Festivals and cultural events Belgium

In 1937, Queen Elizabeth, an excellent violinist, decided to create a competition to help young performers. This prestigious competition stands out from its international counterparts by its originality. Indeed, the members of the jury deliberate individually and treat the scores confidentially. Each year, a musical instrument will be honored, alternating between piano in 2021, cello in 2022, voice in 2023 and violin in 2024. Given the prestige of the competition, the winners are guaranteed an international career.

The annual fashion show of the fashion section of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp attracts some 6,000 fashion victims from all over the world. It's not Paris or London Fashion Week, but it's still a renowned event in the industry. You can discover the new collections of leading Flemish designers, as well as the original creations of students from the Academy of Fine Arts (who parade in front of an international jury). You come for the atmosphere, but above all to see and be seen!

We sometimes forget that Brussels is a French-speaking enclave in a historically Flemish land and the capital is a bilingual city. Flanders is therefore celebrated every 11 July. This is the day of the Battle of the Golden Spurs, which was chosen by the Flemish community as its annual festival. On 11 July 1513, an army of Flemish militiamen held off the knights of Philip IV of France. The Flemish troops brought back the golden spurs of the fallen knights as trophies. Concerts and events are organised in Flanders and Brussels.

For 15 years, the Balkan Trafik! festival has been coming to Brussels to show what is best in the artistic world of the Balkan Europe, from Serbia to Turkey. Multi-disciplinary, the program offers concerts, exhibitions, debates, cinema, gastronomy ... a whole range to discover the richness of the cultural mosaic that are the Balkans. Every year, a new street art fresco is created. There are already 5 of them, including a colorful composition of Rikardo Druškić near the Grand-Place.

A brand new urban festival whose first edition took place in 2022, Core is the result of a collaboration between the two biggest Belgian festivals: Rock Wechter and Tomorrowland. This means that the line-up will be very eclectic, ranging from rock, indie pop and hip hop to electro and techno. The 5 stages spread across the Osseghem Park carry Tomorrowland's whimsical touch with art installations. In 2022, Lous and the Yakuza, Paul Kalkbrenner or Jamie XX and the Belgian revelation Sylvie Kreusch opened the fire.

Every year, the capital goes green for a week. This involves events and activities that aim to raise awareness of sustainable modes of transport in Brussels. This is an opportunity to discover the city on foot, by bike or by public transport. Mobility Week ends with the traditional "Car Free Sunday" when no vehicles are allowed to circulate in the region. For the occasion, public transport is free. The city is strangely quiet, but watch out for Sunday cyclists.

Formerly called "Fête de la Communauté française", this date commemorates the revolutionary days of 1830 that led to Belgium's independence. It is the date that was chosen to celebrate the federal body that links the French-speaking people of Wallonia and the French-speaking people of Brussels. Several activities and concerts are offered free of charge throughout the city. The big one on the Grand-Place is not to be missed, where all the artists of the "CFWB", as they say in the jargon, come to perform, often with other French-speaking guests.

Since 2016, The Crystal Ship has become Europe's biggest urban art festival! Each year, this large open-air gallery welcomes a dozen artists who exhibit their work in this coastal city. Some of the biggest names in urban art have already taken part, including ROA, Paola Delfin, Miss Van and Wasted Rita. Installations, murals and sculptures allow you to visit the area in a different way. On the festival website, you'll find a free walking and cycling guide, the tour app and the possibility of booking a guide.

For two months, in the provinces of Namur and Liège, some twenty classical music concerts will be held in major heritage sites: ^13th- and ^14th-century pilgrims' songs, Corsican polyphony, Baroque cantatas, songs, viol consorts, string quartets, keyboard trios, concertos for violin or cello, piano recitals... Each year, the festival takes place in new locations steeped in history (churches, castles, abbeys, gardens, fortresses....) that inspire and inspire you to immerse yourself in classical music.

The festival was created in 2003 and is now world famous. Tommorowland welcomes festival goers from all over the world. Many DJs have already performed on stage: Avicii, David Guetta, Steve Aoki, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Calvin Harris... It is not only the line-up that attracts the festival-goers but also the atmosphere, the setting and the decorations that plunge you into an enchanted world of dreams as the name of its village "Dreamville" indicates. The show is as much on stage as in the decorations and among the festival-goers.

For several weeks, every Thursday, Brussels museums open their doors for night-time events, some of which are free. This allows you to enjoy the museums outside of opening hours (for those who could not come during the usual hours, or just "because") and at a reduced rate. Each week, a list of museums is available for reservation. In some institutions, standing guides are at your disposal to reveal the secrets of the exhibitions but you can also meet artists.