From getting busy at the bike festival in the city centre to winding down with an arthouse film in Flagey, here is The Brussels Times' exhaustive list of options to keep yourself occupied this bright weekend.
Arts, music and culture
LEGS 2025, La Raffinerie, until Saturday 29 March
New Molenbeek-based dance project 'LEGS' centres themes of collective memory through a selection of contemporary dance performances, workshops, and screenings in the Charleroi Dance centre for the French Community of Belgium La Raffinerie.
Credit: LEGS
The performances explore history and politics through engagement with the human body, hair and medieval baroque motifs. Featuring visionaries in the world of dance Denise Luccioni, Virgil Sieni and more, the event "unearths some truly beautiful pieces, ghosts, and hidden treasures." Snacks are provided at each performance. Online reservations are required.
Find more information here.
NI NI YA MOMO, Les Halles de Schaerbeek, until Saturday 29 March
Named after a beloved Moroccan lullaby, NI NI YA MOMO is a showcase choreographed and narrated by Guilhem Chatir in the renovated 19th century market of Les Halles de Schaerbeek.
Credit: NI NI YA MOMO
A nostalgic ode to his relationship with his father, Chatir performs alongside his partners Karima El Amrani and Bilal El Had to immerse the audience in sleep-like rituals. The circular stage set-up evokes the seesaw between a dreamlike state and consciousness, tracing Chatir's relationship with his Arab heritage and homeland. Reservation is required.
Find more information here.
Out and about
Passa Porta Book Festival, various locations in Brussels, until Sunday 30 March
The celebrated biannual festival organised by Brussels book shop Passa Porta is returning to the capital this week. The tenth-anniversary edition will again celebrate Brussels as a city of literature with the arrival of hundreds of writers, artists and thinkers from all over the world. This year's programme is driven by the theme 'Ghosts', with each book conjuring up the ghosts of past writers while casting its shadow into the future.
Credit: Passa Porta Festival
Our top picks are Sunday's talk by Palestinian poets Ghayath Almadhoun and Sahar Mousa, who will discuss justice, activism and writing in times of war, and will read from their poetry, and Saturday's 'Meet the author' session with English writer Jeanette Winterson who will draw parallels between ghosts and literature in a unique lecture.
Find more information here.
Red Cross second-hand sale, MIMA, until Sunday 30 March
Until this Sunday, the Red Cross' annual 'La Grande Bouquinerie' temporary bookshop will be hosted in the former iconic MIMA museum to raise funds for the charity.
Credit: Red Cross
Books of all genres will be offered at bargain prices and accompanied by a second-hand clothing market. Funds raised will support charitable initiatives including the distribution of meals to the homeless and families in need, so get stuck into some bargain hunting this weekend. Entry is free.
Find more information here.
Bicycle Festival En Roue Libre, Watermael-Boitsfort, Friday 28 and Saturday 29 March
The seventh edition of the Bicycle Festival En Roue Libre opens at Maison Haute and the Écuries de Boitsfort. There will be films, meetings, and workshops at the Delvaux space for all bike enthusiasts. There will also be bicycle mechanics, screen printing, towable games, a Bicycle Island exhibition and a quiet corner to wind down at the stables and outside.
Credit: La Roue Libre / Facebook
We recommend the Drawing Workshop and collective creation of a bicycle-themed fresco with children's writer and illustrator Ariane Pinel, and Correspondence Writing Workshop in partnership with the Human Factors Agency Encounter. The festival pass is available online and entry is free for children.
Find more information here.
Lights, camera, action!
Offscreen Film Festival, various cinemas, until Sunday 30 March
Brussels' 18th annual Offscreen Film Festival continues in three locations around the city, screening 18 avant-premieres and a plethora of international films to suit every cinephile.
Credit: Offscreen Film Festival
Cinema Nova, Cinematek and Kinograph will screen a range of independent films, cult classics, and underground worthwhile watches from around the globe "for lovers of unconventional and unusual cinema." Tickets can be booked online or in person.
Find more information here.
'Millenium Documentary Film Festival', various locations, until 6 April
Founded in 2009, 'Millenium Documentary Film Festival' returns to Brussels for its 17th edition this weekend. Praised by the likes of Ban Ki-Moon and Kristalina Georgieva, the festival aims to platform the artistic talents of filmmakers highlighting the issues and ideas of our time.
Still from 'Johatsu: Into Thin Air'. Credit: Millenium Documentary Film Festival
This years' festival was opened by Ken Loach, and the festival will host acclaimed directors Oliver Stone and Ai Weiwei as guests of honour. Tickets can be purchased online.
Find more information here.
Mid-week fun
'El villano en su rincón', Centre Culturel Jacques Franck, from Tuesday 1 to Saturday 5 April
Spanish theatre group TeatroBE is bringing a jewel of the Golden Age to the Brussels stage next week. Written by prolific playwright Lope de Vega in the early 1600s, 'El villano en su rincón' tells a tale of courage, justice and the eternal conflict between ambition and dignity. In a world where power and social class dictate the rules, a man rebels against his destiny.
The cast of 'El villano en su rincón' during rehearsals. Credit: TeatroBE
Don't speak Spanish? No worries! English surtitles will be projected above the stage for every performance. And to celebrate World Theatre Day on 27 March, TeatroBE are offering a limited discount on tickets for Wednesday 2 April.
Find more information here.
