If it's not battlefields, bureaucracy and beer that put Belgium on the global map, its thriving music culture is certainly a claim to international fame. Though some local stars have made their name on the world stage, the country is better known as a fertile cradle for musical innovations that shape bigger trends.
With its festivals, record labels, and fans, the Belgian "scene" has on countless occasions swung the course of cultural progress, serving up the creative cocktails that we subsequently see as pivotal moments.
Much of what makes this such a rich land for musical exploration is the diversity packed into so small a space. To give a recent example: on Friday I met a friend in a bar throbbing with dub vibrations; he then sang Bach in a choral ensemble and we ended up jumping to drum and bass until the early hours. Not only does Belgium blend sounds from across the continent, disparate styles coexist – nay, harmonise – in an enthralling spirit of "anything goes".
But keeping track of what's on can be a challenge. Think of all the close encounters with musical history that unfolded just around the corner and you only heard about after the event...
Alternatively you could spare yourself the FOMO and peruse our monthly gig guide for a selection of noteworthy dates that you might want to pencil into your diary (or grab a ticket before they sell out). The list highlights home-grown talent and acts from further afield and focuses on live music.
Quite probably you won't have heard of most of the names. But rest assured that this invaluable cheat sheet will prove its worth when in a few years they hit the mainstream and you can recall that night at Botanique when you witnessed the birth of something big.
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1. The Brussels Times Gig Guide: What are the best concerts this April?
We have selected the best concerts and gigs in Brussels that you and your friends should not miss this April. Read more.
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The cloudy, rainy weather is expected to hang over Belgium for a few more days, but there is light at the end of the tunnel, as by the end of the week, temperatures are predicted to soar. Read more.
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5. Too hot and no atmosphere: 'Belgian' exoplanet TRAPPIST-1B is not inhabitable
The "Belgian" exoplanet TRAPPIST-1b – some 39.5 light years from Earth and outside our own solar system – is too hot to be inhabitable and likely does not have a significant atmosphere, new data collected by the James Webb telescope suggests. Read more.
6. Supermarket inflation at lowest level in two years
The inflation seen in Belgian supermarkets is levelling out, bringing the chance of long-anticipated stability, a recent analysis of grocery prices has shown. But many products remain significantly more expensive than two years ago. Read more.
7. Hidden Belgium: The church where Stromae spent his honeymoon
It might strike some people as an almighty sin. But a 19th-century Franciscan church in Mechelen has been turned into a stylish hotel. When it opened in 2009, Martin’s Paterhof was the first church in Belgium to occupy a former church.Read more.
