Brussels will once again host its traditional Fête au Parc on National Day, 21 July, with free events across the city centre capped by an evening concert in Cinquantenaire Park and the traditional fireworks display.
Organisers unveiled the programme for the 2026 edition on Wednesday.
From 10.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m., visitors will be able to explore several themed villages stretching from the Law Courts to Parliament, via Brussels Park, Mont des Arts, Sablon and Rue de la Régence.
The federal and local police village will be set up at Place Poelaert, while the defence village will be based at Place Royale.
The European village, the former gendarmes and the STIB public transport operator will be present at Sablon, and several federal public services will have stands in Rue de la Régence.
Brussels Park will also host a National Sports Day for children.
Throughout the day, the programme will include taster sessions, demonstrations, concerts, brass bands and folk parades.
The civil and military parade will begin at 4.00 p.m. in Place des Palais.
At 6.30 p.m., Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz are expected to attend events in Sablon.
Organisers also confirmed the participation of the Gilles folklore group from the town of Strépy-Bracquegnies, where a motorist drove into participants in a folk parade in 2022, killing seven people and injuring dozens.
Organisers said the group had been included as a symbolic gesture of solidarity, to share in their grief and to underline the fact that, even in mourning, the folklore community continues to keep its traditions alive.
As in previous years, several institutions will exceptionally open their doors to the public, including the Chamber, the Senate, the Court of Audit, Bozar, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, the Musical Instruments Museum and several places of worship.
The day will conclude at 9.00 p.m. in Cinquantenaire Park with a large concert, followed by a show featuring lasers, drones and special effects, before the traditional fireworks.
