The annual Antwerp Winter event kicked off on Dec. 6 and runs through Jan. 5. It features a festive Christmas setting with attractions, bars, shops and a large ice-skating rink. Radio station Joe traditionally hosted the start of the monthlong event in Antwerp.
Joe’s drive-time duo Raf Van Brussel and Rani De Coninck broadcast live from the Joe Christmas House on Antwerp’s main square from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The presenters shared an update on Joe’s “Pakje van je Hart” (Package from the Heart) charity campaign, announcing an interim total of more than €500,000 raised by listeners to support underprivileged children.
Antwerp Mayor Bart De Wever praised the initiative, saying, “The huge success of the campaign illustrates that the Christmas season motivates people to think about those facing financial difficulties. The festive atmosphere Joe brings to Antwerp is the cherry on the cake of our Christmas shopping.”
On the eve of eight sold-out concerts at the 17,000-seat Antwerp Sportpaleis, Flemish band Clouseau performed a free concert on the Joe stage at 8 p.m., drawing a large crowd.
Between Dec. 6 and Jan. 5, Joe will deliver 286 hours of live radio from the Joe Christmas House. The temporary studio, a four-story building illuminated with 400 meters of lighting, is the centerpiece of the station’s holiday programming.
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