With a sharp drop in temperatures, blankets of snow, festive lights and Christmas markets aplenty, Winter has well and truly arrived in Belgium.
No need to worry if you don't fancy braving the outdoors though: there are still many cosy, indoor activities to choose from in Brussels this weekend, from jazz concerts and Mediterranean film festivals to acrobatics and exhibitions.
Arts, music and culture
Frank Zappa festival, Bozar, Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 December
This weekend, the Bozar Centre for Fine Arts is presenting a two-day programme of talks, concerts, films and an exhibition to mark the 30th anniversary of American musician and composer Frank Zappa's death.
In 1970 the eccentric rock musician gave a concert with The Mothers of Invention at Bozar. The famous music photographer Herman Selleslags took a number of legendary shots that evening, which can now be viewed alongside those of concert photographer Jean-Luc Tanghe at a small exhibition in Bozar's Fumoirs.
Credit: Bozar
Film director Alex Winter also pays tribute to the artist with his documentary 'Zappa', created using an array of archive material and filmed over six years. There will also be a panel discussion after the documentary screening about Zappa's unique life.
Find more information here.
River Jazz Festival, various locations in Brussels, until Saturday 9 December
River Jazz Festival is once again taking centre stage in the Belgian capital this month, with 17 concerts spread across three venues and offering the very best of contemporary jazz.
Easy Swing's 'Swing Party' will kick off the event at The Jazz Station in Saint-Josse on Friday, transporting people back to the heart of Harlem in the 1920s and 1940s. Lara Rosseel's quintet will also be performing on Friday at Le Senghor in Etterbeek. The double bassist took the Belgian jazz scene by storm in 2020, combining cinematic jazz with traditional African roots.
On Saturday, pianist and singer Grégory Privat will be performing with Chris Jennings and Tilo Bertholo, the trio blending drawing on Privat's Afro-Caribbean influences.
Find more information here.
'The Burn of Awakening' art exhibition, Galerie Templon, until 23 December
Belgian artist Antoine Roegiers' dystopian exhibition 'The Burn of Awakening' (La Brûlure de l'Éveil) conjures up poetic, dreamlike, sometimes even humorous universes. Over a dozen oils on canvas plunge visitors into an almost apocalyptic world, offering food for thought about today's world.
Credit: Isabella Vivian / The Brussels Times
Roaring wildfires reflecting the climate emergency set the sky ablaze above desolate landscapes studded with skeletons who are tirelessly gathering masks abandoned by reckless humans, symbolising the appearance-driven world that humans have created.
Find more information here.
Out and about
'Dans ton cœur', Halles de Schaerbeek, until Sunday 3 December
In 'Dans ton cœur', director Pierre Guillois explores a couple's everyday life and ordinary situations which get out of hand, giving rise to crazy acrobatics. The talented 12 acrobats and musicians of Akoreacro interweave familiar gestures with the most incredible pirouettes. As chaos prevails, bodies soar gracefully in this acrobatic and musical extravaganza.
Credit: Dans ton cœur
After Saturday's show, the Akoreacro artists will also put on a festive concert with percussion, piano, violin, double bass and saxophone, beatboxing and backing vocals. The bar and food truck will also be open all night.
Find more information here.
Colonial pavilions exhibition, Design Museum Brussels, until Friday 8 December
The non-profit Laeken Découverte is taking visitors back in time this weekend to the colonial pavilions of Congo and Ruanda-Urundi presented to the public at the 1935 and 1958 Brussels World Fairs. The exhibition aims to uncover how they served Belgian colonial propaganda and the place of Africans at these large popular gatherings.
Credit: Visit Brussels / City of Brussels
From architecture to representations conveyed by colonial Belgium leading up to Congolese independence, this exhibition provides the perfect opportunity to learn more about Belgium's 'colonial culture' that has endured to the present day.
Find more information here.
'Cinema Med', various locations in Brussels, until Friday 8 December
The Brussels Mediterranean Film Festival 'Cinema Med' invites viewers to discover the best films from the countries around the Mediterranean Sea, promoting multiculturalism through various key themes. This year's 23rd edition will take place in several arthouse cinemas and cultural centres across the capital, including Cinéma Palace, Cinéma Aventure and Bozar.
'Io Capitano'. Credit: Cinema Med
The festival will screen a selection of films and documentaries reflecting on the social and cultural realities of Mediterranean countries. People will be able to exchange directly with filmmakers and various speakers during the screenings and debates.
The festival kicks off with a screening of the beautiful Italian 'Io Capitano' on Friday evening at Palace, which tells the moving story of two young Senegalese men who leave Dakar to undertake a perilous journey to Europe; a particularly pertinent issue in today's climate and certainly not one to miss.
Find more information here.
