A full weekend of sunshine is finally upon us! Whether you will be dancing the day away at a festival, want to catch a screening under the starry sky or discover new, daring sports, Brussels is the place to be!
Arts, music and culture
Couleur Café, Ossegem Park, until Sunday 30 June
The countdown is over, as Friday marks the start of one of Brussels' most beloved cultural events. Couleur Café returns with a line-up of 60 live bands and 40 DJs and collectives, serving up the very best of dub, funk, Latin, jazz, soul, R&B, hip-hop, afro and amapiano.
Couleur Café music festival in Brussels, Friday 24 June 2022. Credit: Belga / Hatim Kaghat
The festival offers much more than a fantastic array of world music. It is just as loved for the food from all four corners of the world served by 36 restaurants, all in the beautiful setting of Osseghem Park near the Atomium.
Find more information here.
Festival Musiq3, Flagey and Théâtre Marni, until Sunday 30 June
Returning to the Belgian capital for its 14th edition with the theme 'Rise', the Festival Musiq3 will bring together emerging and established artists from the Belgian and international classical, jazz and electro scenes, combining the old and the new.
Credit: Festival Musiq3
There will be 18 concerts for all ages, inviting the audience to experience classical music in a different way; an evening of podcasts about music and human nature; a showcase for the Propulse Classique competition and DJ sets on the square in front of Flagey. The Walloon Brabant counterpart of the festival is scheduled to take place from 27 September to 6 October, focusing on 'Nature'.
Find more information here.
Lights, camera, action!
'Bruxelles fait son cinéma', various locations, until Tuesday 16 July
As spending hours indoors on a warm summer's evening doesn't seem tempting, this film festival offers the perfect alternative: open-air screenings. For the first time, the "travelling cinema" will stop in all 19 communes, bringing free outdoor screenings to some of the city's most popular and lesser-known locations.
Credit: Bruxelles fait son cinéma
All screenings are free, and no booking is needed: seating works on a first-come, first-served basis, so don't arrive late!
Find more information here.
Brussels International Film Festival (BIFF), various locations, until Wednesday 3 July
Those who prefer discovering new films indoors are also in for a treat this weekend. The Brussels International Film Festival is returning for its seventh edition, offering a wide variety of Belgian and international films.
Credit: Brussels International Film Festival
However, it is also offering an open-air experience, screening the iconic 'Ghost Busters' and Tim Burton's 'Beetlejuice' on 1 and 2 July. The themes addressed in this year's programme are family, transmission, and journeys in search of one's roots.
Find more information here.
Keep moving
Festival Freestyle Lab, various locations, until Sunday 30 June
This weekend marks the exciting launch of a new event in Brussels. The inaugural edition of the Freestyle Lab Festival, celebrating hip-hop culture, supporting female hip-hop dancers and offering artists opportunities for visibility, will take place at the Théâtre de la Vie in Brussels.
Credit: Festival Freestyle Lab
Created by dancers for dancers of all ages, the festival will feature workshops, battles, jams, DJ sets and performances, as well as talks and discussions about the role of women in the genre and intergenerational exchange within hip-hop culture.
Find more information here.
Urban Sessions, Josaphat Park, until Sunday 30 June
This weekend, the stunning Josaphat Park in the heart of Schaerbeek will once again be taken over by people showcasing the world's most daring action sports and urban lifestyle during the four-day Brussels Urban Sessions event. It will be the last major BMX Freestyle competition before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The very best male and female athletes in BMX Freestyle from home and abroad will show their most impressive and incredible tricks on custom-built ramps. Alongside these showcases, the event will also include other entertainment such as parkour and skateboarding but also street art.
Find more information here.
