The much-loved Bright Festival is returning to the capital this week. Find out what to expect here.
Brussels will (literally) be in the spotlight again from Thursday 13 to Sunday 16 February when the Bright Festival returns to its streets and squares. This was confirmed by visit.brussels, the regional tourist agency which organises the event.
"This year, you can follow two routes: the Royal and the European route," said spokesperson Jeroen Roppe. Across both routes, around 20 artistic light installations by light artists from Belgium and beyond will be set up at iconic locations.
Bright Brussels Festival 2023. Credit: visit.brussels / Mathieu Golinvaux
"These provide a pleasant glow of light in the heart of the winter," Roppe noted. "No better time for an evening stroll through Brussels." Last year, the event attracted half a million visitors.
What to expect?
On the Royal route, at the iconic Place des Palais near Mont des Arts, spectators will find a live performance that explores all facets of the theme of seduction, created by design students of the Brussels-based LUCA School of Arts with the help of Brussels' Alhambra neighbourhood. The work aims to connect the neighbourhood to its residents, while playfully responding to themes in other neighbourhoods.
In Parc de Bruxelles by the Kiosk Radio stand, plants will be lit up to bridge the boundaries between art and science. In the same park, a tornado will transform the historic fountain.
The imposing St. Michael & St. Gudula Cathedral, near Central Station, will be turned into an animated Garden of Eden, inspired by French painter Alain Thomas and his frescoes on the theme of biodiversity. This project pays tribute to the pair of peregrine falcons which have been nesting atop one of the towers for almost 20 years.
Light projections on the Arcades du Cinquantenaire. Credit: Belga / Timon Ramboer
Over in the European Quarter, the House of European History will become a living canvas in a video mapping work highlighting the richness and heritage of European visual art. At the Bright Market in Parc du Cinquantenaire, visitors can have their lighting repaired for free, or shop for vintage lamps.
Visitors can also enjoy a series of special activities along the way, including a light parade. Museum activities and guided tours will also be organised. Besides the new installations and the extensive range of activities, there is also a Kidszone in Parc de Bruxelles for families.
