The Brussels Times Magazine selects the best current and upcoming events and exhibitions.
ART EVENTS
BANAD
Events across Brussels, March 14-29, 2026
Banad Festival
The Brussels Art Nouveau & Art Deco (BANAD) festival, spanning three weekends, provides rare access to the capital’s Art Nouveau and Art Deco gems through guided outdoor tours, concerts, lectures, events and activities. This tenth edition of the BANAD Festival features around 60 buildings, 52% of which are Art Nouveau, 33% Art Deco and 16% Modernist (most of the latter have never been opened before).
BELLEZZA E BRUTTEZZA
Bozar, Rue Ravenstein 23, 1000 Brussels. Until June 14, 2026
Subtitled Beauty and Ugliness in the Renaissance, Bellezza e Bruttezza explores how artists from Italy and Northern Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries depicted these extremes, from refined ideals to deliberate grotesques. A rare opportunity to see extraordinary works, some appearing in Belgium for the first and only time.
ECHOES OF DREAMS. SYMBOLISM IN BRUSSELS
Maison Hannon, Ave de la Jonction 1, 1060 Saint-Gilles. Until April 19, 2026
Echoes of Elegance by Maison Hannon
The Maison Hannon, itself an Art Nouveau masterpiece, is hosting this exhibition on Belgian and French Symbolism at the turn of the 20th century. Includes works by Victor Rousseau, Fernand Khnopff, Charles van der Stappen, George Minne and Jef Lambeaux.
LANCIA 120 YEARS
Autoworld, Parc du Cinquantenaire 11, 1000 Brussels. February 27 to April 19, 2026
Celebrate 120 years of Lancia’s automotive creativity and engineering at this special exhibition: a dozen legendary models – from early innovations like the Lambda to rally icons – showcase Italian design and technical excellence.
DESIGN AND COMICS: LIVING IN A BOX
Design Museum Brussels, Place de la Belgique 1, 1020 Brussels. Until March 1, 2026
A look at design and its relationship to the world of comics. From the emergence of comic strips in the early 20th century, to Hergé, superheroes, graphic novels and manga, they reflected the design of the period – and influenced it too.
EARLY GAZE
FOMU, Waalsekaai 47, 2000 Antwerp. Until March 1, 2026
Photos from "Photography from the 19th Century", a richly produced volume edited by Tamara Berghmans and Ingrid Leonard.
Belgians were early enthusiasts for photography in the 19th century, experimenting with new techniques, settings and styles for the nascent art form, as this exhibition shows (see separate article).
LOISIRS-PLEZIER BRUSSELS 1920-1940
Maison Autrique, Chaussée de Haecht 266, 1030 Schaerbeek Until April 4, 2026
Step back into the exuberant interwar years as Maison Autrique charts how Brussels rushed into speed, jazz, cinema and radio through posters, photos and objects by designers like Magritte and Lucien De Roeck.
HISTORY & SCIENCE
THE CONGO PANORAMA
Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, 3080 Tervuren. Until September 27, 2026
A section of the Congo Panorama by Alfred Bastien
Centred on the monumental painting created for the 1913 Ghent World Fair, this exhibition dissects how the image glorified Belgian colonial ambitions in the Congo – masking exploitation and resistance – juxtaposing original footage, archival materials and contemporary reflections.
THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII
Terminal 1, Brussels Expo, Place de Belgique 1, 1020 Brussels. Until March 15, 2026
The first of two Pompeii exhibitions in Brussels, this one uses virtual reality to recreate life in the doomed Roman city before the eruption of the volcano Vesuvius in AD79.
BACK TO POMPEII
Shed 4B, Tour & Taxis, Avenue du Port 86C, 1000 Brussels. Until July 19, 2026
This Pompeii exhibition also uses immersive tech to help visitors experience the city’s last tragic moments, in what its publicity promises is “a breathtaking show that will leave you speechless.”
CLEOPATRA SUPERSTAR
Liège-Guillemins railway station, Liège. Until July 5, 2026
Cleopatra exhibition @ Liege
Cleopatra was the original queen of drama, power and eyeliner. As both shrewd political strategist and timeless icon, she made Caesar swoon and Antony lose his marbles – and would later be endlessly reinterpreted by popular culture. In other words, she pioneered early celebrity influencer culture.
BELGIAN RAILWAYS UNDER OCCUPATION: BETWEEN COLLABORATION AND RESISTANCE
Train World, Prinses Elisabethplein 5, 1030 Schaarbeek. Until June 28, 2026
Trace how Belgium’s railways and railway workers navigated the dark years of Nazi occupation (see separate article in this issue): photographs, artefacts and personal testimonies reveal stories of moral conflict, courage and survival.
MARY OF HUNGARY. ART & POWER IN THE RENAISSANCE
Royal Museum of Mariemont, Chaussée de Mariemont 100, 7140 Morlanwelz. Until May 10, 2026
Mary of Hungary
Sister of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and governor of the Low Countries, Mary of Hungary made her palace in Binche and her pavilion in Mariemont. This exhibition uses paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings, manuscripts, gold and silverware, and archival documents from more than 40 institutions to plunge visitors into an imperial saga where art, history and diplomacy intertwine.
BELDAVIA
La Fonderie, Rue Ransfort 27, 1080 Brussels
Until June 28, 2026 La Fonderie blends fiction and reality for an exhibition that throws visitors into the many challenges faced by migrants as they seek housing and recognised status in Belgium – or, in this case, Beldavia, an imaginary and surreal country where the language, culture, rules and laws are incomprehensible.
FLIGHT
Royal Museum of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, 1000 Brussels. Until August 9, 2026
Flight exhibition
How do we defy gravity to hover in the clouds? From hummingbird to drone, peregrine falcon to the Concorde, this exhibition unravels the mystery of flight, exploring where nature meets technology.
OFFSIDE – FOOTBALL IN THE CITY
STAM, Godshuizenlaan 2, 9000 Ghent. Until May 26, 2026
Dive into nearly 150 years of football in Ghent–from playground kickabouts to women’s teams, legendary moments of KAA Gent, Kevin De Bruyne and everyday club stories - through jerseys, photos and video.
RESTORATION OF THE GHENT ALTARPIECE
Museum of Fine Arts Ghent (MSK), Fernand Scribedreef 1 9000 Ghent. Until December 31, 2026
The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb – the Ghent Altarpiece – was completed in 1432 by the Van Eyck brothers, and is arguably the most important painting in the world. Seven panels are being restored in the MSK, and visitors can see the restorers of the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage(KIK) live at work, in the studio behind glass.
ART EXHIBITIONS
MAGRITTE. LA LIGNE DE VIE
KMSKA, Leopold de Waelplaats 1, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium. Until February 22, 2026
Back in 1938, René Magritte gave a lecture so surreal it could have melted clocks if Dali hadn’t already done that. Now, thanks to AI, his voice returns to guide you through his own mysteries: apples, clouds, doors, and existential dread.
ALICJA KWADE: DUSTY DIE
M Leuven, Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 28, 3000, Leuven. Until February 22, 2026
Scultpture by German-Polish artist Alicja Kwade
German-Polish artist Alicja Kwade is known for her provocative sculptures and installations, blending science, philosophy and art to study ideas of time, chance and gravity.
NICOLA MAGRIN – DEL CIELO E DELLA TERRA
Fondation Folon, Drève de la Ramée, 1310 La Hulpe. Until March 1, 2026
Italian painter Nicola Magrin’s wild watercolour landscapes, with sweeping skies, solitary figures and delicate blues, evoke journeys both real and imagined.
REPOSE EXPOSE COUNTERPOSE
Fondation A, Avenue van Volxem 304, 1190 Brussels Until May 17, 2026
RePose ExPose CounterPose
A retrospective of artist Tarrah Krajnak’s reworking of photography and performance, using her own body to explore issues like power, race, labour and authorship.
IT COULD BE JAMES ON THE BEACH. IT COULD BE. IT COULD BE VERY FRESH AND CLEAR.
Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, Museumlaan 14, 9831 Deurle. Until May 17, 2026
A chance meeting between James Ensor and Albert Einstein anchors this solo show by Edith Dekyndt, curated by Martin Germann, tracing a quiet shift from colonial vision to atomic modernity.
ROBERT DOISNEAU. INSTANTS DONNEES
La Boverie, Parc de la Boverie, 4020 Liège/ Until April 19, 2026
Le Baiser de l'Hôtel de Ville by Robert Doisneau
The most comprehensive exhibition ever devoted to Robert Doisneau celebrates one of the 20th century’s greatest photographers. The retrospective will bring together nearly 400 images, from 1934 to 1992 – including Le Baiser de l'Hôtel de Ville, perhaps the most romantic photo ever taken.
FIRE
Boghossian Foundation – Villa Empain, Avenue Franklin Roosevelt, 67, 1050 Ixelles. Until March 1, 2026
Works by some 50 modern and contemporary artists explore the elemental power, symbolism and dual nature of fire – from hearth to inferno, smoke to spark – across painting, sculpture, video, installation and tapestry.
UNFORGETTABLE: WOMEN ARTISTS FROM ANTWERP TO AMSTERDAM, 1600–1750
MSK Gent, Fernand Scribedreef 1, 9000 Ghent. Until May 31, 2026
Unforgettable women artists
Although they played a vital role in the artistic life of the Low Countries between 1600 and 1750, women have been largely ignored by classical art history. This exhibition aims to show they were anything but rare or unknown, and includes works by, among others, Louise Hollandine, Judith Leyster, Alida Withoos and Clara Peeters.
THE HOUSE
Hangar, 18 Place du Châtelain, 1050 Ixelles. Until May 17, 2026
An immersive exhibition by Lee Shulman/The Anonymous Project at Hangar recreates a 1950s home using vintage family photos. It is coupled with a companion exhibition, Family Stories.
FUGUE
Galerie La Patinoire Royale Bach, Rue Veydt 15, 1060 Saint-Gilles. Until March 28, 2026
Fugue
New paintings by Antoine Carbonne immerse viewers in shifting, enveloping landscapes, where perception unfolds in motion and layers.
TOM CALLEMIN: DOUBLE REALITY
Abby, Begijnhofpark, 8500 Kortrijk April 3 to September 13, 2026
Belgian photographer and media artist Tom Callemin’s exhibition concludes six years of work snapping meticulously staged images, challenging how we read photographs and what we accept as truth.
EARTH NOT A GLOBE
Contretype, Cité Fontainas, 4 A 1060 Brussels. Until March 22, 2026
Brussels photographer Philippe Braquenier presents disturbing images that play on conspiracy theories and artificial intelligence, using the flat Earth theory as a starting point. Part of the PhotoBrussels Festival.
FESTIVALS
ANIMA FESTIVAL
Flagey, Place Sainte-Croix, 1050 Ixelles / Marni, Rue de Vergnies, 25 - 1050 Ixelles. February 20 to March 1, 2026
The Brussels International Animation Film Festival, or Anima, held mainly at Flagey and Marni will hold its 45th edition, showing more than 150 films spread over more than 100 screenings for festivalgoers young and old at Flagey, Marni and Cinematek as well as in a dozen towns across Wallonia and Flanders.
HUMAN PASSIONS I ANTOINE GOLDSCHMIDT
Pavilion of Human Passions, Cinquantenaire Park, 1000 Brussels. Until March 8, 2026
Human Passions by Jef Lambeaux
Exceptional evening openings at the historic Horta Pavilion in the Cinquantenaire Park, where you can experience Jef Lambeaux’s scandalous and monumental relief through Antoine Goldschmidt’s immersive light and music projection.
RIVER JAZZ FESTIVAL
Jazz Station, Marni and The Senghor. March 13 to 28, 2026
With 16 concerts in three intimate venues - Jazz Station, Marni and The Senghor – the River Jazz Festival celebrates vibrant local and European jazz in a convivial spring atmosphere.
MADE IN ASIA
Brussels Expo, Place de Belgique 1, 1020 Laeken. February 28 to March 1, 2026
The massive anime and manga event occupies five exhibition halls in Heysel's iconic Brussels Expo. Credit: Salon Made in Asia/Facebook
A festival for fans of manga, anime, video games, YouTubers and cosplay – as well as Asian fast food like onigiri and mochis. Guests include French cosplayer Aokiji, YouTuber Alex San and Dragon Ball animator Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru.
UP FESTIVAL
Venues across Brussels March 19-29, 2026
The Up Festival transforms venues across Brussels with 26 bold contemporary circus shows and 71 performances. Expect visceral, inventive and socially engaged physical theatre and spectacle that thrills, questions and connects audiences.
KLARA FESTIVAL
Bozar, Flagey, Kaaitheatre. March 20 to 29, 2026
Klara Festival
An annual international festival focusing on classical, contemporary, and avant-garde music, Klara includes orchestral performances, chamber music, opera and multimedia projects. This 21st edition includes Abel Selaocoe, Alexandre Kantorow and Yuja Wang.
SUPERNOVA
Waagnatie Expo, Rijnkaai 150, 2000 Antwerp. March 23-29, 2026
SuperNova sells itself as “Belgium’s leading inspiration festival focused on the business of tomorrow,” where visionaries, founders, and investors apparently collide to shape what’s next. The highlight of this year’s festival is An Evening With Arnold Schwarzenegger, where the Hollywood superstar and former California Governor will speak about
BROSELLA SPRING FESTIVAL
Volta, Rue Osseghem 55, 1080 Molenbeek-Saint-Jean. March 25-28, 2026
Credit: Brosella Spring Festival
The Brosella Spring Festival jazz series returns to Volta in Molenbeek: four nights of contemporary Belgian jazz, featuring live concerts and DJ sets spotlighting new projects and album releases in an intimate club atmosphere.
LEUVEN JAZZ
Venues across Leuven. March 26-30, 2026
Leuven’s annual jazz jamboree showcases a diverse lineup of international and local artists in venues across the city. With concerts, jam sessions, and workshops, the festival creates a dynamic and immersive experience for jazz enthusiasts of all ages.
LA FOIRE DU LIVRE DE BRUXELLES
Tour & Taxis, Avenue du Port 86C, 1000 Brussels. March 26-20, 2026
La Foire du Livre, the Brussels book fair, gathers publishers, editors and authors from French-speaking countries and regions to sell copies, sign books and debate literature.
PASSA PORTA
Venues across the city. March 28-30, 2026
The Passa Porta Festival’s tenth edition, entitled Ghosts, will bring together authors, musicians, artists and actors at venues like Ancienne Belgique, La Bellone, Beursschouwburg, De Munt/La Monnaie, and Théâtre National.
BIFFF
Brussels Expo, Palace 10, Place de Belgique 1, 1020 Laeken. April 3-18, 2026
Credit: BIFFF
The BIFFF, the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, will screen more than a hundred features and shorts from horror, sci-fi, mystery and other fantasy genres, with guests, debates and exhibitions promised.
FESTIVAL HYBRID
140, 140 Avenue Eugène Plasky, 1030 Schaerbeek. April 9 to 29, 2026
An unclassifiable festival exploring beyond the stage artistic expressions combining digital, play and reflection. In partnership with La Médiathèque Nouvelle, les Halles de Schaerbeek, the Frames Festival, and many others, Hybrid' will be a space for exchange.
FACTS
Flanders Expo, Ghent. April 11-12, 2026
A celebration of comics, manga, cosplay, gaming, films, series, sci-fi and fantasy, bringing thousands of geeks to the vast Flanders Expo exhibition centre, many dressing up as their favourite characters.
BRUSSELS SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
Brussels and Ixelles. April 22 to May 2, 2026
Credit: Brussels Short Film Festival
The Brussels Short Film Festival takes place in five venues (Flagey, Vendôme, Cinema Galeries, The Marquee, Mont Des Arts) that showcase tiny cinematic masterpieces. Perfect for aspiring film critics and snack enthusiasts alike.
PERFORMANCE
COEUR DE PIRATE
Ancienne Belgique, Blvd Anspach 110, 1000 Brussels. March 4, 2026
Montreal’s beguiling chanteuse blends heartfelt French-language pop with piano-led melodies, intimate storytelling, emotive vocals and elegant arrangements.
DARA Ó BRIAIN
Cirque Royale/Koninklijk Circus, Rue de l'Enseignement 81, 1000 Brussels. March 4, 2026
Dara Ó Briain
Ireland’s quick-witted comedy powerhouse Dara Ó Briain brings his razor-sharp humour and masterful storytelling to Brussels.
HANS ZIMMER LIVE
AFAS Dome, Schijnpoortweg 119, 2170 Antwerp. March 19, 2026
The score king’s new show, The Next Level, promises groundbreaking electronic soundscapes, breathtaking light productions, and – perhaps – the Dark Knight, Gladiator and Inception themes. For hardcore Zimmerphiles, there is an Interstellar Live concert – the entire sci-fi flick soundtrack, sans Hans – performed by the PhilZuid orchestra at Forest National on April 25 and 26.
PROFESSOR BRIAN COX
Cirque Royale, Rue de l'Enseignement 81, 1000 Brussels. April 1, 2026
Brian Cox
An immersive new live science experience and world tour from the acclaimed physicist behind Horizons, Cox’s Emergence blends cosmology, biology, history and philosophy with stunning visuals and sound to explore how the universe’s complexity arises from simple laws.
FRANZ FERDINAND
Forest National, Avenue Victor Rousseau 208, 1190 Forest. April 3, 2026
Iconic indie rockers Franz Ferdinand bring their sharp riffs, dance-floor energy and anthemic hits to the stage. While promoting their new album, The Human Fear, they will obviously play crowd favourites like Take Me Out.
LAURIE ANDERSON WITH SEXMOB - REPUBLIC OF LOVE
Bozar, Rue Ravenstein 23, 1000 Brussels. April 10, 2026
Avant-garde pioneer Laurie Anderson, the American composer, performer and multimedia artist behind O Superman, brings her Republic of Love live show to Europe in Spring 2026 with Sexmob, blending experimental music, spoken word and electronic performance.
SWAN LAKE
Lotto Arena, Schijnpoortweg 119, 2170 Antwerp. April 3 // Forest National, Avenue Victor Rousseau 208, 1190 Forest. April 17
Swan Lake
Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece, with breathtaking choreography, this is the tragic, magical story of Prince Siegfried and the enchanted swan-princess Odette.
AMADEUS: A REQUIEM OF LOVE
Brussels, Louvain-la-Neuve, Liège, Ghent, Antwerp, Hasselt. April 18 to 25
A music and dance spectacular performance by the Szeged Contemporary Dance Company, exploring the life of Mozart through the eyes of the women in his life. Touring in Belgium through this spring with an international cast, combining poetic dance with projections.
CANDACE BUSHNELL
Stadsschouwburg Antwerp, Theaterplein 1, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium. April 21, 2026
Candace Bushnell
Subtitled ‘True Tales of Sex, Success and Sex and the City’, this one-woman show gives the creator of Carrie Bradshaw a chance to reminisce about dating, New York, parties and Jimmy Choos.
ERIC CLAPTON
AFAS Dome, Schijnpoortweg 119, 2170 Antwerp. April 26, 2026
Once nicknamed God, now more reliably mortal. Clapton’s latest outing offers careful blues, unhurried tempos and impeccably preserved solos.
PAUL SIMON
Bozar, Rue Ravenstein 23, 1000 Brussels. April 27 to 30, 2026
A master storyteller of modern music, Paul Simon returns to the stage with an intimate concert spanning six decades. From Graceland to Bridge Over Troubled Water to his 2023 Seven Psalms, expect elegant musicianship, warmth and songs that shaped generations.
ROSALÍA
AFAS Dome, Schijnpoortweg 119, 2170 Antwerp. April 27, 2026
Rosalia
Spain’s genre-blending pop powerhouse Rosalía brings her Lux Tour 2026 arena show to life with bold, immersive performances. Expect dramatic staging, fiery vocals and global hits live on stage.
PENTATONIX
AFAS Dome, Schijnpoortweg 119, 2170 Antwerp. April 28, 2026
A cappella sensations Pentatonix will bring soaring five-part harmonies, inventive arrangements and crowd-pleasing hits, including reimagined pop favourites.
TAME IMPALA
AFAS Dome, Schijnpoortweg 119, 2170 Antwerp. May 5, 2026
Kevin Parker’s psychedelic pop phenomenon returns with a live show of swirling synths, fuzzed-out guitars and euphoric hooks. Expect immersive visuals, deep grooves and songs that blur indie rock, disco and dream-pop into one blissed-out experience.
MEDUSA, BY IAIN BELL
La Monnaie/De Munt, 23 Rue Léopold, 1000 Brussels. May 5 to 19, 2026
Medusa
World premiere of Iain Bell’s opera, Medusa, which reimagines the Greek myth through a new score and libretto by Lydia Steier, fusing mythic drama and powerful vocal performance in an immersive contemporary staging
CARMINA BURANA
Bozar, Rue Ravenstein 23, 1000 Brussels. May 17, 2026
Carmina Burana and Bolero collide in one event: 160 performers – choirs and a full symphony orchestra – ignite the Carl Orff masterpiece (and includes Maurice Ravel’s Bolero). Also at Capitole Gent on April 12 and Stadsschouwburg Antwerp on May 3.
SPORT AND OUTDOORS
FLORALIA
Castle of Groot-Bijgaarden, Isidoor Van Beverenstraat 5, 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden. April 3 to May 3, 2026
For a few weeks, Groot-Bijgaarden's castle is overrun by tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other flowers, creating a beautiful spring walk in a spectacle of floral splendour. Flower fans should also check out the bluebells at the Hallerbos, around the same time.
TOUR OF FLANDERS/WE RIDE FLANDERS
Across Flanders. April 4-5, 2026
Tour of Flanders. Credit: Belga
Widely recognised as the world’s premier one-day cycle race, the Tour of Flanders starts in the Bruges Grote Markt and covers some 242km across the Flemish Ardennes and steep hills like the epic Geraardsbergen, before finishing in Oudenaarde. The race is on Sunday, April 5, but would-be Remco Evenepoels can test the route the day before in the We Ride Flanders festival, with the full version and shorter distances (80km, 144km, 177km) that start and finish in Oudenaarde.
HALLERBOS BLUEBELLS
Hallerbos forest. From mid-April
The Hallerbos in Halle. Credit: Belga/ Nicolas Maeterlinck
Each spring, the Hallerbos forest near Halle is carpeted in vibrant purple-blue wild bluebells, usually peaking from mid-April to late April. For a brief window, the woodland glows like a fairy-tale sea of flowers under young beech leaves.
20KM OF BRUSSELS
Brussels. May 31, 2026
Starting and finishing in the Cinquantenaire Park, the 20km of Brussels sends runners up Rue Belliard, past the Royal Palace, up Rue Royale and Avenue Louise, through the Bois de la Cambre, along Avenue Franklin Roosevelt and the leafy Boulevard du Souverain before the gruelling climb up Avenue de Tervuren.
