Summer Bummer 2026: Two days of adventurous music at Antwerp’s Trix

Two performance spaces anchored the event: a darkened main hall with seating and a smaller cafe-area stage that was intimate and often standing-room only. Between the stages, merch tables ringed the venue, creating a compact circulation path that made record shopping and bar visits convenient. When weather allowed, attendees could use a courtyard for breaks and food.

Summer Bummer's remit went beyond free jazz. The lineup mixed improvised music with avant-noise and electronic acts, so listeners moved between subtle understatement and deliberately loud, abrasive sets.

• Alexander von Schlippenbach and Paal Nilssen-Love: The duo delivered an extended set where Schlippenbach unspooled chains of melodic ideas and Monk snippets while Nilssen-Love responded with focused force and precision.

• Das B: Presented as a "super group" in the program (Mazen Kerbaj, Magda Mayas, Tony Buck, Mike Majkowski), Das B staged an expansive, deconstructive take on A Love Supreme that included prepared piano and unconventional trumpet techniques.

• Daughter, Daughter: The quartet of two saxophones, cello and drums blended composed elements with free improvisation, balancing individual lines and collective interplay.

• Integral and Kabas Sun Dogs: The range of the bill was evident in a contrast between Integral's ear-bleedingly loud, battering passages and Kabas Sun Dogs' slow, groove-centered opening set featuring guest players.

• Maria Portugal's EROSÃO Septet and duo with pianist Marta Warelis: Portugal led a mid-tempo, Brazilian-inflected septet with brass and reeds and later appeared in an intimate duo the following day.

Attendance exceeded 200, and the festival prioritized continuous listening opportunities rather than large gaps. The combination of active merch tables, workshops and two interleaved stages created a busy, social environment where people listened, shopped, talked and made art across both afternoons and evenings.

Summer Bummer 2026 presented a concentrated, well-run program of adventurous music across a small footprint. The festival balanced loud and quiet, composition and free improvisation, and added hands-on activities that kept attendees engaged beyond the concert sets.