With the new school year in full swing and employees slowly trudging back to the office, Brussels' events calendar is buzzing once again.
Get ready for a packed agenda this weekend catering for all tastes. From the three-day Fiesta Latina in Brussels' biggest green space to a Shakespeare-inspired musical showcase and a celebration of Belgian beer, here's what's on this weekend.
Art, music and culture
RendezVous - Brussels Art Week, various locations, until Sunday 7 September
One of the key events on the region's creative calendar, Brussels Art Week celebrates the richness and variety of the contemporary art scene in the capital and unites the city's many modern art galleries, public institutions, private foundations, auction houses and artist-run initiatives to kick-off the artistic season.
Credit: RendezVous - Brussels Art Week
Explore over 60 venues, discover new artistic voices and curators, inspiring exhibitions, events, and discursive programmes, and connect with the cultural heartbeat of Brussels during the four-day event.
Find more information here.
Woodblocks Festival, Vaux Hall, from 5 to 7 September
The third edition of Kiosk Radio's Woodblocks Festival is taking place in Parc Royal this weekend, with a carefully-curated line-up of concerts and DJ just a stone's throw away from the kiosk itself at the stunning Vaux Hall venue.
Woodblocks festival, images from 2024 edition. Credit: Kiosk Radio / Blithe Williams
This year's line-up includes London guitar virtuoso Mansur Brown, Dutch innovator Legowelt, UK producer Mia Koden with Jamaican MC Warrior Queen, Japanese selector Powder, experimental vocalist Niecy Blues, alt-rock duo Userband, UK rapper Tony Bontana, as well as drum & bass queen DJ Storm.
Finally, Brussels' very own Laryssa Kim, Dushime & Mikamayonnaise will be representing the local talent contingent. Previously announced names include Smerz, Sisso & Maiko, and livwutang.
Find more information here.
'Shakespeare in Music', Flagey Cultural Centre, Saturday 6 September
Shakespeare buffs are in luck this weekend, as the La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra is kicking off the season with a programme dedicated to the musical world of the Bard, whose works inspired many composers.
'Falstaff' will inaugurate the season and is an adaptation by Verdi of 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'. German composer Otto Nicolai's famous overture will be performed as a concert piece.
Credit: Shakespeare in Music / Claire Bravo
Conductor Antonio Méndez, returning to La Monnaie after conducting Britten's The Turn of the Screw in 2024, has also selected five fragments from Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s 'Ein Sommernachtstraum'. Inspired after reading 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' in 1826, the then 17-year-old composer created a concert overture, which he incorporated nearly 20 years later in his incidental music for the entire play, commissioned by the King of Prussia.
Finally, Sergueï Prokofiev's 'Romeo and Juliet' will be performed. After drawing inspiration from the timeless tragedy, the composer later adapted it into three symphonic suites.
Find more information here.
Out and about
Belgian Beer Weekend, Grand Place, from 5 to 7 September
A total of 57 breweries are setting up their stalls on Grand Place for the landmark 25th edition of Belgian Beer Weekend, a unique three-day tasting festival celebrating Belgium's beer culture and heritage.
Cornelis beers at the 19th edition of the Belgian Beer Weekend in 2017. Credit: Belga / Laurie Dieffembacq
Entry to the festival is free and booking is not required. There will be 500 exquisite beers on offer, most of which will be served in 15 cl tasting glasses, and must be purchased with a payment card which can be obtained at the entrance.
Find more information here.
Fiesta Latina, Bois de la Cambre, from 5 to 7 September
Get ready to step into Latin America this weekend over three sunny days of fiestas, folklore and colourful Carnival tradition at the much-anticipated Fiesta Latina! With non-stop Latin music, thrilling Lucha Libre wrestling fights, lively outdoor shows, traditional concerts, and extravagant costumes, this is certainly not one to miss.
Credit: Fiesta Latina/Thibault van Renynghe
There will also be 90 food trucks on-site to tantalise your taste buds, offering the very best of South American cuisine, and various workshops and opportunities to try Zumba, salsa and samba dancing under the guidance of experienced instructors.
Find more information here.
MolenFest, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, until Sunday 7 September
Vying for the spot of European Capital of Culture 2030, the municipality of Molenbeek is once again pulling out all the stops for this year's five-day festival.
MolenFest 2024. Credit: visit.brussels
From Place Communale to Rue de Manchester, through the Porte de Ninove park, all along the canal and into the Quartier Maritime, a host of artists, cultural houses and local organisations will offer dance performances, circus acts, music, theatre, debates, films and more for all ages.
Find more information here.
'Can't Look Away: The Case Against Social Media', Full Circle, Saturday 6 September
The Full Circle club is hosting a gripping, English-language documentary screening on the harmful nature of technology on children this Saturday, described as "a harrowing, heartbreaking indictment of social media's ruthlessness." In it, Bloomberg journalist Olivia Carville follows a small legal outfit as it takes Silicon Valley's most powerful companies to task for endangering young users.
There will also be a post-film discussion led by Kids Unplugged, a new Belgian group campaigning for increased awareness of the risks, action by parents, educators and politicians to protect children and young adults.
Find more information here.
