The Brussels Times Magazine selects the best current and upcoming events and exhibitions.
ART EXHIBITIONS
AMAZÔNIA
Tour & Taxis, Shed 4b, Avenue du Port 86C, 1000 Brussels
Until November 11, 2025
French-Brazilian Sebastião Salgado is arguably the world’s most celebrated nature photographer, whose black-and-white images of animals in barren landscapes suggest a prehistoric era. This exhibition features over 200 large-format photographs revealing the richness of the Amazon rainforest and the people who live there. It is accompanied by a soundtrack that was specially created by Jean-Michel Jarre.
ICONS: STEVE MCCURRY
Grand Place 5, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Until September 9, 2025
Sharbat Gula, Afghan Girl. Peshawar, Pakistan, 1984, by Steve McCurry
You may not know the name, but you have probably seen some of Steve McCurry’s photographs, like his haunting portrait of Afghan girl Sharbat Gula, which graced the cover of National Geographic in 1985. His retrospective exhibition at the Grand-Place features over 100 large-format photographs from his 40-year career, as well as his most recent works.
TIMELESS GAZES: FROM PHARAOHS TO THE PRESENT DAY
Boghossian Foundation, Villa Empain, Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 67, 1050 Ixelles
Until May 25, 2025
Some 130 works from Jean Claude Gandur’s collection will be shown at the Villa Empain. The exhibition explores the depiction of the gaze and one’s perception of their environment, from characters like Pharaoh Ramses II to modern African artists.
AIMAGINE - PHOTOGRAPHY AND GENERATIVE IMAGES
Hangar, 18 Place du Châtelain, 1050 Ixelles
Until June 15, 2025
AImagine exhibition at Hangar (Brussels) until 15 June 2025
Who’s afraid of artificial intelligence? The artists on show at the Hangar gallery have all embraced the technology to bring us an intriguing and, at times, optimistic exploration of one of the most concerning developments of our time.
FAMILIAR STRANGERS. THE EASTERN EUROPEANS FROM A POLISH PERSPECTIVE
Bozar Center for Fine Arts, Rue Ravenstein 23, 1000 Brussels
Until June 29, 2025
Eastern Europe has a rich and complex history of migration, with diasporas, minorities and multiple identities all playing a role in a region that was long considered to be culturally homogenous. In an exhibition tied to Poland’s presidency of the European Union, these paintings, sculptures, videos, films, installations and textiles tell the stories of ‘familiar strangers’ from the Roma minority to the Vietnamese diaspora.
WHEN WE SEE US
Bozar Center for Fine Arts, Rue Ravenstein 23, 1000 Brussels
Until August 10, 2025
When We See Us, at Bozar until 10 August 2025
Have Black and African artists been poorly recognised in the past? Inspired by director Ava DuVernay's television series When They See Us, this Bozar exhibition explores Black self-representation through some 150 works by 120 artists.
HAPPY FAMILY
Red Star Line Museum, Montevideostraat 3, 2000 Antwerp
Until May 4, 2025
Antwerp’s Chinese community plays a vital role in the city's local business and cultural life, and even boasts its own Chinatown. This exhibition highlights this community and, tells the story of three Chinese pioneer families and their restaurants.
PANAMARENKO: INFINITE IMAGINATION
Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) Leopold de Waelplaats 1, 2000 Antwerp
Until May 4, 2025
Belgium’s own Panamarenko, the pseudonym of Henri Van Herwegen, was known for his creative and unworkable contraptions, like airships, submarines and helicopters, that could have been built by Wallace and Gromit. KMSKA celebrates the inventive and playful world, including sketches and original objects, of the artist who died in 2019, aged 79.
HEAR HEAR
Across Leuven
April 24 to June 9, 2025
Hear Hear exhibition in Leuven until 9 June 2025
A series of artworks scattered around Leuven that can be followed in a walking tour, with each providing a sound installation. Created as part of the city’s celebrations of 600 years of Leuven University (KUL).
COMPASSION
MAS Museum, Hanzestedenplaats 1, 2000 Antwerp
Until August 31, 2025
MAS has collected contemporary art by Ai Weiwei, Berlinde De Bruyckere and Stephan Vanfleteren in an exhibition designed to make visitors reflect on the more difficult questions about the theme of compassion.
SMOOTH AS VELVET
Horta Museum, 27 rue Américaine, 1060 Saint-Gilles
Until June 30, 2025
Smooth as Velvet exhibition
The Horta Museum asked five Belgian artists to work with two artisan firms, the Van Neder textile company from Kortrijk and Florence and Martine Moulis from Arles, to create works based around velvet.
NICOLAS DE CRÉCY – MONTAGNES
Huberty & Breyne, 33, place du Châtelain, 1050 Ixelles
From April 25 to May 31, 2025
French artist Nicolas de Crécy presents some 70 works employing a variety of techniques – painting, collage, engraving, charcoal drawing and watercolour – to recreate mountain landscapes, which he says is “one thing that both moves and fascinates me.”
MIGUEL DÍAZ VIZOSO. DE LA LOUVIÈRE À PEYO
MILL, Place communale 21. 7100 La Louvière
Until August 8, 2025
Peyo was the creator of the Smurfs, but Louviérois artist Miguel Díaz Vizoso is perhaps the most prolific of his illustrators. This covers his work on the little blue men as well as other comic characters.
FRANÇOIS SCHUITEN
Galerie Art and Design Productions, Wijngaardstraat 23, Kortrijk
Until May 5, 2025
Francois Schuiten exhibition until 5 May
A retrospective of François Schuiten, one of Belgium’s most celebrated comic strip artists, whose works include 1992’s Brüsel, production design on movies like Toto the Hero (Toto le héros), designing the Porte de Hal metro station in Brussels, as well as the Nauti-poulpe squid sculpture that was recently in Place Poelaert, in front of the Palace of Justice.
DRAWING ROOM
Fondation Folon Ferme du Château de La Hulpe, Drève de la Ramée 6A, 1310 La Hulpe
In the 1950s, Jean-Michel Folon and others pioneered a style of humorous drawings that appeared in the press. This exhibition showcases the artists he admired and fed off, including Bara, Savignac, Searle and Sempé. Some, like Milton Glaser, Roland Topor, R.O. Blechman and Pierre Alechinsky, became his friends.
MARCEL BROODTHAERS: THE ARCHITECT IS ABSENT
CIVA, Rue de l'Ermitage 55, 1050 Ixelles Until June 9, 2025
Exhibition on architect Marcel Broodthaers on at CIVA until 9 June 2025
CIVA’s exhibition examines the influence on architecture and urban planning of pioneering Belgian artist Marcel Broodthaers (1924–76), a trenchant critic of the ruthless postwar modernisation of Brussels (for more on Broodthaers, see pages 92-23).
WAIT AND SEE. MITJA TUŠEK & BERTILLE BAK
Centrale, Place Sainte-Catherine 45,1000 Brussels Until August 24, 2025
An exhibition that the curator say explores the tension between patience and action, blending art, installation, and thought-provoking narratives to engage visitors.
DRAW ME A TRAIN! Train World
Princess Elisabeth Square 5, 1030 Schaerbeek
Until May 11, 2025
Some of Belgium’s greatest artists of the past century have been brought trains into their work. This exhibition at Train World features rail-inspired works by Paul Delvaux, Franquin, François Schuiten and many others – including original drawings by Victor Horta relating to his work on the Brussels-Central station, and carriages from the 1930s designed by Henry van de Velde.
MUSIC
NUITS BOTANIQUE
Rue Royale/Koningsstraat 236, 1210 Saint-Josse-ten-Noode
May 15-25, 2025
Les Nuits Botanique. Credit: Bart Van der Sanden / Les Nuits Botanique
With an eclectic lineup of international and local artists, including Azealia Banks Stereolab and Mclusky, Les Nuits Botanique continues to champion the local Belgian music scene while showcasing globally renowned acts. This year sees the introduction of a single ticket, granting access to all venues for the day or evening.
BRUSSELS JAZZ WEEKEND
Across Brussels
May 23-25, 2025
Every year, at the end of May, the city transforms into a vibrant stage where jazz takes over every corner. For one unforgettable weekend, swing, bebop, and fusion beats fill the air, turning iconic spots like the Grand Place, Place Sainte-Catherine, and Place de la Bourse into lively open-air concert venues. Free, open to all, and pulsing with energy.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND
May 27, 2025
Stade Pierre Mauroy, 261 Bd de Tournai, 59650 Villeneuve-d'Ascq
The Boss rolls into Lille’s football stadium, bringing legendary riffs, blue-collar anthems, and a three-hour set that will outlast your knees. Expect heartland poetry, epic solos, and at least one guy screaming Born to Run like his mortgage depends on it.
DURAN DURAN
June 6, 2025
Sportpaleis, Schijnpoortweg 119, 2170 Antwerp
They were the epitome of the New Romantics in the 1980s, and they are still out there: Duran Duran will be playing hits from their 2021 album, Future Past, but most fans will just want to hear the oldies like Hungry Like the Wolf, Save A Prayer and Rio.
DUA LIPA
June 11-13 2025
Sportpaleis, Schijnpoortweg 119, 2170 Antwerp
Dua Lipa plays Antwerp's Sportspaleis
Pop superstar Dua Lipa lands at the Sportpaleis for three nights of her Radical Optimism Tour. Expect dazzling lights, infectious beats, and thousands of fans pretending they knew her before Future Nostalgia.
PITBULL
June 14, 2025
Sportpaleis, Schijnpoortweg 119, 2170 Antwerp
Mr. Worldwide touches down for his Party After Dark Tour: expect sunglasses at night, thumping beats, and at least five shoutouts to Miami.
CANDLELIGHT CONCERTS
Concert Noble
Rue d’Arlon 84 Aarlenstraat, 1040 Brussels
Candlelight Concerts
Classical music can often feel inaccessible due to its formalities. The Candlelight concept aims to adapt to younger audiences by diversifying offerings - and all in a lush setting with, of course, lots of candlelight. At the Concert Noble, its programme includes Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Adele, Abba, Queen, Hans Zimmer and Bridgerton. Other Candlelight events take place in Antwerp’s AMUZ and at Bruges’ Holy Magdalene Church.
POP CULTURE
SKATEBOARD
Design Museum, Place de Belgique 1, 1020 Laeken
Until March 9, 2025
The exhibition explores the development of skateboard design over seven decades, focusing on the technological, performative and aesthetic evolution of the skateboard. Curated by industrial designer and skater Jonathan Olivares, charts this evolution through an extensive collection of decks, trucks and wheels.
House of European History, Park Leopold, Rue Belliard 135, 1000 Brussels
Until January 11, 2026
How do Europeans engage with the past in their everyday lives? This exhibition of photographs from across Europe looks at the different ways history and heritage are integrated into our modern worlds.
ALICE GUY, THE WORLD’S FIRST FILMMAKER
The Jules Verne Centre, 67 Chaussée de Neerstalle, 1190 Brussels
Until June 29, 2025
Alice Guy was a pioneer of cinema, from her work at Gaumont, to the creation in the United States of her own company Solax, she directed more than 600 films, from short silent films to sound films. An exhibition at the Jules Verne Centre created by cinema specialist Jean-Pierre Senelier,
MUNDO PIXAR EXPERIENCE
Brussels Expo, Palace 1, Avenue impératice Charlotte, 1020 Laeken
Until July 13, 2025
Want to swim with Nemo, cook with Remy the rat or blast into infinity and beyond with Buzz Lightyear? Then the Mundo Pixar Experience is for you: an immersive exhibition that recreates life-size scenes from these animation classics.
SCIENCE
WILD?
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, 1000 Brussels
Until August 31, 2025
Combining the natural sciences with philosophy, anthropology and poetry, this insightful exhibition explores the concept of ‘wild’ and will awaken your curiosity and critical thinking. Visitors can learn more about Belgian wildlife, the history of the domestication of wolves and various other animals and enjoy films, scientific collections and more.
SPORT
LIÈGE-BASTOGNE-LIÈGE CHALLENGE
Liège
April 26-27, 2025
Credit: Belga / Jasper Jacobs
Known as La Doyenne, this is one of the oldest and most challenging of one-day races - as Harry Pearson relates in his feature on page 54. The race is on Sunday, April 27, but would-be Remco Evenepoels can try out the race the day before in the Liège-Bastogne-Liège Challenge the day before that lets them try the route (or shorter variants at 80km and 155km that don’t reach Bastogne).
20KM OF BRUSSELS
Brussels
May 25, 2025
An epic run around the capital, starting and finishing in the Cinquantenaire Park, and pounding down Rue de la Loi, past the Royal Palace, up Rue Royale and Avenue Louise, through the Bois de la Cambre, along Ave Franklin Roosevelt and the leafy Boulevard du Souverain before the gruelling climb up Avenue de Tervuren.
EVENTS
IRIS FESTIVAL Across Brussels
May 3-4, 2025
The Iris Festival. Credit: agenda.brussels
Celebrate the Brussels region’s birthday with a weekend of free concerts (including electronic music legend Fatboy Slim), street performances, food trucks and other festivities.
ART BRUSSELS
April 24-27, 2025
Brussels Expo, Hall 5 Place de la Belgique 1, 1020 Brussels
Art Brussels brings together each year more than 160 contemporary art galleries among the most important of the international scene, gathered in five sections.
HOPLA! FESTIVAL
Around Brussels
April 26 to May 2, 2025
A festival that says it aims to build bridges between the circus and the city, the arts and their audience, Hopla! involves tightrope walkers crossing canals, trapeze artists spinning in plazas, jugglers tossing on the streets – and much more.
NOCTURNES
Across Brussels
Thursdays, until May 23, 2025
Nocturnes 2024 in Design Museum. Credit: Shari Danneels
The Nocturnes are the few weeks in the year when museums and cultural institutions open their doors on Thursday evenings, offering special exhibitions, guided tours and interactive activities. It promises a unique opportunity to explore the city's rich heritage in a vibrant and atmospheric setting.
BRUSSELS SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
Brussels and Ixelles
April 23 to May 3, 2025
The Brussels Short Film Festival takes place in six venues that showcase tiny cinematic masterpieces. Perfect for aspiring film critics and snack enthusiasts alike.
STREAT FEST
Tour & Taxis, Avenue du Port 86C, 1000 Brussels
May 16-18, 2025
Credit: StrEat Fest
Brussels StrEat Fest returns, serving up gourmet bites, street food delights, and more truffle mayo than you thought possible. Expect long lines, hipster-approved flavours, and a moral dilemma over spending €15 on a single taco. Bon appétit
FÊTES ET CÉLÉBRATIONS FLAMANDES, LILLE
Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille, Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille
April 26 to September 1, 2025
The exhibition will explore the meanings of imagery in Flemish festivals in the 16th and 17th centuries, from urban festivals to fairs and kings' festivals. Representations such as fairgrounds and the Feast of Kings are pictorial genres in their own right, appreciated far beyond borders.
FLORALIA
Until May 2, 2025
Castle of Groot-Bijgaarden, Isidoor Van Beverenstraat 5, 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden
Credit: Floralia Brussels
For a few weeks, Groot-Bijgaarden's castle is overrun by tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other flowers, creating a beautiful spring walk in a spectacle of floral splendour. Flower fans should also check out the bluebells at the Hallerbos, around the same time.
