This weekend, there is an abundance of unique and community-oriented festivals happening in the capital. Whether you are looking for unexpected performances or want to explore renovations across Brussels through a range of activities, there is something for everyone in Brussels in the coming days.
Arts, music and culture
Karreveld Classic Festival, Château du Karreveld, until Sunday 8 October
Set at one of the most romantic locations in Brussels, Château du Karreveld, this festival offers an unmissable series of events bringing together professional chamber music ensembles of the new generation.
Credit: Karreveld Classic Festival
Expect a blend of classical music and theatre presenting the work of Franz Schubert, an exceptional encounter between three leading Francophone music groups and a concert spanning the history of music, from Haydn to the contemporaries.
Find more information here.
Festival FrancoFaune, various locations in Brussels and Wallonia, until 18 October
FrancoFaune shines a spotlight on the diversity and originality of the French-language scene, providing carte blanche for established artists and a stage for up-and-coming musical talents through 50 concerts in 20 venues across Brussels and Wallonia.
Credit: FrancoFaune
What do all acts have in common? The French language. Whether Belgian, French, Swiss or Canadian, this event provides a unique opportunity for Francophone music to reinvent itself.
Find more information here.
Alternative festivals
In.out.sider Festival, LaVallée, until Sunday 8 October
After a successful first edition, this quirky festival promotes diversity through an eclectic and inclusive programme with experimental live performances, and hybrid sets with unknown sounds – far from the classic mainstream line-ups.
Credit: In.out.sider Festival
In addition to a distinctly unique musical programme, the festival also offers film screenings followed by discussions in the presence of directors, an exhibition and workshops.
Find more information here.
Beliris Festival, various locations in Brussels, Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 October
To mark the 30th anniversary of Beliris, responsible for a range of construction projects, a series of activities will put the key urban projects carried out by this joint venture in the spotlight, focusing on six zones across the capital.
Credit: Beliris
From a football tournament and a beginners Latin dance class at the Allée du Kaai-park to a concert swimming pool in Ixelles, this festival offers something for everyone.
Find more information here.
Out and about
TraverSons, various locations across Brussels, until Saturday 7 October
The 'TraverSons Bruxelles' or 'Sound Walking' festival offers an auditory and spatial immersion that takes you to different districts of Brussels – Schaerbeek, Saint-Josse-ten-Node, Anderlecht, Brussels-City and Laeken – through the lives and stories of the inhabitants.
Credit: TraverSons
For the event's second edition, the floor will be given to people who have undergone a migratory journey, from the experiences of refugees to people in the LGBTQ+ community. These walks can be enjoyed either on your own (by picking up the walk maps) or in a group, by signing up for the group walks (free but registration is needed).
Find more information here.
ARBR'EMOTIONS, various locations in Ixelles, until Monday 16 October
This unique, playful and artistic event focuses on trees and reconnecting with nature, questioning people's relationships with trees and how they protect us.
Credit: Commune d'Ixelles
There are a wide range of events on the programme, including a conference and debate with Ernst Zürcher, a leading forestry engineer and doctor of natural sciences, a Shinrin Yoku walk (Japanese term for sylvotherapy or 'forest bathing'), and various workshops (such as seed planting and tatakizome or plant printing).
Find more information here.
