Events & Festivals in Belgium

Local chefs revive the medieval tradition of goose with “Gentse Vleugel” winter menus. Three-course set menus showcase root veg, artisanal jenever and craft beer pairings in historic guild houses.

UNESCO-listed carnival famous for the Gilles: masked men in wax suits throwing oranges to ward off winter. Drums, confetti and 1,000 Gilles create a surreal sunrise parade.

City-wide Rubens celebration with living statues, baroque concerts and late-night museum openings. Free walking app links 30 hidden churches and guild halls.

Europe’s toughest night hike: 100 km non-stop from Bornem to Willebroek. 12,000 walkers start at 21:00 and have 24 h to finish; locals hand out soup and waffles along the canals.

Biennial Brussels street-art parade where neighbourhoods build giant puppets around a quirky theme. Expect samba bands on stilts and DIY floats parading the canal ring.

Brussels’ official birthday party with free concerts, street theatre and open-door policy at regional ministries. Fireworks cap a multicultural line-up on Place des Palais.

800-year-old pageant where 1,500 citizens re-enact biblical scenes in 30 tableaux, ending with veneration of a relic of Christ’s blood in the Basilica.

Three-day global groove festival on the Brussels canal. Afro-beat, reggae and Latin bands plus world street-food village and fair-trade market.

Antwerp celebrates its “Bolleke” amber ale with tap takeovers, brewery tours and free tastings in the shadow of the Cathedral. Kids’ juice bar and cheese stalls included.

Ten-day city-wide music orgy: 2,000 free gigs from Balkan brass to indie rock on every cobbled corner. Daytime theatre for kids, all-night dance tents for adults.

World’s biggest electronic dance festival turns De Schorre into a fantasy village with 400 DJs, fire-breathing stages and global food alley. 400,000 tickets sell out in minutes.

Every other August the Grand-Place blooms with 600,000 begonias arranged in a giant tapestry. Best viewed from the Gothic balcony of the Town Hall.

Belgium’s alternative mega-fest mixes rock, hip-hop and techno across eight stages. Famous for early-bird discovery acts that headline global tours the next year.

60 breweries pour 400 beers under the Gothic arches of Grand-Place. Free tastings with purchased glass; Trappist stalls sell cheese and chocolate pairings.

Europe’s largest retro fair: 400 stalls of 50s–90s fashion, vinyl and design. Live rockabilly bands and pop-up barbershops keep the Limburg mine site swinging.

Flat course loops past Atomium, Royal Palace and EU quarter. Half-marathon sold out; full attracts 20,000 runners and samba drummers every kilometre.

Nationwide commemoration of WWI end with ceremonies at Menin Gate, Ypres. Last Post buglers play at 11:00; poppies handed out by schoolchildren.

2 km of wooden chalets selling glühwein, Belgian waffles and artisan toys. Ice-skating rink, Ferris wheel and nightly sound-and-light show on Grand-Place.

Student-city twist on classic market: 170 chalets, Stella Artois hot brewery tours and ice-bar made from 30,000 recycled beer crates beneath the Gothic Town Hall.