The City of Brussels has not yet given up hope that the Christmas "Winter Wonders" will go ahead this year, despite increasing coronavirus figures in the region.
Questioned on the likelihood of event - which attracts tens of thousands of people each year in the heart of the capital - alderman for Culture and Major Events of the City of Brussels, Delphine Houba did not rule it out.
"So far, we want to organize it," Houba said, adding that City authorities were following the evolution of the health situation and measures as closely as possible.
As it stands, such events are banned until mid-November, as part of the new measures which came into force on Monday. Under the rules all markets of the type organized at the end of the year are banned for the next month.
Officially, the market would be set to open on 27 November and stay open until 3 January 2021.
Leuven market approved, Cologne cancelled
In September, organisers of the Leuven Christmas Market had said it would take place this winter despite the coronavirus epidemic.
“We have received all the approvals to hold the Christmas market from 9 December to 20 December,” organiser of the Leuven market, Dirk Pinte, said on VRT radio, adding that many measures will be taken to make sure everything happens safely but that the market will definitely take place.
Updates to the page of the event in October, however, have shown that despite the approval the event will also not be going ahead.
Jammer maar helaas... Liever geen Kerstmarkt maar wel een gezellige kerstavond met een gezonde familie voor iedereen!... Posted by Leuvense Kerstmarkt on Friday, 16 October 2020
The German city of Cologne announced in August that it would cancel its celebrated Christmas market this year, blaming the coronavirus restrictions.
The Brussels Times
