Monday marks 21 July, Belgium's National Day, which will see public services close their doors and most people getting a day off, but most importantly: large-scale festivities taking place in the country's capital. The Brussels Times will have a stall, next to the Woodpecker Parc Royal - if you come along you can register for our prize draw. Prizes range from meals for two, leisure vouchers, and hotel stays.
Various events are planned across the country, with the biggest spectacles set to take place in Brussels.
As National Day is a bank holiday, public services, most shops and all banks will remain closed (online banking remains possible). Postal services are also closed for the day, meaning no letters, packages or newspapers will be delivered.
However, some institutions, as well as places of worship and museums, are open to visitors for free.
Last year, 100,000 people turned out to enjoy the celebrations, and around a million people watched the festivities on television.
Belgium's King Philippe. Credit: Belga / Jonas Roosens
What is Belgium celebrating?
Belgian National Day commemorates the swearing-in of the first king of the Belgians, Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, in 1831.
The country gained independence on 4 October 1830 after the Belgian Revolution – the armed uprising against King William I of Orange-Nassau (King of the Netherlands). When the National Congress decided to make Belgium a kingdom, it also decided to celebrate the nation's birth.
Leopold I – a German prince and widower of the British Crown Princess Charlotte – was chosen as Belgium's king. He had good ties with the United Kingdom and maintained good relations with the Rothschild banking family, which financed the monarchy.
Leopold entered Belgium on 16 July 1831, visiting De Panne on the coast and cities such as Bruges and Ghent, before being crowned on the Place Royale in Brussels. He married Louise Marie, daughter of the French king Louis-Philippe, in 1832.
Activities and events in Brussels
The festivities already started on Sunday evening at Place du Jeu de Balle in the Marolles district, where the Bal National kicked off at 19:30, with free concerts by Belgian artists. This event usually draws a large crowd
On Monday, the festivities continue at Place du Jeu de Balle as the square is transformed into the Resto National – Brussels' largest restaurant. On the menu are moules-frites (and veggie balls in tomato sauce for vegetarians).
The typical Belgian feast will be accompanied by accordions, a brass band and majorettes to provide entertainment. Afterwards, it's time to dance and sing again with Bruxelles Zingt.
Every year, several official ceremonies and events also involve the royal family, who always start the National Day by attending the traditional performance of the Catholic hymn of Te Deum in Brussels' St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral.
From left to right: Princess Eleonore, Prince Gabriel, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, King Philippe, Crown Princess Elisabeth and Prince Emmanuel after the Te Deum mass, in Brussels, Sunday 21 July 2024. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
From 16:00 to 17:40, the traditional military and civilian parade will take place on the Place des Palais. This year, the focus is on two anniversaries: 50 years of women in the armed forces, and 80 years since the end of the Second World War.
Visitors are invited to watch the parade from the Rue Royale, starting from Boulevard du Jardin Botanique. Due to construction work at the Schuman traffic circle, the parade will not pass through the Rue de la Loi this year.
Hundreds of soldiers, including veterans, will take part in the parade, and motorised vehicles and military aircraft will be on display. Spectators will have the chance to see several generations of defence vehicles, including examples from the Second World War.
The civilian parade will include police, customs and civil security officers and firefighters.
Military personnel takes part in the military and civilian parade on the Belgian National Day, in Brussels, Friday 21 July 2023. Credit: Belga/Jan De Meuleneir
From 10:00 until 20:00, there will also be dozens of activities for young and old at the Parc de Bruxelles (next to the Royal Palace).
For the fourth year running, a 'National Sports Day' will be held in the park, with introductory and advanced workshops in a range of sports, from pétanque to martial arts. The bandstand in the heart of the park will become a stage for free concerts.
A wide range of stands will also run activities: the Prince Laurent Foundation is organising treasure hunts, tombolas and more. Elsewhere, visitors can enjoy a massage from the Association Belge des Praticiens en Massage Assis, or visit the stand of the Museum of Illusions, where they can try solving a giant puzzle.
The full programme can be found here.
Credit: Brussels-Capitale/Ixelles police zone
Institutions, places of worship and museums will open to the public, including the Federal Parliament, the Court of Audit, the Church of Saint-Jacques-op-Koudenberg, the Korean Cultural Centre, Square Brussels, Eglise Notre Dame des Victoires and the Grande Synagogue.
Visitors will be able to stroll through the Palace of the Nation at their own pace, past the monumental grand staircases and historic committee rooms. Children can search for hidden Smurfs, and those who pay close attention will receive a small gift at the end.
In the evening, the Parc du Cinquantenaire will be the setting for the finale of the holiday: starting at 21:00, the free 'Belgian Party' concert will feature performances by Axelle Red, Roméo Elvis, K3, Kids With Buns, Lost Frequencies, Netsky and others.
At 22:30, there will be a closing show with drones, lasers and fireworks, accompanied by a DJ set. At 23:00, the day will end with the traditional fireworks display.
Public transport
Due to traffic congestion, the police are advising those coming to the capital on Monday to use public transport to get to the city centre.
Like every year, the four metro lines (1, 2, 5 and 6) will be reinforced, with metros running every 7.5 minutes until the end of service on each line – meaning that there will be a metro every 3 minutes and 45 seconds between Beekkant and Merode, and between Simonis and Elisabeth.
In the evening, some 100,000 people are expected in the Parc du Cinquantenaire for the closing Belgian Party. The park can be reached via the Schuman and Merode stations. The last metro will pass through there at 0:50, with a guaranteed connection to lines 2 and 6 in Arts-Loi.
Fireworks at the concert 'Belgium Celebrates - Belgie viert feest - La Belgique fait la fete' event, at the Parc du Cinquantenaire in Brussels, Friday 21 July 2023. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
Seven tram lines (lines 4, 7, 9, 10, 19, 25 and 81) will also run later, with last departures between 01:00 and 01:15. The trams on lines 4 and 10 will make their last departure around 01:00 at De Brouckère. In Montgomery, the last tram will run at around 00:50 on lines 7 and 25. In Merode, tram 81 will also make a last journey at around 01:00.
Lines 81 and 93 will be reinforced, with a tram every 8 minutes until the end of service. Lines 39 and 44 will also be reinforced with a tram every 15 minutes from 18:00 onwards.
Additionally, 13 bus lines will also run later – until between 01:00 and 01:30, depending on the line. These are lines 29, 36, 38, 49, 54, 56, 59, 60, 64, 71, 80, 87 and 95.
Some lines will be adjusted during the day to accommodate the festivities. More detailed information is available on the STIB/MIVB website.
Expected traffic disruptions
As every year, various traffic measures will be in place during the festival weekend, with many streets and squares closed off. The biggest disruption is expected around the Place des Palais, which closed in the morning of 19 July and will only reopen around 18:00 on Tuesday 22 July.
From the evening of 20 July until around 15:00 on 22 July, Place Poelaert will be closed as well, including the Poelaert exit of the Stephanietunnel.
From 05:00 until after the end of the festivities, all traffic (including buses and trams) will be prohibited in Rue des Quatre-Bras, Rue de la Régence and all side streets, Place du Grand and Petit Sablon and all side streets, Rue Royale (between Rue de la Loi and Place Royale), Place Royale, Rue Montagne de la Cour, Coudenberg, Rue du Mont des Arts, Rue Ravenstein, Rue de l’Industrie, Rue de la Science and Rue Ducale (between Rue de la Loi and Trône).
For the parade, the Parc metro station will be closed from 09:00, and from 12 noon until around midnight, the Cinquantenaire tunnel, the Arts-Loi tunnel and the Reyerstunnel will be closed from the E40 motorways towards the city centre. Traffic will also be prohibited in the Boulevard du Jardin Botanique/Place Rogier/Albert II area between these times.
