COOL Festival 2026

The Cavemen. are a duo based in Lagos, Nigeria, consisting of brothers Kingsley Chukwudi Okorie and Benjamin Chukwudi James. With their joyful highlife fusion – a lively blend of highlife, afrobeat, jazz and soul – they bring the sounds they grew up with into a new era. Their music is at once nostalgic and forward-looking: a tribute to the African roots that shaped them, and a bridge into the future.

With award-winning albums such as "ROOTS" and "Love and Highlife" (collectively boasting over 90 million streams), and collaborations with the likes of Davido, Angélique Kidjo and Made Kuti, The Cavemen. are regarded as the modern guardians of highlife. Their mission: to keep the soul of the genre alive, and show that tradition and innovation can go hand in hand.

Theon Cross is a groundbreaking tuba player who has redefined the instrument’s role in contemporary jazz. Drawing on diasporic bass culture, he transforms the tuba into a full 21st-century sound system, from deep sub-bass to rich multiphonics. His music moves freely across styles while staying rooted in his Afro-Caribbean heritage.

A Guildhall graduate and Tomorrow’s Warriors alumnus, Cross became a key force in the London jazz scene. He was a core member of Sons of Kemet and has collaborated with artists such as The Smile, Little Simz, Makaya McCraven and Joy Crookes. His releases include the EP "Aspirations" (2015), the albums "FYAH" (2019) and "Intra-I" (2021) and a contribution to "Blue Note Re:Imagined".

Helena Casella is a Belgian-Brazilian composer and vocalist who grew up in a deeply musical family. Her sound blends R&B, neo-soul, hip-hop, modern jazz and Brazilian rhythms, shaping these influences into personal reflections and daydreams. With a soft yet intense voice, she delivers stories that resonate emotionally and intellectually, weaving familiar grooves with elegant, unexpected turns.

Helena favors organic, live instrumentation with minimal digital effects. “I start with piano and voice, then add instruments while imagining the live performance,” she says. Whether performing solo or with a seven-piece band, she creates an intimate, dreamlike atmosphere. 

Her debut album "Pit of Impressions" was released in March 2025 on W.E.R.F. Records. As she told Humo: “It’s a real listening record—one that only reveals itself fully when you give it time and attention.”

Jamz Supernova is a storytelling force in sound: a DJ, label head, radio host and tastemaker with over a decade on air. Known for her genre-spanning selections, she brings an intimate connection to listeners through her award-winning BBC 6 Music show, where she spotlights global communities and underground scenes. 

Beyond radio, she runs the Future Bounce label in both A&R and consulting roles, earning a DJ Mag Best of British nomination for its 5-year anniversary. As a DJ, Jamz is a fixture at festivals and clubs worldwide, delivering vibrant sets that move through broken beat, UK funky, bass, techno and more.

She has also hosted podcast series, TV shows for BBC Three, Four and Newsbeat and major music ceremonies including the Mercury Prize. With boundless creative energy, Jamz keeps rising by staying true to herself and the community that fuels her work.

Get to meet Soulastico, a young buck coming straight outta Antwerp who's extremely excited to share his love for music. He is a true soul connoiseur driven by his mission to ensure more human connection through music. Get your groove on for soulful rhtyhms combined with disco, funk, Brazilian grooves and jazzy deep house.

Galliano, often mistakenly seen as mere pioneers of the early ’90s Acid Jazz scene, have always been far more versatile and complex. Both of their time and ahead of it, they created a visionary blend of poetry, astral jazz, cosmic funk, conscious soul, dub reggae, and dancefloor rhythms. “They were the first group to truly connect club and jazz culture – opening up a world that would later include bands like The Comet is Coming and Ezra Collective”, says longtime supporter Gilles Peterson.

Born out of London’s underground clubs and warehouse parties of the 1980s, Galliano emerged from a culture that intertwined music, dance, fashion, art, design, and literature. Everything was DIY, yet perfectly at home in a thriving creative scene, recalls Rob Gallagher. With their debut single on the Acid Jazz label, they immediately showed how innovative they were.

More than three decades later, Galliano return with their new album "Halfway Somewhere", released on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings. Rob Gallagher and vocalist Valerie Etienne once again lead the band, joined by longtime Galliano members Ernie McKone (bass), Crispin Taylor (drums), and Ski Oakenfull (keys). Guest contributions from saxophonist Jason Yarde, percussionist Crispin “Spry” Robinson, and singer Bémbé Ségué give their sound a fresh, international dimension.

On the debut single "Circles Going Round The Sun", Gallagher reflects on the power of coming together in clubs: “The first time you dance, you break down boundaries between matter and spirit, self and other, individual and group.” The track references both New York dance legend David Mancuso and Scottish poet George Mackay Brown, illustrating how Galliano have always remained culturally aware and boundary-crossing. 

After an impressive 2023 breakthrough – with her mixtape "Black Is The New Gold" shortlisted for the Scottish Album of the Year Award – Scottish sensation Brooke Combe returns with her long-awaited debut album "Dancing At The Edge Of The World". Released in mid-January, she brings the album to Belgium for the first time on 28 February at COOL Festival in Het Depot.

With her warm, captivating voice and soulful sound reminiscent of Michael Kiwanuka, Duffy and Corinne Bailey Rae, Brooke delivers a record rich in emotion, groove and raw authenticity. Produced with James Skelly (The Coral) and recorded live to tape, the album blends themes of love, toxic relationships, escapism and personal healing, heard in standout tracks like “The Last Time”, “Pieces” and “Guilt”.

Tipped by Rolling Stone UK as “One of 2023’s defining artists”, Brooke is rapidly emerging as one of the UK’s brightest new voices. Don’t miss her exclusive Belgian album show at COOL Festival.

Wayne Snow doesn’t play it safe. His new music mixes raw energy with a strong sense of self, inspired by artists like Tierra Whack and Tyler, the Creator.

Born in Nigeria and raised on Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, and Marvin Gaye, he developed his own vision of Afrofuturism. His debut "Freedom TV" blended genres and earned praise from Clash, MOJO, and The Fader. Collaborations with FKJ, Tom Misch and Darius (with whom he made the gold-certified track "Equilibrium") helped refine his sound. The 2021 album "Figurine" combined soulful African vibes with jazz, neo-soul and pop, receiving acclaim from NPR Music and BBC Radio. His new album "Snowdome" (2025) is his boldest, most direct, and personal work yet, with striking visuals by Travys Owen.

After 40 years behind the decks, Groove Merchant (Vibes Ahead) is far from done. From the days of Sfinks Villa and Pacific to Jardim, Strantwerpen, and Café Au Lait, countless speakers have felt the groove of his irresistible beats.

For four decades, he’s been delivering non-stop funk, soul, jazz, and afrobeats and now, he’s bringing that same heat to warm up and close out COOL Festival with tracks that hit your hips first, your heart second. 

Driven by the magnetic voice of Selah Sue, this project is the result of an organic collaboration between the Belgian icon and the father-and-son duo Stéphane and Elvin Galland. Originally built around the Gallands’ musical universe, a mix of organic grooves, contemporary jazz, and forward-thinking production, the project took on a new dimension when Selah Sue transformed their instrumental creations into powerful songs where soulful intensity meets vibrant live energy.

Both on stage and in the studio, the trio finds a rare balance: the virtuosity of Stéphane (Aka Moon, Ibrahim Maalouf), the boldness and freshness of Elvin (Damso, Helena, Manu Katché), and the unmistakable voice and presence of Selah Sue. Together, they create a genre-defying sound that bridges generations and musical languages.

Their debut concert at Jazz Middelheim revealed an undeniable chemistry. An album is in the making, and an extensive tour is planned from March to September 2026, featuring a tight rhythm section with Louise van den Heuvel on bass, Stéphane Galland on drums, Elvin Galland on keys, and Sanne Putseys (Selah Sue) joined by her exceptional backing vocalists Stephanie Rugurika and Judith Okon.

Songwriter, guitarist, vocalist and producer Oscar Jerome has recently released his third solo album, "The Fork": an introspective and richly layered record that blends his lyrical guitar style with sophisticated, nuanced storytelling. A former member of the acclaimed collective Kokoroko, Jerome has continued to refine his original and genre bending sound. His distinctive guitar playing can be heard throughout London's thriving music scene both in his collaborations and influence. His music draws as much from the grooves of Prince and Jimi Hendrix as it does the folk story telling of John Martyn, the guitar riffs of Ali Farka Touré or the production of Q-Tip, bridging styles with effortless fluidity.

For Ilse Liebens, everything revolves around music. For years, she hosted Maxx every Saturday on Studio Brussel, and today you can hear her on Radio 1. That passion has remained exactly the same all along: spreading music, as widely and as far as possible. As a DJ, she was initiated into the legendary Culture Club, after which Liebens quickly became a familiar and trusted presence at festivals such as Pukkelpop and Rock Werchter.