The future of the iconic Zinneke Parade, a biennial cultural and social event in Brussels, is under threat due to political gridlock and the absence of a fully functioning regional Brussels Government.
The organisation behind the parade issued a statement on Monday, warning that the political and budgetary uncertainties in the Brussels-Capital Region make it impossible to plan ahead. They called for the parade to be structurally included in the region’s budget.
The organisation said it currently lacks a "structural guarantee" to secure the project’s continuity. This jeopardises not only a "recognised cultural tradition," but also the "social fabric" of the city, according to the statement.
First launched in 2000, the Zinneke Parade is described as a "driving force for Brussels’ social and cultural dynamics" and a "workshop for living together."
The Zinneke Parade in 2018. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
Its disappearance, organisers argue, would be "a significant loss at a time when Brussels needs connection and solidarity more than ever."
The association stressed that the issue extends beyond finances. Ensuring the continuity of the parade is also about preserving "a collective process that highlights Brussels’ diversity, creativity, and solidarity."
They urged the regional government to provide "a strong and lasting commitment" and to send "a clear signal: the Zinneke Parade belongs to everyone."
Every two years, the event brings together up to 140 partner organisations, 150 artists, and around 2,000 participants. It also draws between 40,000 and 80,000 spectators to the streets of Brussels.
In the Brussels dialect, "Zinneke" means a mixed-breed or mongrel dog, and is taken from the dialect word for the River Senne (Zinne). It was a nickname given to stray dogs which were destined to be drowned in the river to combat a rat problem in 16th century Brussels.
It is also became a nickname for people of mixed or diverse origins living in Brussels.
