Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to the Belgian capital to see the iconic flower carpet, which adorned Brussels' most famous square for four days last week. By the time the floral masterpiece returns in 2026, it may be recognised as UNESCO Intangible Heritage.
The cobblestones of the iconic Grand Place in the historic city centre were covered by a carpet of brightly-coloured flowers from 15 to 18 August. For the first time since its creation in 1971, the floral piece (measuring 1,680 square metres) consisted mainly of dahlias. Delphine Houba, the City's Councillor for Culture, Tourism and Major Events, reflected on the event and its popularity with crowds from Belgium and beyond.
"The 2024 edition was an incredible success! We noticed a huge turnout around the Grand Place during the four days of the event," she told The Brussels Times. This year, avid fans could buy tickets to view the display from the balcony or the tower of the City Hall.
Even before the final flowers were laid down, the carpet was already drawing big crowds. Credit: The Brussels Times / Lauren Walker
"Almost 23,000 tickets were sold for these viewings. However, this figure does not include the hundreds of thousands of people who passed through the square to view the floral work of art from ground level."
Intangible heritage?
The flower carpet has been included on the Brussels Inventory of Intangible Heritage list since 2020, but the Regional Government applied for UNESCO Intangible Heritage recognition in March to fully protect it.
While Brussels flower carpet is one of the most famous across the world, the tradition originated in the 14th century in countries around the Mediterranean, such as Spain, Malta and Italy. This is why the dossier was started almost ten years ago by a Spanish association in close collaboration with the Brussels association behind the event, 'Tapis de fleurs'.
The 50th anniversary of the Flower Carpet in 2022. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
The application runs alongside the international dossier for floral carpets in which Belgium is collaborating with Spain, Italy, Malta and Mexico. Houba confirmed that the Region expects a response by the end of 2025. "It would be great for Brussels and its international aura to have a UNESCO-recognised flower carpet on the Grand Place, which has itself been recognised by UNESCO since 1998."
Those who missed viewing the carpet this year will be disappointed to hear it won't be returning until 2026. "This is a tradition which takes place every two years on the Grand Place," Houba said. It alternates with another floral event named 'Flowertime', when the City Hall is decorated with colourful flowers.
"However, with elections due to take place in October this year, it will be up to the next legislature to organise these future events," Houba concluded.
