With spring officially arriving on Saturday and the sunny weather set to continue through the weekend, The Brussels Times has crafted a list of activities to help you make the most of being out and about in the Belgian capital.
From fabulous free concerts on Mont des Arts to a New York-inspired walking tour of Ixelles, there's something for everyone this weekend in Brussels.
Art, music and culture
Mont des Musiques, Mont des Arts cultural venues, Saturday 21 March
Brussels musicians will turn Mont des Arts into 'Mont des Musiques' all day on Saturday as part of the Klarafestival, which runs from 20 to 29 March. The programme includes a host of concerts at the Musical Instruments Museumat and Bozar (including a family show by Radio Lomax featuring songs from around the world).
Credit: Mont des Musiques
At Bozar, the Belgian National Orchestra will create a collective ritual around Max Richter’s mesmerising Exiles, and harpist Margaret Hermant will close the day with a late-night session.
Find more information here.
Kinolatino Festival, Palace Cinema, from Friday 20 to Saturday 28 March
This weekend, the best of Latin American cinema is coming to Belgium, with a diverse array of films – including feature films, short films and documentaries – being shown in Brussels, Antwerp, Nivelles and Louvain-la-Neuve.
The opening ceremony will take place on Friday here in Brussels at the Palace Cinema with a screening of the film Un Poeta in the presence of cinematographer and producer Juan Sarmiento. The evening will continue with festivities at Café Novo.
Credit: Kino Latino
On Saturday, the Palace will be showing Argentinian film Vainilla, followed by Mexican drama El Diablo Fuma. On Sunday, there will be an afternoon showing of Runa Simi, a documentary about a Peruvian father and son who work to dub The Lion King into Quechua, an endangered indigenous language.
In the evening, 2024 docudrama Cuando las Nubes Esconden la Sombra will be shown in the presence of principal actress Maria Alché.
Find out more information here.
Bellezza e Bruttezza, Bozar, until 14 June
If you haven't yet been since it opened in February, it's certainly worth your time to head to the Bozar for an exhibition that is drawing visitors to Brussels from far and wide.
Bellezza e Bruttezza ('Beauty and ugliness') brings together well-known works with rarer pieces, exploring how artists from Italy and Northern Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries depicted the themes of beauty and ugliness.
Credit: Bozar
The exhibition includes paintings by artistic greats such as Botticelli, Titian, Tintoretto, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Cranach the Elder. It is a rare opportunity to see extraordinary works, some of which will appear in Belgium for the first time.
Find more information here.
Out and about
Little New York in Ixelles, Sunday 22 March
What better way to spend a sunny spring morning than on a walking tour of one of the city's most beautiful neighbourhoods?
On this fascinating walking tour of Ixelles, you will discover the legacy of American influence on the architecture and lifestyle of the commune. During the 1920s, the neighbourhood surrounding the Rond-Point de l’Etoile and Solbosch was the epicentre of modernity. Many luxury apartment buildings were constructed, including Brussels’ first skyscraper – the Résidence de la Cambre – inspired by the Art Deco style of New York.
Résidence de la Cambre. Credit: EmDee/Wikipedia Commons
Starting at 10:00 at the crossing of avenues Emile Duray and de la Folle Chanson, this guided tour will be a treat for anyone interested in history and architecture.
Find more information here.
UP Festival, various locations, from 19 to 29 March
For 11 days, Belgian and international circus artists will turn Brussels into an open-air stage, taking over theatres and public spaces to "make circus a living, engaged and resolutely contemporary art form".
Credit: UP Festival
Over the course of the festival, there will be 26 shows and 71 performances across 12 venues in Brussels. Venues include the House of Cultures & Social Cohesion in Molenbeek, the Théâtre Varia in Ixelles and the Uccle Cultural Centre.
Find out more information here.
Last chance
Brussels Water Days 2026, various locations, until Sunday 22 March
Rediscover Brussels' blue heritage through Water Days 2026. With over 50 free tours, nature walks, exclusive visits, a Water Village at Flagey, exhibitions, conferences, workshops, and much more, Brussels residents can look forward to a varied programme of free activities for young and old.
Credit: Port de Bruxelles - Haven van Brussel / Eric Ostermann
From visiting the Brussels-South water treatment plant and Hydria stormwater basin under Place Flagey to spending a day in nature or taking an introduction to rowing workshop, there's something for everyone!
Find more information here.
Midweek fun
Quiz night, Full Circle Ixelles, Tuesday 24 March
Trivia fiends among you should head to Full Circle in Ixelles on Tuesday for a fun night of quizzing, drinks and good company. You will be able to put your general knowledge to the test with questions across a range of categories, including history, politics and music – compiled by the Brussels Times's own resident quiz masters.
Credit: Full Circle
Come with a team (maximum five people) or come alone and join one when you arrive.
Find out more information here.
