bar, dan krijg je weer een schoongespoeld exemplaar terug.

Goed om te weten: er zit geen statiegeld op de TREK glazen. Neem het glas mee naar huis als souvenir of bewaar voor een volgende dag. Wel zo handig!

Wat voor trucks kan ik verwachten?  

Een grote diversiteit aan mobiele trucks zorgt met liefde weer voor de lekkerste gerechten vanuit de origineelste keukentjes op wielen. Maak een smakelijke ontdekkingsreis door het ruime aanbod streetfood. Neem plaats aan de Chef’s Table in één van de mobiele food trucks, proef verrassende ingrediënten of waag je aan de smaakvol bereide nieuwe gerechten. Van sushi tot Surinaams van vega(n) tot burgers; de smaakpapillen worden een weekend lang getrakteerd. 

Is het festival geschikt voor (kleine) kinderen? 

Festival TREK is geschikt voor alle leeftijden! De kleinste bezoekers van TREK kunnen zich vermaken bij het kindertheater, tijdens een kookworkshop en met de oud Hollandse spelletjes. Ook zorgt een ritje in één van de oude kermisklassiekers, zoals elk jaar, weer voor het nodige plezier voor jong en oud.  

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Samen met alle foodtrucks en barren hebben we een mooi en divers aanbod voor je samengesteld. Eigen eten en drinken meenemen is dus niet toegestaan. 

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Ja, maar hou er rekening mee dat Festival TREK in een stadpark plaatsvindt en er niet overal een verharde ondergrond is. 

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Nee, dit is niet toegestaan. Als je nog geen 18 jaar bent zorg dan dat je samen met een meerderjarige bent. Dan ben je van harte welkom! 

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Jazeker! Festival TREK is altijd op zoek naar leuk en goed talent. De BurgeRmeester van TREK biedt jullie tijdens het festival de mogelijkheid je kunsten te tonen aan een groot publiek in zijn BurgeRmeesterkamer. 

Dus bandjes (semi-akoestisch), theateracts, beeldhouwers, singer-songwriters, dansacts, schilders en kleinkunstenaars geef je op en wellicht zien we je al op de volgende editie van TREK.

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Omsk: Western Siberia's hidden gem

A city view of Omsk. Source: Dmitry Feoktistov

Omsk was founded in 1716 when a wooden fort was constructed to house a Cossack unit in the area to protect the expanding Russian frontier from Central Asian nomadic incursions. It served various administrative functions throughout the 1800s and became infamous as a place of exile and incarceration. The city was rundown when selected as a hub for the Trans-Siberian railway in the 1890s. Many international trade companies and foreign consulates relocated here and the remnants of their offices can still be found in the city today.

The mystery of Kolchak’s gold

Omsk became the headquarters of the anti-Bolshevik white army led by Admiral Aleksandr Kolchak in 1918. In late 1918 there was a revolt in the city initiated by a leftist faction (Socialist Revolutionary Party or SPs) with 500 rebel deaths at the hands of Cossacks and Czechoslovak soldiers, a major factor in convincing the SPs to join the Bolsheviks. There is a large Soviet-era monument to the uprising at the corner of Lenina street and Broz Tito street.  

Kolchak was entrusted with a large portion of the Tsarist’s gold reserves, yet amazingly lost much of it. Supposedly 250 million rubles were lost (about $8 million at the time). Legend has it that they were buried near the village of Taiga, yet numerous excavations have turned up nothing. The area still attracts the occasional fortune seeker.

Kolchak’s headquarters are located at what is today the  Omsk Regional Archives  at Broz Tito St., 3. Nothing shows how much times have changed as the imposing Kolchak statue that was unveiled in 2012 around the corner. The statue guards  Kolchak restaurant , a four-story culinary complex featuring a steak house, an Irish pub, a Central Asian café and an Italian eatery.  For more details on where and how to dig Kolchak's gold, see  Top Ten Mysterious Lost Treasures of Russia

Dostoevsky and the Tsar

At 1.15 million people Omsk dwarfs the region’s second largest city, Tara (population 28,000). The city is split by the River Irtysh into two sections (all places of interest are on the right bank) with downtown emanating from the River Om.

Most foreigners have heard of Omsk via writer Fyodor Dostoevsky who spent four years here as a prisoner (1849-1853). He spent most of his time in Omsk in squalor and chains and with no books besides the Bible, however, it left an indelible mark on his memory and influenced his future literary output. There is a statue of the writer in chains grasping a Bible at the corner of Partizanskaya and Spartakovskaya streets, where Dostoevsky undoubtedly stepped many times. A  museum dedicated to the author's time in Omsk  is located nearby at Dostoevskogo St. 1. The local university is also named for him.

A view of the Assumption Cathedral, Omsk. Source: Lori/Legion-Media

Tarskaya Street is one of the city’s oldest thoroughfares. It features a monument to victims of Stalinist repressions and the Tara gates, originally built in 1792 as one of the four entrances to the Omsk fort. Nearby stands the Assumption Cathedral, one of the largest churches in Siberia. Future Tsar Nicholas II laid the first stone here in 1891 when making his way back to St. Petersburg after his Eastern journey.

In Omsk you are never more than a few steps from the village, made clear when one exits the center to the north, where most houses are wooden and roads unpaved. Stroll along Bulatova and Rabinovicha streets, a well-preserved ensemble of wooden architecture.

Omsk’s cultural heritage 

The Pushkin State Library is worth a look with busts of Russian literary figures adorning the front side of the building. At the corner under the big “M” is one of several stations of the never completed Omsk metro. Construction began in 1992, but as of 2014 the project is again dormant due to financing problems.

One of Omsk’s most famous sons is Symbolist painter Mikhail Vrubel (1856-1910). Vrubel ignored contemporary trends and focused on themes from fairy tales, demons and religious subjects and also designed a majolica frieze for the Metropol Hotel in Moscow. Omsk’s Fine Arts Museum is named for him and features a number of  his works .

Milhail Vrubel's painting 'Demon Seated in a Garden' (1890)

Over the years a number of tourists have tripped over the monument to Stepanych. This bust of a plumber rising from a sewer was the idea of Omsk’s former mayor after a trip to Slovakia in the 1990s. Stepanych has become one of the symbols of the city.

Omsk is a hockey town, with one of the major teams,  Avangard , in the KHL, Russia’s premiere professional league. Russian champions on several occasions, check out a match at Omsk Arena. But if you can’t catch a game there’s a large kiosk featuring the team’s merchandise at the airport.

Siberian   punk, jazz and the classics

While Omsk may not be on everyone’s radar musically, it does host a  musical theater  built just after the war. The building on 10 Let Oktyabrya Street is in the form of an enormous sloping grand piano.

A monument to Stepanych, Lenina Street, Omsk. Photo credit: RIA Novosti/Pavel Lisitsyn 

Perhaps Russia’s most famous punk band,  Grazhdanskaya oborona  (Civil Defence), was formed here in 1982. The band was active until 2008 when lead singer Yegor Letov died of heart failure at age 43. Letov is buried at the Staro-Vostochnoe cemetery. A sprawling graveyard with thousands of graves, fans should stop at the administration for help in locating his grave.

In Russia, Omsk is known among the younger, tech-savvy generation primarily because of the “Omsk bird,” also known as Winged Doom. The origin of what became one of Russia’s most ubiquitous memes comes from a painting by German artist Heiko  Müller. One day in 2009 an Internet user posted this painting with the line, “Welcome to Omsk,” at the top. Additional versions menace viewers stating, “Don't try to leave Omsk,” and “Omsk is closer than you think.” Like many popular memes on the Internet, this one went viral and has become something like an unofficial symbol of the city.

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