Since last Thursday, Brussels commuters have been getting a surprise on board bus 48 from Annessens to Decroly.
STIB has temporarily replaced the usual stop announcements with versions spoken in the Brussels dialect, adding a humorous and local twist to daily rides.
The initiative is part of the Weik van ’t Brussels, the annual celebration dedicated to promoting the city’s dialect and cultural identity.
Passengers can discover words like "Marollen" or "Zuid" pronounced with a distinctly Brusseleir flair. It is a Brabantian Dutch dialect heavily influenced by French and with Spanish loanwords.
'Den Brusseleir' on the mic
To pull off this playful stunt, STIB enlisted the help of well-known Brussels content creator Dean Raey, more commonly known online as “Den Brusseleir”.
He made a name for himself with viral videos celebrating Brussels culture and dialect.
The Brussels dialect, once widely spoken across working-class neighbourhoods, now survives thanks to passionate speakers, theatre groups and cultural organisations.
And for a few days, thanks to bus 48, it also lives on through the speakers of Brussels public transport — to the delight of locals who savour hearing "their Brussels" out loud again.
The initiative is part of the Weik van ’t Brussels, which features exhibitions, concerts, guided tours and the election of the Brusseleir van ’t Joêr (the Brussels person of the year).
It runs until Saturday 29 November. As you may have heard, STIB – like the other public transport operators in Belgium – will be on strike on Monday 24, Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26. But you can still enjoy some old Brusseleir from Thursday!
