The European Parliament (EP) will be celebrating Europe Day on the fringes of the Brussels-Region's Iris Festival on Saturday, and to mark the occasion, it will welcome people into its Brussels headquarters.
Europe Day commemorates the signing of the Schuman Declaration on 9 May 1950, the plan which aimed to secure long-term peace in post-war Europe, laying the early foundations for what is now the European Union.
Throughout May, the EP will invite locals and tourists alike to take part in a range of activities and events across EU Member States, as well as in the Parliament’s three places of work: Luxembourg, Strasbourg and Brussels.
On Saturday 6 May, it will mark this celebration by welcoming citizens to its Brussels location for visits, debates with MEPs, interactive presentations and live performances and other activities.
The parliament’s doors will open at 10:00 and all public areas and meeting rooms will be accessible to citizens until 17:30 (last entrance).
On the agenda
The first official event of the day, the Europe Day inauguration ceremony, will take place in the EP Hemicycle at 10:30 and will open with a performance by Ukrainian singers, followed by an address from Vice-President Pina Picierno and a panel discussion with MEPs, discussing the 2024 European elections, Parliament’s political priorities and taking questions from citizens.
This will be followed by guided tours of the Hemicycle, information sessions on Parliament’s flagship programmes at the EP Info Hub at 12:30, 14:30 and 16:30, and guided tours of the Parliament’s art collection at 12:30, 13:00, 14:30 and 15:30.
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On Sunday, as part of the Iris Festival, the Brussels Parliament will also open its doors to the public for free from noon until 19:00. An activity trail for young and old allows visitors to discover the historic building, while several workshops, concerts, showcases and other forms of entertainment will also be organised here.
Discover the various villages that will be set up in Brussels throughout the weekend and what events will be organised here.
