History

The Origins of De Duystere Markt

The roots of De Duystere Markt lie deep in my (Wes) personal fascination with nature, curiosities, and the extraordinary. From a young age, I was captivated by skulls, animals, and strange objects I found during my forest wanderings. At sixteen, I bought my first skull at a flea market – a small object, but the beginning of a great passion. From that moment on, every visit to a market or secondhand fair became a quest for the peculiar.

Over the years, not only did my collection grow, but so did my network of like-minded individuals. Through social media and secondhand platforms, I connected with other collectors and traders. One day, I asked myself: why not bring all these people together? Not at a formal fair, but in a cozy setting – chatting, trading items, having a drink. In 2018, I put the first ideas on paper: a small-scale gathering with a handful of collectors and enthusiasts. But the plan was temporarily shelved due to a busy work schedule.

Until 2020. During the pandemic, time suddenly became available. I ran a small poll on Instagram, and the results were clear: there was genuine interest in such a meeting. The plan was dusted off and fleshed out. In café Centrum in Houthalen-Oost, there was a small parish hall measuring 10 by 15 meters – available through a friend. The first edition was planned for December 12th, 2021, with collector friends like Robby Biology, Sickeart, and Thomas Nouwens. But interest kept pouring in. Bigger names joined as well, including Sam’s Shop, Anne Sanders Chimaera, and Nature Deco Veghel. The venue quickly turned out to be far too small.

We started looking for a new location and ended up at the cultural center of Houthalen-Oost – familiar territory for me. I had organized punk and metal concerts there in the past, including Crossbonefest. The name for the event came during a brainstorming session: De Duystere Markt, a nod to the film Duyster by my good friend Jordi Ostir. We created an Instagram page that grew entirely organically – no advertising budget, but a rapidly growing following. Tattoo artist Piotr Polak designed the first poster. Everything was ready… but then new COVID measures hit. We were forced to postpone the very first edition.

Instead of giving up, we set a new date: March 20th, 2022. Still uncertain, but the registrations kept coming. First one hall, then two, and eventually – just one day before the event – we decided to add a third hall. Workshops, including butterfly preparation by Nature Deco, made their debut. Artists got involved. On the day of the event, a fifty-meter queue formed outside. And who stood among the first in line? Future vendor Witch Please. More than 1000 visitors made their way to Houthalen – to the surprise of us as organizers and the neighborhood, as the venue wasn’t prepared for such a crowd. But it turned out to be a resounding success, thanks to the incredible help from family and friends.

The market became more than just a collection of booths – it became a community. New collaborations were born, friendships were forged, even the first couples found each other among the stalls.

Houthalen became too small. We spoke with the mayor but couldn’t find a suitable location. Our search led us to a place with history and character – not a soulless event hall, but somewhere with a spirit. That’s how we ended up at Thor Central in Genk. We immediately raised the bar. Mothmeister designed the new poster and Wolvennest was booked for a live performance. Over 2000 tickets were sold – the edition was completely sold out. Only… no one left. Where we thought visitors would stay for a few hours, they ended up staying five to six. People ate, drank, laughed – the community grew and we slowly became one big family. But the pressure on the team was enormous. The organization started to take its toll, especially since I was still working night shifts as a nurse and working during the day as a piercer.

Still, we didn’t give up. In 2023, we planned a try-out for the first Dutch edition of De Duystere Markt in Oss. A basic version, no major acts, low entrance fee – but again, it quickly sold out. 150 vendors participated, and the audience proved to be quite different from Belgium – a valuable lesson for our team. In 2024, we repeated De Duystere Markt in Oss, this time with 2500 visitors and 220 vendors. However, the location couldn’t offer the atmosphere we envisioned. That’s why for the April 2025 edition, we moved to the Klokgebouw in Eindhoven.

In the meantime, in December 2023, we returned to Genk. For the first time, we rented the entire Thor building and hosted De Duystere Markt over an entire weekend. More vendors, six live bands (Alkerdeel, La Muerte, Rattenburcht, Predatory Void, Prince Beastly, and Serpents Oath), sideshows from the likes of Louis Fleischauer, fire shows, suspensions, a fire-themed photo booth… It was a huge success, but the building had reached its limit. In December 2024, we therefore added an extra tent for performances, and through intensive talks with the city of Genk, we reopened a long-unused wing of the building – despite the lack of heating or power, right in the middle of winter. But we’re always up for a challenge.

In 2024, we also introduced themes for the first time at De Duystere Markt. The theme “The Funeral,” with a mourning room for ‘Abigail’, was co-created with Mothmeister. Experience became a central element, where all the senses were stimulated. This edition became the crowning achievement of our work and a massive success. The atmosphere was incredible, and both visitors and vendors had a fantastic weekend. Hullabaloo Cabaret and other sideshow acts received loud applause. With international live bands like Conan and Machukha, and national heavyweights Wolvennest and Dudsekop, the musical lineup was top-tier. Sadly, Wiegedood had to cancel – hopefully we’ll get another chance in the future.

But with growth come new challenges. In December 2024, there was a huge queue before the doors of Thor Central even opened. Saturday tickets had sold out six weeks in advance. 7000 visitors traveled to Genk – from both Belgium and abroad. An expansion seems necessary, but we don’t want to sacrifice atmosphere or quality. With the upgrade in Eindhoven on the horizon, we also decided to broaden our vision. We’re now scouting other atmospheric venues – not to replace Genk, but to complement it.

For Eindhoven, we deliberately chose an unconventional date: Easter weekend. The theme? Of course, Easter – but in true Duystere style. No cheerful Easter bunnies, but a darkly twisted take on the theme. The poster this time was designed by Eva Boneva. Originally planned with two halls, but registrations kept coming – so we ended up renting a third hall as well.

At the same time, we got in touch with the Fabriekspand in Roeselare, which sparked the idea for a third edition of De Duystere Markt. On September 27 and 28, 2025, the 8th edition will take place at the Fabriekspand in Roeselare.

Genk remains our trusted, safe home base, and is scheduled for December 13 and 14, 2025 at Thor Central. No further expansion there, but a refinement of the existing concept.
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And so, De Duystere Markt continues to grow: organically, through trial and error, but always with passion. A concept born out of fascination, nurtured by perseverance, and shaped by a vibrant community of artists, collectors, musicians, and visitors. Not a standard fair, but a place where worlds collide – raw, aesthetic, strange, and wondrous.

Welcome to De Duystere Markt.
Digging up curiosity’s darkest secrets since 2021.