Have you heard of the caffè sospeso principle? You pay for two coffees in a bar, but only drink one yourself. The second one waits for someone who can’t afford it at that moment. A small, anonymous gift.

The Genk-based festival AFF has been doing exactly the same since this edition — but with festival tickets. And we were glad to be part of it.

A solidarity ticket

On 7 and 8 August 2026, AFF takes over C-mine in Genk. This is the first edition where the festival is no longer entirely Absolutely Free: instead of handing in a battery, you now buy a ticket on a Pay What You Can basis.

At the same time, AFF is launching something new — reportedly a first in the Flemish festival sector: the solidarity ticket. You don’t buy this ticket for yourself, but for someone who otherwise wouldn’t have the means to attend a festival. Distribution runs through two local organisations: Gigos, which does youth welfare work in the Genk neighbourhoods, and the socio-cultural organisation Avansa. People supported through their work can receive a ticket to AFF.

Our contribution

Through Astro Rent Cares, we bought ten solidarity tickets. Ten people in a vulnerable situation can now enjoy the full festival weekend for free — without having to pay for it themselves, and without anyone needing to know.

No logo on a stage, no big campaign. Just ten tickets that find their way to the right people.

Why we do this

Astro Rent is a local company, and culture and events are our world. The idea that for some people there’s a barrier to exactly that touches us. A festival should be a place where you feel you truly belong — and with these ten tickets, we’re making a small contribution to that.

A great initiative by AFF. We hope many other companies and visitors will follow suit.

Buy solidarity tickets yourself: https://shop.paylogic.com/658b0119808b4b9c8ca4580c62c225c0/