The Outremeuse district in Liège is preparing to welcome more than 250,000 people for the 15 August festivities, which begin this Wednesday.
The highlight of the event will take place on Friday 15 August with the grand folkloric procession of the Giants of Outremeuse.
These famous festivities kick off on Wednesday with Saint-Måcrawe, a children’s festival featuring wooden games, face painting and a lantern parade.
On 14 August, the Free Republic of Outremeuse will honour the ‘Maries’ of the neighbourhood by decorating them with flowers in the morning.
At 17:00, the Royal Bouquet of Outremeuse will be paraded through the main streets of this neighbourhood of the Cité Ardente, accompanied by traditional serenades.
The Grand tir aux Campes des Carillonneurs Hervien, which aims to ward off evil spirits, will then take place at 18:00 on Place Delcour, before giving way to various concerts, this year with a 1980s theme.
Several artists are expected to perform, including Jean-Pierre Mader, Cookie Dingler and Patrick Hernandez.
The big day, 15 August, will begin at 9:45 with the procession of the Black Madonna and Mass in Walloon at Saint-Nicolas Church.
The grand folkloric procession will then set off at 14:30 through the pedestrianised streets of Outremeuse, with no fewer than 16 groups announced, in addition to the traditional giants representing Liège heroes, including the iconic Tchantchès and Nanesse.
Finally, 16 August will mark the end of the festivities with the burial at 17:00 of ‘Matî l’Ohê’ (Mathieu l’Os), a parody ceremony with a fake priest, during which participants are dressed in black and brandish celery.
The 15 August celebrations will conclude with fireworks launched from the Saucy footbridge.
Outremeuse will reopen to cars on the morning of 17 August, after four days of intense celebrations.
