Pairi Daiza’s Les Estivales Celebrates Belgian Indepence Day from July 18 to 21 — with the Belgian Elvis.

The longest weekend of Les Estivales brings four evenings, mussels & Belgian fries and 18 stages filled with love for animals, people, and cultures.

15 July 2025

During this festive long weekend, the Park opens each morning at 10:00 a.m. for day visitors.

Pairi Daiza offers evening-long artistic shows from 6:00 PM and continuing until 11:00 PM. This adds up to over 60 hours of performances by musicians, singers, dancers, clowns, magicians, puppetry, meditation and circus artists at Belgium's premium tourist attraction.

Since 2016, Pairi Daiza has been organizing a summer festival inspired by Belgium's rich festival culture, in harmony with the animals and natural beauty of the Park. After this weekend, four additional weekends follow through August 16, including an extra day on August 14.

The Belgian Elvis

Elvis Presley is alive and well… and living in Belgium. Franz Goovaerts, age 49, earned the ultimate honor in 2006: he was crowned world champion Elvis impersonator in Memphis, USA, the birthplace of the King. He is the only European who has ever earned this title!

During the prestigious Championship 'Images of the King', held in 2006 just two kilometers from Elvis’s legendary home Graceland, Franz managed to stand out among no fewer than 65 contestants from all over the world. With his impressive vocals and signature moves, he convinced both the audience and the jury that The King lives on through his performance.

His performance in Memphis was a tribute to the Elvis comeback in 1968 and his deep connection to gospel and religious music, which played an important role in his life from a young age. Goovaerts is too young to have consciously experienced Elvis’s musical heyday — but a few records from his older sister’s collection were enough to make him a lifelong fan.

“For me, Elvis is not a hobby — he’s a way of life,” says Franz, "This show is a true love letter to rock ’n’ roll and to the legacy of The King."

His victory has put Belgium on the world map of Elvis tribute artists and pays homage to the enduring impact of the rock-and-roll legend. With this title in hand, Franz is ready to shine as an ambassador of The King on international stages and at Pairi Daiza.

From Belgium with Rhythm – One Park, Many Cultures

In addition to the Belgian Elvis, many other musicians this weekend will focus on Belgian music, with performances on stages such as Cambron-by-the-Sea (featuring Charlotte de Halleux with a tribute to singer Maurane) and The Last Frontier (Fiona Lumia). Out of the 30 performers, 20 will be Belgian this weekend.

Elsewhere in the Park, visitors can continue their journey across the world and through time...

The cultural world tour will reach full swing during the second weekend of the festival, featuring highlights such as the fire spectacle Palmarius by Pyronix, Mag Niko from Senegal, Ma Jane from China, Aki Sato from Japan, and the solo act Moon Flute, performing in the Walrus Cave.

"Artists, like animals, trees and gardens, or minerals, are wonders of the world. Through their gestures, their voices, their images, they lead to the same prayer: to exist, to move, to pass something on. And sometimes, from that emotion, a desire is born: wishing to protect life, beauty which cannot be replaced." Éric Domb, President-Founder of Pairi Daiza