With July coming to an end and August kicking off, we are officially halfway through the summer holidays. To mark the occasion, here are some of our recommendations of what you could be doing this weekend.
Music to my ears
See U x Forestière, Ixelles, Saturday 30 July
See U, the largest temporary occupation in Belgium of a unique historical site (the former Fritz Toussaint barracks in Ixelles) has a real treat in store for Brussels on Saturday. From 15:30, the old barracks will be the stage for various local musicians, from Tidji to LeBlanc.
Credit: See U
Aside from the stellar lineup, jam sessions will be organised throughout the day. Once the sun goes down, the final screening by Le Biais Vert as part of its web series called "Nos futurs" will will turn the venue into an open-air cinema, followed by a showing of the documentary Koyaanisqatsi, which highlights how humanity has grown apart from nature.
All events are free, no reservation required.
Arts and culture
Carol of the Bells — Ukraine Charity Aid Marathon, Cinema Aventure Brussels, Friday 29 August
Cinema Aventure will be screening the Ukrainian film Carol of the Bells, inspired by the eponymous song, which is considered to be the most scintillating and enlightening of all Christmas songs, adapted from a popular Ukrainian folk melody.
The film tells the tale of a Polish, Ukrainian and Jewish family who share a large house and together host musical evenings and enjoy the merriment in the city of Stanislav in the years preceding and post-war. This scene is shattered by invaders: first Nazi forces and then the Soviet occupation of Ukraine.
The screening is part of the cinema's project «CinemAid Ukraine Charity Film Marathon» which started on 20 March this year. Funds from the screening will go to humanitarian and financial aid for Ukraine. Buy your ticket here.
Horst Exhibition Closing, Vilvoorde, Saturday 30 July
"The Act of Breathing" – Horst's exhibition – will draw its last breath on Saturday, meaning it is your last chance to catch it. It consists of ten in-situ artworks engaging with the architectural and symbolic character of the Asiat military base, where the festival is located.
The closing will be organised in true Horst fashion, accompanied by various top-drawer electronic music acts, from Danilo Plessow and DTM Funk to Nedda Sou, & Bona Léa. Tickets are on sale here and include free access to the different guided tours during the Open Air, which start nearby the entrance of Asiat Park at various hours.
Keep moving
Time to discover the city in a new way: on two wheels. Throughout the summer, Brussels Mobility is publishing a new cycling route in the Brussels region every week.
This week's route, "Pedal along the Canal," is 18 km long and takes you around Anderlecht, past the Erasmushospital, along the Flemish border, ending at the open-air swimming pool FLOW, where you can cool off. Find the route here.
Further afield
Dinant Jazz Festival, various locations across the city, Thursday 28 - Sunday 31 July
The Dinant Jazz Festival is held in the heart of Dinant, the birthplace of the saxophone — the instrument was created here by Antoine-Joseph "Adolphe" Sax, a Belgian inventor and musician, in the early 1840s — and this year, it will take place in a particularly unique location: the Abbey of Leffe and the Collégiale in the nearby Ciney, where the festival was born.
Dinant Jazz Orchestra. Credit: Dinant Jazz Festival
This year, it will be celebrating its 20th edition, with two special performances by American multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Marcus Miller, who is best known for his work as a bassist. The line-up also includes Viktor Lazlo, a French-Belgian singer of Grenadian and Martiniquan descent, as well as young, emerging talents. Get your ticket here.
