Art lovers are in luck this weekend, as there are no fewer than three art fairs taking place, ranging from photography to ceramics. For those with other interests, there is still plenty to enjoy.
Fancy finding some new plants for your house, or hearing some of the best jazz in town? Look no further. Here's what's on this weekend.
Art, music and culture
Ceramic Brussels, Tour & Taxis, until 25 January
Cermanic Brussels – the first international art fair dedicated to contemporary ceramics in the city – is returning this weekend for its much-anticipated third edition, covering more than 7,000 m² spread across the site.
Credit: Ceramic
Following on from a record-breaking second edition, this year brings together around 200 artists and over 70 Belgian and international exhibitors, with Austrian artist Elmar Trenkwalder as 2026's guest of honour. Spain will also take centre stage this year, as part of Europalia España – a four-month Spanish cultural event taking place across Belgium.
Find more information here.
BRAFA Art Fair, Brussels Expo, from 25 January to 1 February
Recognised as one of Europe's most prestigious art fairs, BRAFA puts Belgium at the centre of the fine art map. The fair will be back in Brussels this weekend to welcome art collectors, gallery owners and art enthusiasts, with thousands of works of high-quality fine art, antiques, modern and contemporary art and design, spanning all different styles and periods presented by a host of internationally renowned galleries.
BRAFA Art Fair 2022. Credit: Fabrice Debatty
Over 140 leading galleries from 19 countries across the world will be exhibiting their works in the large Brussels Expo hall, near the Atomium. The King Baudouin Foundation is this year's guest of honour, and it will showcase both recent acquisitions and also a selection of masterpieces which have since become part of Belgium's public heritage.
Find more information here.
PhotoBrussels Festival, various locations, from 22 January to 22 February
Created in 2016 by Delphine Dumont from Hangar, the festival aims to bring together photography enthusiasts, practitioners, and professionals for a month-long celebration of contemporary photography in all its diversity. The festival "reflects the multifaceted identity of Brussels: cosmopolitan, vibrant, creative, a European capital, and profoundly human," Dumont said.
PhotoBrussels Festival in 2023. Credit: Hangar
For this tenth anniversary edition, 52 exhibitions will be held across the city in museums, galleries, art centres, alternative and public places, bringing together over 100 artists to reflect the vitality of the Belgian photographic scene.
Find more information here.
Voice & Percussion workshop, Saturday 24 January
Barcelona-born Raquel Cruces has taught hundreds of students at her percussion school over the years and has trained in all kinds of music, from Japanese butoh and Andalusian to flamenco and Afro-Brazilian.
Credit: Ula Vozpercusiones
This Saturday, she will host an inspiring afternoon of Iberian rhythms, voice, and tradition with her Voice and Percussion workshop. Participants will use everyday objects such as pans, spoons, plates, thimbles, shells and mortars to create simple rhythms, gradually building up to more complex patterns. All levels are welcome, and no previous experience is needed!
Find more information here.
Last chance!
Brussels Jazz Festival, Flagey, from 15 to 24 January
For its eleventh edition, Flagey is once again pulling out all the stops with an innovative jazz programme featuring young European and international talent. Over ten days, jazz will bring the cultural centre alive in all its facets, with Tunisian pianist Wajdi Riahi as this year's artist-in-residence.
Jasper Høiby: Fellow Creatures, Brussels Jazz Festival in 2018. Credit: Olivier Lestoquoit
The festival will also feature Chicago/Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist, composer, activist and educator Isaiah Collier, the Leeds-based Mu Quintet, jazz drummer Tom Skinner, and Brussels-based trombone player Nabou Claerhout.
Find more information here.
Out and about
Plant sale, Halles Saint-Géry, from 23 to 25 January
Need some greenery to brighten your home this January? Halles Saint-Géry will be hosting another huge plant sale this weekend, organised by Plantes Pour Tous, with something for all tastes and budgets.
Credit: Plantes Pour Tous
Thousands of plants of all varieties will be on offer, with prices starting at just €0.99 and over half will be under €10 (only card payment is accepted). All plants arrive on the morning of the first day of the sale, and nothing is restocked – so get there quickly because it's first come, first served!
Find more information here.
Mid-week fun
'En Ville!' film festival, various locations, from 26 January to 1 February
Returning for its seventh edition, this documentary film festival focuses on the idea of territories and borders, both real and imaginary. Through dozens of films – many of which have never been shown to the public before – the festival takes the audience on a journey across these borders.
Credit: Cinema Galeries
This year's diverse programme features 27 recent Belgian and international films, 18 Belgian premieres, competitive sections and special screenings, a guided tour of Brussels with L'architecture qui dégenre, a radio listening session, a masterclass on the work of Senegalese filmmaker Samba Félix Ndiaye, and more.
Find more information here.
