Brussels Christmas market plans to go ahead despite new measures

Brussels Christmas market plans to go ahead despite new measures
The 2019 edition of Brussels' Winter Wonders Christmas market. Credit: Plaisirs d'Hivers/Winter Pret

Organisers of the Winter Wonders celebrations in Brussels this year are working with the City of Brussels to find new ways to hold the event after the latest update to Belgium's coronavirus fighting measures.

The festivities, which will take place from 26 November to 2 January, will now have to follow new rules set out by Belgium's Consultative Committee on Wednesday.

Under those new measures, outdoor events of over 100 people will require a Covid Safe Ticket (CST) with compulsory masks to go ahead.

"Following the latest declarations on health regulations, the City of Brussels and the organisers of Winter Wonders are studying several possibilities," the organisation announced on Facebook "Various plans and scenarios are on the table. Meetings are being held between the various interested parties. More news will follow as soon as possible."

Any new measures will build upon those already set out by the event, which already required face masks throughout the whole route in the heart of the city. The Christmas market itself will work with one-way walking systems and the city has said that if overcrowded, the Christmas market and the Grand Place can be closed off.

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Meanwhile, anyone aged over 16 who wants to enter the skating rink will have to present a CST to prove they are fully vaccinated, have recently tested negative or recovered from the virus in the past six months.

The Royal Decree, which contains the details of the introduction of the CST with compulsory masks for outdoor events of more than 100 people, has yet to be published. The measure will come into force on Saturday.


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