The Brussels Times Magazine selects the best current and upcoming events and exhibitions.
ART EVENTS
UNFORGETTABLE: WOMEN ARTISTS FROM ANTWERP TO AMSTERDAM, 1600–1750
Museum of Fine Arts (MSK), Fernand Scribedreef 1, 9000 Ghent
Until May 31, 2026
Unforgettable women in Museum of Fine Arts (MSK)
A groundbreaking exhibition by MSK Gent restores women to the heart of the Dutch and Flemish Golden Age, bringing together more than 150 works by over 40 artists. Spanning painting, printmaking, lace and botanical illustration, it reveals a vibrant and influential female presence long written out of art history. Figures such as Clara Peeters, Rachel Ruysch and Judith Leyster emerge as commercially successful and critically admired in their own time. By challenging later hierarchies that sidelined “decorative” arts and female makers, the exhibition offers a timely reassessment of the period’s creative economy – and a compelling corrective to the canon.
MoMu, Nationalestraat 28, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
Until January 17, 2027
Marking 40 years since their breakthrough, MoMu’s The Antwerp Six traces the rise of six radical designers who reshaped global fashion. Through garments, archives and personal material, it explores their shared origins and fiercely individual careers (see separate article in this issue).
Bozar, Rue Ravenstein 23, 1000 Brussels
Until June 14, 2026
Credit: Bozar
Subtitled Beauty and Ugliness in the Renaissance, Bellezza e Bruttezza gathers images from museums across Europe to explore how (mainly Italian) artists in the 15th and 16th centuries depicted these extremes, from refined ideals to deliberate grotesques.
COLLECTION MEETS SPANISH ARTISTS
Royal Museums of Fine Arts, Rue de la Régence 3, 1000 Brussels
Until August 16, 2026
An exploration of post-war Spanish abstraction, the museum pairs works by Millares, Mompó, Rivera and Tàpies with pieces from its own collection. Spanning the 1950s–70s, the show captures a raw, experimental avant-garde shaped by a search for freedom after the Civil War.
A RED THAT SINGS: MASTERPIECES BY ENSOR, WOUTERS AND SCHMALZIGAUG
KMSKA, Leopold de Waelplaats 1, 2000 Antwerp
Until August 30, 2026
A Red That Sings at KMSKA explores the bold colour experiments of Ensor, Wouters and Schmalzigaug. Through vivid reds, blues and yellows, the exhibition traces how these artists broke with Impressionism to create a new, expressive visual language—inviting visitors to experience modern art through the rhythm and intensity of colour.
FOMU, Waalsekaai 47, 2000 Antwerp
Until August 23, 2026
Entitled, The Heart of the Matter, this is the first Belgian retrospective of Carrie Mae Weems, with over 100 photographs and videos exploring race, gender and memory. Blending personal narrative with historical critique, her work uncovers overlooked stories—offering a powerful, intimate reflection on identity, injustice and representation.
Royal Academy, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London
Until June 21, 2026
Michaelina Wautier
A London exhibition spotlights Michaelina Wautier, a 17th-century painter from Mons, whose works were misattributed until the 1960s (she also features in MSK Gent’s Unforgettable, currently running). Bringing together her known works, it reveals a technically brilliant, versatile artist whose portraits and history paintings rival her male contemporaries—while offering a rare, ongoing art-historical investigation into authorship and attribution.
Palazzo Ducale, Piazza Matteotti 9, Genoa
Until July 19, 2026
The Doge’s Palace in Genoa hosts a major retrospective of Antwerp-born Anthony Van Dyck, the most extensive in 25 years, bringing together over 50 paintings from leading European museums. Tracing his career from Antwerp to Genoa and London, the exhibition reveals a master of portraiture whose elegance and adaptability shaped Baroque art across Europe.
FÉLICIEN ROPS: LABORATORY OF LUST
Kunsthaus, Heimplatz 1/5, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
Until May 31, 2026
Laboratory of Lust at Kunsthaus Zurich revisits Félicien Rops, the provocateur from Namur whose decadent, erotic imagery scandalised the belle époque. Bringing together prints, drawings and rare works, the exhibition explores his unsettling blend of symbolism, satire and desire—still as provocative, troubling and compelling today as in his own time.
HISTORY & SCIENCE
Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, 3080 Tervuren
Until September 27, 2026
A section of the Congo Panorama by Alfred Bastien
Centred on the monumental painting created for the 1913 Ghent World Fair, this exhibition dissects how the image glorified Belgian colonial ambitions in the Congo – masking exploitation and resistance – juxtaposing original footage, archival materials and contemporary reflections.
Shed 4B, Tour & Taxis, Avenue du Port 86C, 1000 Brussels
Until July 19, 2026
An immersive tech exhibition where visitors experience Pompeii’s last tragic moments, in what its publicity promises is, “a breathtaking show that will leave you speechless.”
House of European History, Rue Belliard 135, 1000 Brussels
Until March 14, 2027
Postcolonial
An examination of Europe’s colonial legacy from its origins to the present, through artworks, objects and personal stories, exploring how power endured beyond empire and continues to shape societies today.
Shed 3, Tour & Taxis, Avenue du Port 86C, 1000 Brussels
Until June 30, 2026
Horizon of Khufu may seem like yet another virtual reality activity, but your blessed author found it a strangely affecting blend of spectacle and scholarship. The experience involves a journey inside the Great Pyramid, a visit to hidden chambers and an encounter with pharaonic mythology - with the help of a chirpy guide and a talking cat.
Liège-Guillemins railway station, Liège
Until July 5, 2026
Cleopatra was the original queen of drama, power and eyeliner. As both shrewd political strategist and timeless icon, she made Caesar swoon and Antony lose his marbles – and would later be endlessly reinterpreted by popular culture. In other words, she pioneered early celebrity influencer culture.
BELGIAN RAILWAYS UNDER OCCUPATION: BETWEEN COLLABORATION AND RESISTANCE
Train World, Prinses Elisabethplein 5, 1030 Schaarbeek
Until June 28, 2026
Belgian Railways Under Occupation at Train World
Trace how Belgium’s railways and railway workers navigated the dark years of Nazi occupation: photographs, artefacts and personal testimonies reveal stories of moral conflict, courage and survival.
MARY OF HUNGARY. ART & POWER IN THE RENAISSANCE
Royal Museum of Mariemont, Chaussée de Mariemont 100, 7140 Morlanwelz
Until May 10, 2026
Sister of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and governor of the Low Countries, Mary of Hungary made her palace in Binche and her pavilion in Mariemont. This exhibition uses paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings, manuscripts, gold and silverware, and archival documents from more than 40 institutions to plunge visitors into an imperial saga where art, history and diplomacy intertwine.
ASTON MARTIN - ELEGANCE IN MOTION
Autoworld, Parc du Cinquantenaire 11, 1000 Brussels
April 24 to June 21, 2026
Autoworld’s charts nearly a century of Aston Martin’s automotive design, from the 1925 Side Valve to the DB5 made famous by James Bond. Rare classics and modern icons sit side by side in a sleek tribute to performance, prestige and enduring grand touring elegance.
La Fonderie, Rue Ransfort 27, 1080 Brussels
Until June 28, 2026
Blending fiction and reality, La Fonderie throws visitors into the many challenges faced by migrants as they seek housing and recognised status in Belgium – or, in this case, Beldavia, an imaginary and surreal country where the language, culture, rules and laws are incomprehensible.
Royal Museum of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, 1000 Brussels
Until August 9, 2026
Flight exhibition
How do we defy gravity to hover in the clouds? From hummingbird to drone, peregrine falcon to the Concorde, this exhibition unravels the mystery of flight, exploring where nature meets technology.
OFFSIDE – FOOTBALL IN THE CITY
STAM, Godshuizenlaan 2, 9000 Ghent
Until May 26, 2026
Dive into nearly 150 years of football in Ghent–from playground kickabouts to women’s teams, legendary moments of KAA Gent, Kevin De Bruyne and everyday club stories - through jerseys, photos and video.
RESTORATION OF THE GHENT ALTARPIECE
Museum of Fine Arts Ghent (MSK), Fernand Scribedreef 1
9000 Ghent
Until December 31, 2026
The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb – the Ghent Altarpiece – was completed in 1432 by the Van Eyck brothers and is arguably the most important painting in the world. Seven panels are being restored in the MSK, and visitors can see the restorers of the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK) live at work, in the studio behind glass. The rest of the MSK is also worth checking out, of course.
DIVA, Suikerrui 17-19, 2000 Antwerp
Until November 8, 2026
Rings That Rock
Rings That Rock explores seven centuries of diamond rings, from royal symbols of power to intimate tokens of love. Blending historic masterpieces with contemporary design, the exhibition reveals how these small objects reflect shifting ideas of status, identity, emotion and craftsmanship.
DESIGNING CHILDHOOD. A HISTORY OF DESIGN FOR CHILDREN
Design Museum, Place de Belgique 1, 1020 Laeken
Until September 20, 2026
Designing Childhood, co-produced with the Centre Pompidou, traces a century of design for children. From early modernist furniture to playful plastic forms and contemporary eco-design, it explores how changing ideas about childhood shaped objects.
GALLERIES
IT COULD BE JAMES ON THE BEACH. IT COULD BE. IT COULD BE VERY FRESH AND CLEAR.
Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, Museumlaan 14, 9831 Deurle
Until May 17, 2026
It Could Be James Exhibition
A chance meeting between James Ensor and Albert Einstein anchors this solo show by Edith Dekyndt, curated by Martin Germann, tracing a quiet shift from colonial vision to atomic modernity.
ARNE QUINZE: IN THE CROSSFIRE - BRUTAL HARMONY AND THE FRAGILITY OF HOPE
Maruani Mercier, Avenue Louise 430, 1050 Brussels
Until May 23, 2026
Arne Quinze’s latest show explores the tension between uniformity and diversity. Through vibrant sculptures and paintings, he draws on nature’s multiplicity to challenge sterile urban sameness.
Hangar, 18 Place du Châtelain, 1050 Ixelles
Until May 17, 2026
The House exhibition
An immersive exhibition by Lee Shulman/The Anonymous Project at Hangar recreates a 1950s home using vintage family photos. It is coupled with a companion exhibition, Family Stories.
Abby, Begijnhofpark, 8500 Kortrijk
Until September 13, 2026
Belgian photographer and media artist Tom Callemin’s exhibition concludes six years of work snapping meticulously staged images, challenging how we read photographs and what we accept as truth.
Le Cadran, rue de Bruxelles 6, Liège
Until June 14, 2026
Work by Hugo Pratt
Thirty years after his death, Hugo Pratt remains one of Europe’s most influential storytellers, elevating comics into a literary, philosophical art form through his creation, Corto Maltese. This exhibition at Le Cadran, a former train station, immerses visitors in his world of travel, myth and history, with original drawings, watercolours and archives. Structured around themes of geography, geopolitics and narrative freedom, it blends art, literature and cinema, inviting visitors to “embark” on a journey through Pratt’s richly imagined universes and enduring cultural legacy.
Galerie Art and Design Productions, Wijngaardstraat 23, Kortrijk
Until June 7, 2026
Franco-American artist Miles Hyman bridges painting and literature, bringing a cinematic eye to memory and place. This exhibition offers an intimate journey through a world where images, stories and nostalgia quietly intertwine.
GEORGE RICKEY: ORDERED MOVEMENT
Maruani Mercier, Rue St-Georges 13, Ixelles
April 22 to June 6, 2026
George Rickey Meander, 1973.
Explore sculptor George Rickey’s precise, wind-driven works, where geometry and motion converge. This exhibition highlights his elegant kinetic sculptures, revealing a lifelong fascination with balance, space and subtle movement.
FESTIVALS AND OTHER EVENTS
Brussels and Ixelles
April 22 to May 2, 2026
The Brussels Short Film Festival takes place in five venues (Flagey, Vendôme, Cinema Galeries, The Marquee, Mont Des Arts) that showcase tiny cinematic masterpieces. Perfect for aspiring film critics and snack enthusiasts alike.
Across Brussels
May 9-10, 2026
The Iris Festival. Credit: agenda.brussels
Celebrate the Brussels region’s birthday with a weekend of free concerts, street performances, food trucks and other festivities.
Brussels Expo, Hall 5 Place de la Belgique 1, 1020 Brussels
April 23-26, 2026
A cornerstone of Europe’s contemporary art calendar, Art Brussels gathers around 150 international galleries at Brussels Expo, showcasing emerging and established artists across curated sections, with a strong focus on discovery, dialogue and cutting-edge artistic practice.
Around Brussels
April 25 to May 1, 2026
Hopla festival
Hopla! says it aims to build bridges between the circus and the city, the arts and their audience, through tightrope walkers crossing canals, trapeze artists spinning in plazas, and jugglers tossing on the streets.
Handelsbeurs, Borzestraat 31 2000 Antwerp
June 19-21, 2026
Bierpassie Weekend in Antwerp celebrates Belgium’s rich brewing culture, gathering dozens of brewers and hundreds of beers under the roof of the handsome Handelsbeurs. Tastings, talks and live music create a convivial showcase of tradition and innovation.
Waagnatie, Rijnkaai 150, 2000 Antwerp
May 14-17, 2026
Antwerpen proeft
One of Belgium's premier culinary festivals, Proeft brings together top chefs, rising talent and food lovers for a four-day culinary festival on the Scheldt. Sample signature dishes, join workshops and explore a mix of cuisines.
Central Brussels
May 16, 2026
Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Brussels Pride celebrates LGBTQIA+ rights and visibility, combining a colourful city-centre parade with a week of cultural events, debates and parties, bringing together communities and allies in a powerful, festive atmosphere.
BRUSSELS RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL AND OMMEGANG
Central Brussels
May 17 to July 4, 2026
Credit: Ommegang / Ville de Bruxelles
Step back into the splendour of 16th-century Brussels at the Brussels Renaissance Festival, a citywide programme of events, tours and performances. Celebrating the era of Charles V, it brings history vividly to life, culminating in the spectacular Ommegang procession on the Grand Place
Neder-Over-Heembeek Cemetery, Rue François Vekemans, Neder-Over-Heembeek
May 9-10, 2026
This year, it is the turn of Neder-Over-Heembeek Cemetery to become a space of discovery, with guided tours, cultural activities and themed events highlighting funerary heritage – where you might even find our intrepid cemeteries correspondent, Hugh Dow.
Brussels City centre
May 30, 2026
The Zinneke Parade in 2018. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
The Zinneke Parade returns, bringing Brussels’ streets alive with a surreal, community-driven celebration. Held every two years, this edition, themed Dream, promises a vibrant, imaginative procession reflecting the capital’s diversity, creativity and collective spirit.
Abbaye de la Cambre, Ixelles
May 8-10, 2026
Matrimiel honours ancestral knowledge passed through generations of women. Through workshops, performances and dialogue, it reconnects younger audiences with vanishing skills and stories, placing grandmothers at the centre of a living, shared cultural transmission.
The Mix Brussels, Boulevard du Souverain 25, Watermael-Boitsfort
June 4-7, 2026
The Rooms Art Fair returns to Mix Brussels, transforming hotel rooms into intimate gallery spaces. Around 30 exhibitors span contemporary and classical art, design and antiquities, fostering direct encounters with collectors and newcomers alike. Talks, curated ‘Mood Rooms’, and collaborations add to this convivial, accessible art fair experience.
MUSIC EVENTS
La Monnaie/De Munt, 23 Rue Léopold, 1000 Brussels
May 5 to 19, 2026
World premiere of Iain Bell’s opera, Medusa, which reimagines the Greek myth through a new score and libretto by Lydia Steier, fusing mythic drama and powerful vocal performance in an immersive contemporary staging
Asiat Park Mechelsesteenweg 255, 1800 Vilvoorde
May 14-16, 2026
Horst Arts & Music Festival blends electronic music with cutting-edge art and architecture in a striking outdoor setting in Vilvoorde, with immersive installations, bold stage design and a forward-thinking line-up.
Rue Royale/Koningsstraat 236, 1210 Saint-Josse-ten-Noode
May 14-31, 2026
Les Nuits Botaniques Credit: Fabian Braeckman
With an eclectic lineup of international and local artists, including Iliona, Ino Casablanca and Mura Masa, Les Nuits Botanique continues to champion the local Belgian music scene while showcasing globally renowned acts. This year sees the introduction of a single ticket, granting access to all venues for the day or evening.
Across Brussels
May 22-24, 2026
Credit: Brussels Jazz Weekend
Every year, at the end of May, the city transforms into a vibrant stage where jazz takes over every corner. For one unforgettable weekend, swing, bebop, and fusion beats fill the air, turning iconic spots like the Grand Place, Place Sainte-Catherine, and Place de la Bourse into lively open-air concert venues. Free, open to all, and pulsing with energy.
Middenvijver Park Blancefloerlaan, 2050 Antwerp
June 27-29, 2026
Middenvijver Park in Antwerp is the unlikely venue for this festival that has drawn some impressive names this year: Robbie Williams, Lykke Li, Johnny Marr, Nick Cave, Iron Maiden, Sugababes and Ozark Henry.
Parc d’Enghien, Avenue Elisabeth 7850 Enghien
July 10-11, 2026
Lasemo
Nile Rodgers, Vanessa Paradis, 2ManyDJs, Puggy, Alice on the Roof, Julien Doré and, er, Chantal Goya all feature in this three-day festival in the gorgeous Parc d’Enghien.
Concerts
- TORI AMOS Cirque Royale/Koninklijk Circus, Brussels, April 27, 2026
- PENTATONIX AFAS Dome, Antwerp April 28, 2026
- SWAN LAKE Cirque Royale/Koninklijk Circus, Brussels, May 2, 2026
- TAME IMPALA AFAS Dome, Antwerp, May 5, 2026
- OLIVIA DEAN Forest National, Brussels, May 8, 2026
- NE-YO & AKON AFAS Dome, Antwerp, May 17, 2026
- CARMINA BURANA Bozar, Brussels, May 17, 2026
- PUGGY Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, May 20, 2026
- TRICKY Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, May 24, 2026
- MADISON BEER Lotto Arena, Antwerp, May 28, 2026
- ZUCCHERO Lotto Arena, Antwerp, May 30, 2026
- ISMO Cirque Royale/Koninklijk Circus, Brussels, June 6, 2026
- MASSIVE ATTACK Forest National, Brussels, June 6, 2026
- KYLE DIXON & MICHAEL STEIN PERFORM THE MUSIC OF STRANGER THINGS, Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, June 10, 2026
- CABARET VOLTAIRE, Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, June 12, 2026
- GARBAGE OLT Rivierenhof, Deurne, June 13, 2026
- JACK WHITE Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, June 17, 2026
- GUNS N’ ROSES AFAS Dome, Antwerp, June 30, 2026
- ROBYN ING Arena, Brussels, June 30, 2026
- ALI WONG Stadsschouwburg, Antwerp, July 1, 2026
- JEFF GOLDBLUM & THE MILDRED SNITZER ORCHESTRA Koningin Elisabethzaal, Antwerp, July 7, 2026
SPORT AND OUTDOORS
Until May 3, 2026
Castle of Groot-Bijgaarden, Isidoor Van Beverenstraat 5, 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden
Credit: Floralia Brussels
For a few weeks, Groot-Bijgaarden's castle is overrun by tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other flowers, creating a beautiful spring walk in a spectacle of floral splendour (see separate article in this issue).
Hallerbos forest
From mid-April
Each spring, the Hallerbos forest near Halle is carpeted in vibrant purple-blue wild bluebells, usually peaking from mid-April to late April. For a brief window, the woodland glows like a fairy-tale sea of flowers under young beech leaves.
LIÈGE-BASTOGNE-LIÈGE CHALLENGE
Liège
April 25-26, 2026
The leading group pictured in the snow during the 102nd edition of the Liege-Bastogne-Liege one day cycling race, Sunday 24 April 2016, in Liege. Credit: Belga
Known as La Doyenne, this is one of the oldest and most challenging of one-day races. The race is on Sunday, April 26, but would-be Remco Evenepoels can try out the route in the Liège-Bastogne-Liège Challenge the day before, (or shorter variants at 80km and 155km that don’t reach Bastogne).
Brussels
May 31, 2026
Picture of runners at the 44th edition of the Brussels' 20km run, Sunday 26 May 2024 in Brussels. Credit: Belga/Hatim Kaghat
The 20km of Brussels returns, tracing a scenic yet punishing route through the capital. Starting in Cinquantenaire Park, runners sweep past landmarks and leafy boulevards before tackling the notorious climb up Avenue de Tervuren. An epic race that blends urban grandeur, green spaces and a formidable final test of endurance.
