Darklands

It's the biggest fetish gathering in Europe and it's in Belgium that it takes place. Originally called Leatherpride, the festival has opened up to other forms of fetishism over the years and, more recently, to all genders and no longer just gays. More than 10.000 people will join the Flemish city for the occasion.

It's the biggest fetish gathering in Europe and it's in Belgium that it takes place. Originally called Leatherpride, the festival has opened up to other forms of fetishism over the years and, more recently, to all genders and no longer just gays. More than 10.000 people will join the Flemish city for the occasion.

Those who are unaware of the event and have only vaguely heard about it often have a truncated picture of what it really is. It’s spread over a week across the city and over 4 days on the Waagnatie site. From the BDSM workshop to the classical music concert, the program is extremely varied.

During the day, you can discover many brands and retailers (including Spit It Out) while strolling through the market. This is an opportunity to try on outfits, test accessories and above all to get sound advice from the sellers but also from other visitors. On our stand, you can even book a time slot to get special attention to your needs and desires.

The market is open from Friday to Sunday. At the same time, many workshops are scheduled and only a few still offer free places. We are talking here about the maintenance of rubber, consent, BDSM, gender issues... At the same time, on the stages of the complex, animations are planned.

3 stages

Among these animations, we find competitions such as the election of Mr Leather Belgium, those of Superhero Fetish or Puppy Europe. There are also shows like the finale of the World fetish Contest, an adaptation of Eurovision with a fetish touch, on Friday at 18:00. Belgium will be represented by our dear AlexXa Divine. In a completely different style, live porn acts with renowned actors fill in the gaps. Even on the market, some booths offer entertainment related to their brand's activity, in particular live demonstrations of toys. You also have the possibility of registering for various buffets, the profits of which will in some cases go to good causes.

Social meetings

Darklands is a big date. You will meet people who share the same fantasies as you but they come from all over Europe and even from many other parts of the world. To promote encounters, social meetings are scheduled throughout the weekend. Leather, rubber, bears, puppies, skins, sportswear, everyone has their time in one of the dedicated bars. We told you earlier that Darklands has changed in recent years and opened up to diversity. Thus there are also a trans social meeting and another one for women (which Spit It Out wished to sponsor).

The new community tent

One of the major novelties this year is the creation of a hub dedicated to communities. In this tent (the one that previously housed the lockers), you can meet Belgian and international associations in order to ask all your questions and find as much information as possible on their activities. It's a great opportunity to try to understand other people's fantasies and why not give it a try too. The Belgian Rubbermen will make your outfits shine. United Sportswear Europe will give the opportunity for winning the flag of its community. MSC Belgium will organize its traditional second-hand market.

Besides all that, there are also tours of the city of Antwerp by bus with the delicious Ivana, a classical music concert on Thursday evening, after-parties hosted by The Boots... In short, a dense program which already opens this Tuesday but whose peak will be reached during the parties at night during the weekend, Fusion on Friday and Rage on Saturday. Just dig into the online program for the details