Brussels is celebrating World Music Day, or rather the Fête de la Musique, this week – with free concerts taking place across the capital's municipalities.
This year marks the event's 39th edition, having first been organised in 1985 with the aim of making music more accessible to the masses, especially for those unable to afford concert tickets.
The Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Belgium's Francophone body, had taken inspiration from France, which first celebrated its fête on 21 June 1982. The date stuck and has been used ever since, with Brussels and Wallonia following suit in organising free concerts and music events.
The capital, in particular, will be serenaded by the sound of music from 21 to 25 June, with The Brussels Times providing a rundown of the best places to be during these dates.
Friday
City of Brussels is organising a huge free concert at Cinquantenaire Park over two days with various stages. French reggae superstars Dub Inc, and Italian post-punk band Ada Oda are among the highlights on Friday, but many more are scheduled to perform.
Molenbeek's cultural scene has once again proved itself to be one of Brussels' strongest for the fête's 39th edition. The art centre L'Abeille Blanche will be holding concerts, events and workshops from 12:45 onwards. For those fond of electronic music, LaVallée is organising DJ sets from 18:00 onwards.
Saint-Gilles' municipality hall is also hosting an eclectic mix of free concerts showcasing the local talent in a picturesque setting.
Forest's BRASS cultural centre has invited the Swiss record label Bongo Joe Records to put on free gigs and DJ sets, also set to start at 18:00.
Saturday
For fans of musical theatre, the Karreveld Castlein Molenbeek is organising a live performance of West Side Story at 15:00.
However, The City of Brussels municipality does seem to be the place to be on Saturday with Cinquantenaire Park hosting the second part of a two-day event. Many different genres can be found across the stages, but highlights for Saturday include a French rap showcase with Soso Manness, ISHA x Limsa D'Aulnay, but also the nu-soul rising stars Yellowstraps and plenty of local talent.
The Château Moderne bar near the city's Mont des Arts will also be hosting open-air DJ sets from 15:00.
At around 14:00, the Saint-Gilles' municipal youth service will organise a raft of events aimed at the commune's youth at the Place Louis Morichar skate park. From skateboards and graffitis to mixing desks, the municipality's youngsters will be able to use whatever they want to express their creativity while listening to rappers perform.
Le Senghor in Etterbeek is celebrating Balkan music on Saturday, with musicians from the region performing at the bar from 15:00 into the evening.
Schaerbeek's bars will host a number of gigs across the municipality under the MUZIK1030 banner. Expect rock, pop, French music from wide array of artists from 16:00 onwards.
Finally, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert is organising a free concert at the Place Saint-Lambert which will showcase the city's upcoming rappers.
Sunday
The municipality of Uccle will celebrate Jewish music on Sunday, with concerts planned throughout the day at the Collège Saint-Pierre theatre.
Starting at 14:00, the Aumale metro station in Anderlecht will be hosting free gigs of a wide variety of genres, with both folk and electronic music to be performed in front of unsuspecting metro passengers.
An hour later at 15:00, the Sound of Marolles will be taking place, with various events and a mix of artists set to perform at Place du Jeu de Balle. This year, the neighbourhood will host a DIY approach to music, with artists using pots and pans for their performance on Sunday.
Finally, the municipality of Saint Josse will be hosting a whole day of gigs with up and coming rap artists at the mOtown concerts venue throughout the day.
