The Brussels Times Magazine selects the best current and upcoming events and exhibitions.
ART & DESIGN
Christopher Kulendran Thomas - 'Safe Zone'
WIELS, Avenue Van Volxem 354, 1190 Forest
Until January 5, 2025
‘Safe Zone’ presents a series of paintings and a 24-screen video installation, created using AI technologies. The Tamil artist’s paintings depict the colonial art history brought to Sri Lanka by European settlers.
Hosting
Centrale, Place Saint-Catherine 45, 1000 Brussels
Until February 9, 2025
‘Hosting’ celebrates the diverse artistic scene in Brussels for which the curators called for submissions of all generations and disciplines in the visual arts. All proceeds of the works presented go to the artists.
Emotion Air exhibition
Balloon Museum, Avenue Impératrice Charlotte 6, 1020 Laeken
Until January 26, 2025
This exhibition focuses on inflatable art and invites visitors to reconsider the traditional concept of artistic form. From monumental installations that rise majestically in the exhibition space to more intimate pieces, some 20 artists explore the extraordinary medium with works related to specific emotions, from fear and frustration to joy and ecstasy.
Balloon World Adventure
Place Charles Rogier, 1000 Brussels
Until January 31, 2025
Designed by Dutch artist Guido Verhoef, this immersive experience features striking replicas of iconic monuments from around the world, including the Eiffel Tower, the Sphinx of Giza, the Statue of Liberty and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, all made from more than 500,000 balloons.
Women Designers in Belgium
Design Museum, Place de Belgique 1, 1020 Laeken
Until March 9, 2025
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 struggle for equal rights and appreciation through 120 years of design history.
Art3f
Brussels Expo, Place de Belgique 1, 1020 Laeken
November 22 - 24, 2024
This contemporary art fair exhibits all over Europe – and this November it’s Brussels’ time to shine. Art enthusiasts and collectors can meet with painters, sculptors and photographers directly and understand more about how they work and discover new talent as well as established artists and prestigious works.
Echoes of Art Deco: A journey through light and sound in the 1920-30s
Boghossian Foundation, Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 67, 1050 Ixelles
Until May 25, 2025
The Boghossian Foundation is presenting a thematic exhibition to celebrate 100 years of the Art Deco movement in Brussels. The immersive exhibition invites visitors to explore the iconic architecture of the Villa Empain, as well as drawings, ceramics, woodwork, ironwork and stylistic stained-glass art, with an exceptional collection of 25 original pieces.
Art Antwerp
Antwerp Expo, Jan van Rijswijcklaan 191, 2020 Antwerp
December 12 - 15, 2024
Organised by Art Brussels, the Flemish version of this contemporary art fair is returning for its fourth edition. More than 65 participating galleries from 11 countries will be present, showcasing established artists, fostering emerging talents, and facilitating dynamic exchanges between artists, collectors, gallerists, and art enthusiasts.
Eternal Spring. Gardens and Tapestries in the Renaissance
Museum Hof van Busleyden, Frederik de Merodestraat 65, 2800 Mechelen
December 14, 2024 - March 16, 2025
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.
BRAFA Art Fair
Brussels Expo, Place de Belgique 1, 1020 Laeken
January 26 - February 2, 2025
Recognised as one of Europe's most prestigious art fairs, BRAFA puts Belgium at the centre of the fine art map. The fair welcomes art collectors, gallery owners and art enthusiasts, with thousands of works spanning all different styles and periods presented by a host of internationally renowned galleries.
Brussels Affordable Art Fair
Tour & Taxis, Avenue du Port 86C, 1000 Brussels
February 5 - 9, 2025
The Affordable Art Fair will be back in Brussels for its 16th edition next February, with a wide range of contemporary artworks from an array of Belgian and international galleries. The week will be filled with thousands of affordable contemporary artworks, installations and interactive workshops – with something for every taste and budget!
Bright Festival
Various locations in Brussels
February 13 - 16, 2025
One of the unmissable tourist events in the region, Bright Festival will be back in 2025, lighting up some of the capital's most iconic spots and bringing some joy to the post-Christmas lull of February. Residents and visitors alike can stroll through the city and marvel at the original artistic light installations.
MUSIC
Ars Musica
Maison du Peuple, Parvis de Saint-Gilles 37, 1060 Saint-Gilles
Until December 3, 2024
Founded in Brussels in 1989, Ars Musica is an international biennial festival which explores the world of contemporary music. ‘Urban Nature’ is this edition’s central theme, focusing on nature, landscapes and plants as an inspiration for today's musical creation. Composer and guitarist Bryce Dessner of the group The National is the guest of honour.
Music Chapel Festival
Flagey cultural centre, Place Sainte-Croix, 1050 Ixelles
December 4 - 7, 2024
The 15th edition of the Music Chapel Festival will take spectators on a journey to Italy, with opera arias, chamber music, symphonic compositions and more. Highlights include an evening of Vivaldi, a rendition of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of The Animals, and the closing concert featuring Respighi’s Pini di Roma and Berlioz’s Harold in Italy.
Brussels Jazz Festival Flagey
Flagey cultural centre, Place Sainte-Croix, 1050 Ixelles
January 9 - 18, 2025
A highlight of the Brussels jazz calendar, Flagey’s beloved festival will return for its tenth edition in January. With a packed programme of innovative jazz, young European and international talent, a collaboration with the London-based Jazz re:freshed, and three projects from artist-in-residence Bram De Looze, this edition is not one to miss.
Götterdämmerung – Richard Wagner
La Monnaie/De Munt, Place de la Monnaie, 1000 Brussels
February 4 - March 2, 2025
Eager opera fans can rejoice as Richard Wagner’s epic Götterdämmerung will be staged 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.
Coudenberg Sound Box Fest
Coudenberg Palace, Place des Palais 7, 1000 Brussels
November 24 - December 15, 2024
Much more than a classical music festival, Coudenberg Sound Box Fest offers audiences double concerts across four Sunday evenings, in the archaeological site of the Coudenberg Palace. The aim is to reconnect audiences to Belgium's archaeological, historical and artistic heritage, while introducing them to French Baroque jewels on early instruments and timeless classics such as Bach's Goldberg Variations and Satie's Gymnopédies.
FILM & THEATRE
Bruxelles sur Scènes
Various locations in Brussels
Until November 30, 2024
Explore 13 of the capital's most unusual venues, cafés-théâtres, during the eighth edition of this eclectic festival. Bruxelles sur Scènes invites lovers of the arts and people less familiar with theatre to explore a rich mix of music, comedy and conviviality, with over 100 performances by established artists and emerging talents throughout November.
CinemaMed Film Festival
Various locations in Brussels
November 28 - December 6, 2024
CinemaMed will celebrate its 24th edition at the end of this year, once again putting Mediterranean stories and issues in the spotlight. Each year, the festival screens around 60 new dramas and documentaries from countries around the Mediterranean Sea. Insightful meetings and debates are also organised after each screening.
SCIENCE
Day of Science
Meise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise
November 24, 2024
Flora and fauna fans are in luck: Meise Botanic Garden is laying on a packed programme for this year’s Day of Science. Curious scientists of all ages can come and taste different types of coffee and bananas, tap into a tree and discover all sorts of unusual plant species and animals, from flatworms to clawed frogs.
CurieuCity
Marolles
November 29 - December 1, 2024
For its third and final edition of the year, CurieuCity is returning to Brussels’ Marolles neighbourhood. This free festival, which combines science with art, brings the whole family together with exhibitions, workshops and discussions on space, mathematics, mechanics, chemistry, physics and more.
SAUVAGE?
Royal Belgian institute of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, 1000 Brussels
Until August 31, 2025
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 & CULTURE
Prison. Champ I Hors-champ - Exposition collective
Centre culturel Jacques Franck, Chaussée de Waterloo 94, 1060 Saint-Gilles
Haren Prison. Credit: Belga
Until December 8, 2024
An exhibition bringing together artists and inmates who provide intimate and critical views of the realities of life in and around Haren and Forest prisons.
Terracotta Army and the first Emperor of China in Brussels
Tour & Taxis, Avenue du Port 86C, 1000 Brussels
Credit: Belga
Until February 2, 2025
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.
The Legend of Napoleon in Lego bricks
Domain of the Battle of Waterloo 1815 Battlefield, Route du Lion 1815, 1420 Braine l’Alleud
The official opening of the new exhibition: "The legend of Napoleon in LEGO bricks". Credit: Belga
Until January 5, 2025
The Waterloo Domaine is collaborating with Lego to showcase some 40 displays that explain the battle – and offering a unique retrospective of Napoleon’s life, from his birthplace in Ajaccio to the vast plains of Austerlitz, passing through Egyptian deserts to his final defeat in the fields south of Brussels.
Under-Ground: the Revealed Palace
Coudenberg Palace, Place des Palais 7, 1000 Brussels
Credit: Belga
Until March 2, 2025
An exhibition recounting the story of the now subterranean Coudenberg Palace, which was engulfed in flames overnight in Brussels on February 3, 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.
The Smurf Experience
Brussels Expo, Place de Belgique 1, 1020 Laeken
Until January 5, 2025
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.
Plaisirs d’Hiver
Various locations in Brussels
November 29, 2024 - January 5, 2025
Winter Wonders (Plaisirs d’Hiver/Winterpret) will once again adorn the city centre of Brussels this festive season, with the traditional Ferris wheel, merry-go-rounds, ice-skating and over 200 chalet stalls of handmade crafts, piping hot dishes and mulled wine. The festivities will kick off in mid-November with the arrival of the iconic Christmas tree on Grand Place.
Brussels Christmas Circus
December 19, 2024 - January 5, 2025
Alexandre Bouglione’s large, colourful circus tent is making a return to Ixelles’ Place Flagey this Christmas with a brand-new show. The programme features international illusionists, acrobats, trapeze artists and clowns. The mesmerising performances on the programme are sure to dazzle spectators of all ages.
Maserati 110 Years
Autoworld, Parc du Cinquantenaire 11, 1000 Brussels
December 19, 2024 - February 23, 2025
The Italian luxury vehicle manufacturer Maserati is marking its 110th birthday, and Autoworld in Brussels is celebrating in style. Over a century of the brand’s fascinating history will be exhibited at the museum and it promises to be the perfect day out for all car lovers.
