Polé Polé, set along and partly on the Leie River, is actually a festival within a festival. It is a ten-day tropical party with live bands playing upbeat rhythms and melodies. “We only book bands that bring that summery party vibe,”says organiser Tim Van den Heuvel. “We are looking to create a holiday mood. Polé Polé is pure party music.” It was the mayor of Ghent himself who made sure Polé Polé was included in the Gentse Feesten. Polé Polé – Swahili for ‘take it easy’ – used to be a stand-alone summer party organised by the owner of several tropical bars in various Belgian cities.
