Brussels is gearing up for Christmas, with plenty of festive activities in store this weekend.
From the Music Chapel Festival to Brussels' biggest Christmas market for local producers and a choir performance of carols in a Brussels church, find all the best events happening in the Belgian capital below.
Christmas-themed events
Brussels Makers Market: Christmas edition, Gare Maritime, Sunday 8 December
Still in search of presents for friends and family? Brussels' biggest Christmas market for local producers is the place to find them! Stroll through the iconic Gare Maritime to discover the 90 stalls filled with handmade treasures.
Credit: Brussels Makers Market
From jewellery and home decor to clothing, shoppers are sure to find the ideal gifts for others and themselves.
Find more information here.
A Ceremony of Carols, Église Sainte-Anne (Auderghem), Saturday 7 December
What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than listening to a live performance of the most heart-warming carols? BachWerk choir will perform Benjamin Britten's 'A Ceremony of Carols' for choir and solo harp.
Credit: BachWerk choir
The programme includes a selection of familiar carols and Polish choral pieces. There will also be mulled wine served after the performance to get you in the festive mood.
Find more information here.
Arts and culture
Music Chapel Festival
The four-day prestigious music event Music Chapel Festival is returning to Brussels for its 15th edition this weekend. This year, it is offering its audiences a 'Journey to Italy': from opera arias to chamber music and symphonic compositions.
Credit: Flagey
What would a journey through Italy be without Vivaldi? Audiences can immerse themselves in the emblematic figure of Italian baroque music with the Belgian Il Gardellino orchestra on Friday. The event will conclude in style with the Brussels Philharmonic's grand closing concert under the baton of Martijn Dendievel.
Find more information here.
Let's Art - Haiti in the spotlight: a people, a struggle, Bruegel Cultural Centre, Saturday 7 December
The 14th edition of the Let's Art Festival will be a tribute to Haiti. Taking place in three Belgian cities (Liège, Namur and Brussels), this free event focuses on Haiti's history and current challenges, celebrating the country's resilience and culture.
Credit: Let's Art
The event includes a performance by Nerlande Bazelais, combining dance, percussion and Haitian song and the screening of 'Madan Sara', a documentary by Etant Dupain on Haitian street vendors, followed by a debate after each screening. This will be preceded by a photo exhibition by Gaël Turine, offering a visual immersion into Haitian society.
Find more information here.
Belgian retrospective Ulrike Ottinger, Cinematek, until 28 February
Feminist film icon Ulrike Ottinger left an irrefutable mark on New German Cinema in the 1980s. She will be attending the opening of this retrospective, which will be followed by a three-month run of her bold, experimental, and subversive film at Cinematek. Ottinger was also asked to curate a Carte Blanche, featuring a dozen films that are important to her work, which will be shown in parallel.
Aller Jamais Retour, 1979. Credit: Goethe-Institut Brussels / Cinematek
These screenings will also be accompanied by an exhibition exploring select projects and creative processes from her career, publications by emerging queer artists and an experimental cabaret evening.
Find more information here.
Family friendly
Paroles au Solstice, Théâtre La montagne magique, until Saturday 21 December
This year's edition of this Brussels-based international theatre festival dedicated to young people will delve into words and images. A total of 12 shows will be organised, with artists from Belgium, France, Spain and Senegal.
In addition to the activities around the shows, the festival will extend to classrooms, gathering the words of children and young people to put them at the centre of the event.
Find more information here.
