Antwerp’s Winter in Antwerp festival attracted 1.5 million visitors over the past four weeks, ending on Sunday with the city’s traditional New Year celebration.
The popular event spanned seven locations across the city centre, featuring attractions on Steenplein, Suikerrui, Grote Markt, Handschoenmarkt, Hendrik Conscienceplein, Groenplaats, and Operaplein. The opening weekend welcomed 170,000 visitors who enjoyed festive lights, markets, performances, and seasonal delights.
On 31 December, around 120,000 spectators gathered along the Schelde River and in the historic city centre to ring in the New Year while watching a spectacular fireworks display.
As the festival concluded, the city offered free snacks, drinks, or visits to winter attractions, handing out nearly 50,000 tokens to attendees. The celebrations on Grote Markt also included a New Year’s greeting by the city council and a sing-along session featuring local hits such as ‘Antwaarpe’ by De Strangers and ‘De lichtjes van de Schelde’ by Bobbejaan Schoepen.
Mayor Els van Doesburg expressed great satisfaction with this year’s event. “Winter in Antwerp shined brighter than ever before this year. With 1.5 million visitors, it was truly an exceptional success.”
