The January blues are no doubt hitting hard for many of you, and you probably want to do nothing but curl up at home and get cosy in front of the TV. But we're halfway there! And why not celebrate by braving the Belgian weather and getting out and about in Brussels this weekend?
From the iconic jazz festival and a poetry-percussion showcase to puppetry and stand-up comedy, there is something for everyone. Find all our top picks below!
The sound of music
Brussels Jazz Festival, Flagey, from 15 to 24 January
For its eleventh edition, Flagey is once again pulling out all the stops with an innovative jazz programme featuring young European and international talent. Over ten days, jazz will bring the cultural centre alive in all its facets, with Tunisian pianist Wajdi Riahi as this year's artist-in-residence.
Yazz Ahmed at the Brussels Jazz Festival in 2019. Credit: Flickr
The festival will also feature Chicago/Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist, composer, activist and educator Isaiah Collier, the Leeds-based Mu Quintet, jazz drummer Tom Skinner, and Brussels-based trombone player Nabou Claerhout.
Find more information here.
Poetry Meets Percussion, Bozar, Thursday 15 January
'Poetry meets Percussion' is a musical-literary evening dedicated to the interplay between three percussionists and three writers: Sihame Haddioui in French, Vieze Meisje in Dutch, and Loucka E. Fiagan in English.
Vieze Meisje. Credit: Fleur De Roeck
All three writers will offer audience members concise, dryly comic, and sharp verses set to percussion. Their lyrics are deeply rooted in metropolitan life and cast a keen eye on the absurdity of the everyday, without losing sight of larger, damaging systems – such as the all-consuming productivity drive and racism.
Find more information here.
Belgian National Orchestra, André de Ridder & Colin Currie, Bozar, Thursday 15 January
Percussion is also taking centre stage at the National Orchestra's concert, with two percussion concertos this Thursday. Under the baton of André de Ridder, Colin Currie will perform Julia Wolfe's 'Body Language' and Louis Andriessen's 'Tapdance', moving between marimba, timpani, clapping, and a variety of other instruments, offering a fresh perspective on the symphony orchestra.
Credit: Marin D / Belgian National Orchestra
Arvo Pärt's 'Fratres' creates a meditative dialogue between strings and percussion, marked by simplicity and introspection. For a spectacular finale, the full orchestra will come together for the 'Catfish Row suite' – featuring themes from Gershwin's iconic opera 'Porgy and Bess' – to deliver one of the finest fusions of jazz and classical music.
Find more information here.
'Hey Jude: Concertini de La Monnaie', Centre Culturel d'Uccle, Sunday 18 January
Soloists from the La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra are putting on the third of four impressive concerts this Sunday, bridging a wide variety of musical genres, from classical to pop rock, and offering a unique musical experience.
Credit: Vincent Dankaerts
The eclectic programme includes Michael Praetorius' 'Suite de Danses', Claude Debussy's 'La Fille aux cheveux de lin' and 'Trois Chansons de Charles d’Orléans', Samuel Barber's 'Adagio for Strings', Eduardo Alonso-Crespo's 'Tres Milongas', George Gershwin's 'A portrait', and John Lennon and Paul McCartney's timeless and universal 'Hey Jude'.
Find more information here.
In the spotlights
'The Three Musketeers', Théâtre Royal de Toone, from 15 January to 31 January
Just a stone's throw away from Grand Place, the Théâtre Royal de Toone is the only traditional puppet theatre still operating in Brussels. It was awarded the European Heritage Label in 2024 in recognition of its significant role in European history and culture. The rod puppet poechenelles represent "four centuries of folk tradition" and "an art that promotes fundamental values such as education for all, freedom of expression, social cohesion and links between generations."
The Théâtre de Toone. Credit: Belga
This month, the theatre is staging an entertaining production of Alexandre Dumas' iconic 'Les Trois Mousquetaires' ('The Three Musketeers'), an action-packed tale with fierce duels, romance and lots of laughs.
Find more information here.
Top Shelf Comedy, Commons Hub, Saturday 17 January
Beat the January blues with a good laugh! Some of the sharpest and funniest stand-up comics in Brussels and beyond will once again be taking to the stage this Saturday, promising a great night out. From fresh takes to laugh-out-loud stories, each act brings something unique to the table.
Saturday night's show will feature American headliner Erin Crouch, Spanish comedian Dani Mora as feature, and a handful of supporting acts from all over the world. All the acts are delivered in English.
Find more information here.
