The Brussels Times Magazine selects the best current and upcoming events and exhibitions.
Art & Design
15-30 March 2025, events across Brussels
BANAD
The Brussels Art Nouveau & Art Deco (BANAD) festival, running over a fortnight, offers rare access to the capital’s Art Nouveau and Art Deco gems through guided outdoor tours, concerts, lectures, events and activities. This year’s edition coincides with Art Deco Year 2025, the Brussels region’s special celebration of the centenary of the art form. For details about other dedicated Art Deco events related to this, at venues like the Halles Saint-Géry, Villa Empain and the Van Buuren Museum.
Familiar Strangers. The Eastern Europeans from a Polish perspective
14 March-29 June 2025, Bozar Center for Fine Arts, Rue Ravenstein 23, 1000 Brussels
Eastern Europe has a rich and complex history of migration, with diasporas, minorities and multiple identities all playing a role in a region that was long considered to be culturally homogenous. In an exhibition tied to Poland’s presidency of the European Union, these paintings, sculptures, videos, films, installations and textiles tell the stories of ‘familiar strangers’ from the Roma minority to the Vietnamese diaspora.
Until 10 August 2025, Bozar Center for Fine Arts, Rue Ravenstein 23, 1000 Brussels
Have Black and African artists been poorly recognised in the past? Inspired by director Ava DuVernay's television series When They See Us, this Bozar exhibition explores Black self-representation through some 150 works by 120 artists.
Until 4 May 2025, Red Star Line Museum, Montevideostraat 3, 2000 Antwerp
Antwerp’s Chinese community plays a vital role in the city's local business and cultural life, and even boasts its own Chinatown. This exhibition highlights this community and, tells the story of three Chinese pioneer families and their restaurants.
Panamarenko: Infinite Imagination
Until 4 May 2025, Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) Leopold de Waelplaats 1, 2000 Antwerp
A cap pictured during the opening of the exhibition 'Panamarenko Infinite Imagination' at the KMSKA Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, in Antwerp, Thursday 30 January 2025. Credit: Belga / Robbe Vandegehuchte
Belgium's own Panamarenko, the pseudonym of Henri Van Herwegen, was known for his creative and unworkable contraptions, like airships, submarines and helicopters, that could have been built by Wallace and Gromit. KMSKA celebrates the inventive and playful world, including sketches and original objects, of the artist who died in 2019, aged 79.
Until 31 August 2025, MAS Museum, Hanzestedenplaats 1, 2000 Antwerp
MAS has collected contemporary art by Ai Weiwei, Berlinde De Bruyckere and Stephan Vanfleteren in an exhibition designed to make visitors reflect on the more difficult questions about the theme of compassion.
Paulo Nazareth - Patuá, Willem Oorebeek - Obstakles
Until 27 April 2025, Wiels, Avenue Van Volxem 354, 1190 Forest
Brazilian artist Paulo Nazareth, who developed a self-styled Arte de Preceito, or precept art, a practice of travelling to subjects, is presenting his work on language, and ritual in indigenous communities. It is shown alongside an exhibition by Brussels-based Dutch artist Willem Oorebeek.
Joel Denot - Plaques sensibles
Until 8 March 2025, Modesti Perdriolle Gallery, 27 Rue Saint-Georges, 1050 Ixelles
Joël Denot’s photographs, with their long exposures, look like abstract paintings. The exposure time is key: none of his photos are subsequently modified or digitally altered.
Every Thursday evening, from 11 April-23 May 2025, Brussels
The Kanal, Centre Pompidou, in Brussels during Brussels Museums Nocturnes in 2018. Credit: Veerle Vercauteren/ Brussels Museums Nocturnes Facebook.
The Nocturnes are the annual moment when museums and cultural institutions open their doors in the evening, offering special exhibitions, guided tours and interactive activities. It promises a unique opportunity to explore the city's rich heritage in a vibrant and atmospheric setting.
Until 30 June 2025, Horta Museum, 27 Rue Américaine, 1060 Saint-Gilles
The Horta Museum asked five Belgian artists to work with two artisan firms, the Van Neder textile company from Kortrijk and Florence and Martine Moulis from Arles, to create works based around velvet.
Until 16 March 2025, Musée de la Boverie, Parc de la Boverie 3, 4020 Liège
One of Belgium’s most celebrated artists, Paul Delvaux became a pioneer of the Surrealist movement that emerged more than a century ago. The Boverie exhibition reveals little-known facets of this artist, through paintings, drawings and objects.
4 April-9 November 2025, Tour & Taxis, Avenue du Port 86C, 1000 Brussels
French-Brazilian Sebastião Salgado is arguably the world’s most celebrated nature photographer, whose black-and-white images of animals in barren landscapes suggest a pre-historic era. This exhibition features over 200 large-format photographs revealing the richness of the Amazon rainforest and the people who live there. It is accompanied by a soundtrack that was specially created by Jean-Michel Jarre.
Until 30 March 2025, Centrale for Contemporary Art, Place Saint-Catherine 45, 1000 Brussels
Argentinian Juan Agustin David Llosa, who lives in Brussels, mixes text and sculpture in ceramic, plaster and steel in this showcase at Centrale.
Wim Delvoye: Cloaca. Celebration 2000-2025
Until 9 March 2025, Rodolphe Janssen, 35 Rue de Livorne, 1050 Ixelles
A retrospective of Wim Delvoye's works will include his notorious tattooed pigs and explicit stained-glass windows. It includes various sketches of the Cloaca, popularly known as 'the poo machine', which made Delvoye's name 25 years ago by faithfully replicating the human digestive system.
AImagine - Photography and generative images
Until 15 June 2025, Hangar, 18 Place du Châtelain, 1050 Ixelles
Who’s afraid of artificial intelligence? The artists on show at the Hangar gallery have all embraced the technology to bring us an intriguing and, at times, optimistic exploration of one of the most concerning developments of our time.
Until 12 April 2025, Galerie La Patinoire Royale Bach, Rue Veydt 15, 1060 Saint-Gilles
LED lights illuminate the fabric curves of Joana Vasconcelos’ wondrous landscapes that evoke an ethereal realm through a kaleidoscopic series of textiles.
Marcel Broodthaers: The Architect is Absent
Until 9 June 2025, CIVA, Rue de l'Ermitage 55, 1050 Ixelles
Livre Marcel Broodthaers - Le Maçon
Marcel Broodthaers’s (1924–76) was not an architect but a pioneering Belgian artist who bridged poetry and visual art, and influenced contemporary art movements, including architecture. CIVA’s exhibition examines his art and articles on architecture and urban planning, industrial design and fashion.
Music
Götterdämmerung – Richard Wagner
Until 2 March 2025, La Monnaie/De Munt, Place de la Monnaie, 1000 Brussels
Eager opera fans can rejoice as Richard Wagner’s epic Götterdämmerung will be staged at La Monnaie/De Munt in the spring. Conducted by Alain Altinoglud and directed by Pierre Audi, the opera intriguingly has more than one ending – which Wagner spent 26 years tinkering with.
Until 16 March 2025, Handelsbeurs, Twaalfmaandenstraat, 2000 Antwerpen
A swirling sound and light spectacle taking place in the beautifully restored Handelsbeurs, the world's first purpose-built commodity exchange. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons plays out over 30 minutes as stunning visuals are projected on the walls and ceiling.
20-30 March 2025, various locations in Brussels
An annual international festival focusing on classical, contemporary, and avant-garde music, Klara includes orchestral performances, chamber music, opera and multimedia projects. This 20th anniversary edition, themed We Are Now, has a diverse lineup that includes Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja, the Belgian National Orchestra, the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
I Grotteschi - Claudio Monteverdi
11 April-3 May 2025, La Monnaie/De Munt, Place de la Monnaie, 1000 Brussels
Baroque music returned to La Monnaie/De Munt with I Grotteschi, a new creation based on the three surviving operas by Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643). These are L’Orfeo (1607), Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria (1639–40), and L’incoronazione di Poppea (1642), presented over the course of two evenings.
Until 2 March 2025, Stadsschouwburg Antwerp
The world’s most popular musical, with some 130 million people seeing it, The Phantom of the Opera is being performed over a month at Antwerp’s Stadsschouwburg. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production, based on Gaston Leroux’s novel Le Fantôme de L’Opéra, tells the tale of a supposed musical genius who haunts the Paris Opera House.
13-23 March 2025, venues across Leuven
Leuven's annual jazz jamboree showcases a diverse lineup of international and local artists in venues across the city. With concerts, jam sessions, and workshops, the festival creates a dynamic and immersive experience for jazz enthusiasts of all ages.
14-15 March 2025, Sportpaleis, Schijnpoortweg 119, 2170 Antwerp
Oscar and the Wolf – the moniker of Belgian solo artist Max Colombie – is now one of Belgium’s most bankable musicians, known for his dreamy melodies, danceable beats and spectacular visuals.
26 March 2025, Sportpaleis, Schijnpoortweg 119, 2170 Antwerp
Lenny Kravitz, who is 60 but definitely does not look his age, will be strutting across the stage in his leather pants, rocking out his greatest hits as well as songs from his new album, Blue Electric Light.
15 April 2025, Queen Elisabeth Hall, Koningin Astridplein 20/26, 2018 Antwerp
Six-time Grammy winner Dionne Warwick sings through her 60-year career at Antwerp’s Queen Elisabeth Hall with an evening full of stories, anecdotes and her hits like I Say a Little Prayer, Walk On By, What The World Needs Now and Don’t Make Me Over.
Pop culture
Until 9 March 2025, various locations in Brussels
The Brussels International Animation Film Festival, or Anima, held mainly at Flagey and Marni will show more than 150 films spread over more than 100 screenings for festival-goers young and old.
Until 9 March 2025, Brussels Expo, Palace 2, Place de Belgique 1, 1020 Laeken
Spend a day living like one of the beloved blue creatures at Brussels Expo: with cutting-edge technology and impressive visual effects, visitors of all ages can enter the magical world of the Smurfs, concoct magic potions with Papa Smurf, take part in fun, interactive challenges and defeat the evil wizard Gargamel.
7-9 March 2025, Brussels Expo, Place de Belgique 1, 1020 Laeken
A festival for fans of manga, anime, video games, YouTubers and cosplay – as well as Asian fast food like onigiri and mochis. Guests include French cosplayer Aokiji, YouTuber Alex San and Dragon Ball animator Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru.
From 12 March 2025, Brussels Expo, Palace 1, Avenue impératice Charlotte, 1020 Laeken
Want to swim with Nemo, cook with Remy the rat or blast into infinity and beyond with Buzz Lightyear? Then the Mundo Pixar Experience is for you: an immersive exhibition that recreates life-size scenes from these animation classics.
5-6 April 2025, Flanders Expo, Ghent
A celebration of comics, manga, cosplay, gaming, films, series, sci-fi and fantasy, bringing thousands of geeks to the vast Flanders Expo exhibition centre, many dressing up as their favourite characters. Special guests include Natalie Dormer, Jason Priestley and Andrew McCarthy.
8-20 April 2025, Brussels Expo, Palace 10, Place de Belgique 1, 1020 Laeken
The Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF) will screen over 100 features and shorts from horror, sci-fi, mystery and other fantasy genres, with guests, debates and exhibitions promised.
Science
Here we are! Women in Design 1900 - Today
Until 9 March 2025, Design Museum, Place de Belgique 1, 1020 Laeken
Despite making crucial contributions to the development of modern design, women in the industry have often been overlooked. This exhibition seeks to change this, however, by putting 80 women designers in the spotlight and telling their story and their struggle for equal rights and appreciation through 120 years of design history.
Until 9 March 2025, Europa Expo, Liège Guillemins station, 2 Place des Guillemins 4000 Liège
An exhibition honouring the history of aeronautical and space conquest, and tracing key moments through Lego sculptures. This is a playful and intergenerational approach that looks through three themes: the exploration of the solar system, the lunar conquest and the space universe through our imagination.
Until 31 August 2025, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, 1000 Brussels
Combining the natural sciences with philosophy, anthropology and poetry, this insightful exhibition explores the concept of ‘wild’ and will awaken your curiosity and critical thinking. Visitors can learn more about Belgian wildlife, the history of the domestication of wolves and various other animals and enjoy films, scientific collections and more.
History
Under-Ground: The Revealed Palace
Until March 2, 2025, Coudenberg Palace, Place des Palais 7, 1000 Brussels
Credit: Belga / Timon Ramboer
An exhibition recounting the story of the now-subterranean Coudenberg Palace, which was engulfed in flames overnight in Brussels on 3 February 1731. For 40 years it remained in ruins and was later hidden under Place Royale. Visitors can rediscover the palace’s extensive remains, uncovered by urban archaeology.
Terracotta Army and the First Emperor of China in Brussels
Until 9 March 2025, Tour & Taxis, Avenue du Port 86C, 1000 Brussels
The exhibition of the 'Terracotta Warriors and Horses', a collection of sculptures depicting the armies of the first Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang, in Brussels, Monday 19 November 2012. Credit: Belga / Benoit Doppagne
Travel back in time to ancient China with this immersive exhibition on one of the world’s greatest archaeological treasures: the Terracotta Army. A reconstruction of over 300 detailed replicas of statues, chariots, weapons and objects from the First Emperor's necropolis, offering a glimpse into daily, military and imperial life over 2,200 years ago.
Eternal Spring, Gardens and Tapestries in the Renaissance
Until 16 March 2025, Museum Hof van Busleyden, Frederik de Merodestraat 65, 2800 Mechelen
Museum Hof van Busleyden in Mechelen is showcasing an array of majestic 16th century Flemish tapestries which form an allegorical luscious Renaissance garden. By using precious materials such as gold and silk and unparalleled knowledge and skill, the artists capture nature in their woven works to create an eternal spring. The exhibition also features paintings, sculptures and books from art collector Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle.
Restoration of the Ghent Altarpiece
Until 1 March 2026, Museum of Fine Arts Ghent (MSK), Fernand Scribedreef 1, 9000 Ghent
The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb – the Ghent Altarpiece – is arguably the most important painting in the world. Completed in 1432 by the Van Eyck brothers, it displayed a mastery of colour and detail in the newly-developed oil painting that is still breathtaking. Seven panels are being restored in the MSK, and visitors can see the restorers of the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK) live at work, in the studio behind glass.
Until 11 May 2025, Train World, Princess Elisabeth Square 5, 1030 Schaerbeek
Some of Belgium’s greatest artists of the past century have been brought trains into their work. This exhibition at Train World will feature rail-inspired works by Paul Delvaux, Franquin, François Schuiten and many others – including original drawings by Victor Horta relating to his work on the Brussels-Central station, and carriaged from the 1930s designed by Henry van de Velde.
Literature
La Foire du Livre de Bruxelles
13-16 March 2025, Tour & Taxis, Avenue du Port 86C, 1000 Brussels
Visitors at the first day of the 'Foire du Livre de Bruxelles' in 2020. Credit: Belga / Loan Silvestre
La Foire du Livre, the Brussels book fair, gathers publishers, editors and authors from French-speaking countries and regions to sell copies, sign books and debate literature.
28-30 March 2025, venues across the city
Passa Porta 2017. Credit: Titanne Bregenzer
The Passa Porta Festival’s tenth edition, entitled Ghosts, will bring together authors, musicians, artists and actors at venues like Ancienne Belgique La Bellone, Beursschouwburg, De Munt/La Monnaie, and Théâtre National. Guests include Nobel Prize winner Annie Ernaux, British historian Timothy Garton Ash, Ukrainian writer Oksana Zabuzhko, Pakistani writer Mohsin Hamid, Dutch philosopher Connie Palmen, Mexican novelist Guadalupe Nettel and Korean novelist Sang Young Park.
Sport
Tour of Flanders /We Ride Flanders
5-6 April 2025, Flanders
The Tour of Flanders. Credit: Pixabay
Widely recognised as the world’s premier one-day cycle race, the Tour of Flanders starts in the Bruges Grote Markt and covers some 242km across the Flemish Ardennes and steep hills like the epic Geraardsbergen, before finishing in Oudenaarde.
The race is on Sunday, April 6, but would-be Remco Evenepoels can try out the race the day before in the We Ride Flanders festival, with the full version and shorter distances (80 km, 144 km, 177 km) that start and finish in Oudenaarde.
25 May 2025, Brussels
Credit: 20 km of Brussels
An epic run around the capital, starting and finishing in the Cinquantenaire Park, and pounding down Rue de la Loi, past the Royal Palace, up Rue Royale and Avenue Louise, through the Bois de la Cambre, along Ave Franklin Roosevelt and the leafy Boulevard du Souverain before the gruelling climb up Avenue de Tervuren. It may be a long way ahead, but many people need time to plan their training – and sign up for the race, which sells out quickly.
