Summer theatre goes outdoors when the weather gets warm and dry. You can catch a puppet show in the Bois de la Cambre on a sunny afternoon, a fairytale experience on Saturday morning or plan a longer trip out of town for some family evening shows, choosing from French-language performances of The Jungle Book, King Arthur or A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
If it’s summer action you’re looking for, Decathlon has a cycling event on Saturday afternoon. Looking beyond the weekend, next Tuesday is Belgian National Day, and the city’s central parks and squares will be hosting sports and dance tryouts, as well as family-friendly displays by police, army and firefighters for any small person who needs to see a helicopter or a fire truck up close.
Summer show time
Guignolet et le Petit Chaperon Rouge, Bois de la Cambre, Chemin de l’Ombre – Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, 15:00
This puppet theatre puts on short outdoor shows three afternoons a week all summer long, changing the programme every few weeks. This week, it starts a run of the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood.
Credit: Quefaire
These shows are ideal for children as young as 3 as part of a walk (with an ice cream, of course) in the Bois de la Cambre. Performances don’t run longer than 50 minutes. There’s no charge and no need to reserve in advance.
Find more information here.
Il était une (autre) fois, Sortilège, Val du Bois des Béguines 420, Neder-over-Hembeek – Saturday, 10:15
Sortilège, a medieval fantasy-themed activity park in the north of the city, is running an interactive storytelling show in French this Saturday where you can vote to influence where the story goes and dress up as some of the characters.
Credit: Sortilège
The show promises to overthrow stereotypes to turn a classic fairy tale into a one-of-a-kind experience. Adults and children over 4 years of age pay €7.50 for a ticket and there’s no charge for children under 4. The show is repeated on 16 August.
Find more information here.
Le Livre de la Jungle, Château de Beloeil – 17 July to 16 August
The Château de Beloeil, just over an hour southwest of Brussels, is putting on an impressive summer show based on Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book.
Credit: Le Livre de la jungle by LPC Patrimoine & Luc Petit
Some 100 artists are involved, including jugglers and acrobats, for various scenes on a two-hour walk around the park, with light effects, smoke and fireworks. Groups leave at 18:30, 19:30, 20:30 and 21:30 every day when weather permits.
If you go earlier in the day to see the castle and its grounds, there’s also a kids’ zone with bouncy castles.
Prices start at €44 for an adult and €39 for children from 4 to 12 years. Count on at least another €10 for parking; public transport for late evening isn’t an option unfortunately.
Find more information here.
La Légende du Roi Arthur, Château de Rixensart – Tuesday-Saturday until 8 August, 20:00-23:00
King Arthur’s tale gets told once again at Rixensart castle, at a 30-minute drive from Brussels.
Credit: D3 Drama
This is a seated performance in French at two locations around the castle, with an intermission. The show runs for 1 hour and 45 minutes and is recommended for children of 6 and over. Tickets are €34.50 for adults and €25 for children under 12. Parking is free for this one, though!
Find more information here.
Le songe d'une nuit d'été, Abbaye de Villers, Villers-la-Ville – 14 July to 8 August, 21:00
Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be performed in French this summer in the grounds of the magnificent ruins of the Abbaye de Villers, which puts on classic theatre with dramatic lighting effects.
Credit: Del Diffusion
Given the level of French needed for this, it’s best for teens (and adults) with an interest in literature.
Find more information here.
Get on your bike
Kidz on Wheelz, Decathlon, Drève Olympique 50, Anderlecht – Saturday, 12:00-17:00
Decathlon’s Anderlecht sports superstore promises to make holiday shopping fun with a Kidz on Wheelz cycling event this Saturday for ages 3 to 12.
Credit: Cycling Vlaanderen
There’ll be a cycling course for kids with pumptracks, bends, and obstacles. Decathlon will be tempting you to try out its latest bikes, balance bikes, and mountain bikes on the course, with coaches to help children across each obstacle.
The event is free as long as you can walk away from Decathlon without buying something. Good luck with that one!
Find more information here.
Belgian National Day – Tuesday, 21 July
Fête au Parc, Parc de Bruxelles, Place des Palais, and Place Poelaert – Tuesday, 10:00-21:00
Belgium’s national day is a blast for kids, starting early at 10:00.
Credit: be2107
At Place Poelaert, there’s a police village with a murder scene where your family will have the mission of helping the police solve the crime. There’s also an array of police vehicles, from a water cannon to a helicopter and a police boat.
Demonstrations take place every 15 minutes, including one with police dogs. A family zone with a mini zipline and a cycling course gives children a place to play more freely.
Over in the Sablon, there will be a firefighters' village, and you'll find the army (and a jet fighter simulator) on Place Royale.
Credit: be2107
The Parc de Bruxelles has an array of sports activities. There will be a running programme of performances – dance, circus and martial arts – as well as a climbing wall.
The main events of the day are a military and civil parade starting at 16:00, including the aircraft flyover with an F-35 fighter jet that you should be able to see (and hear) anywhere in the city centre. Cinquantenaire Park will host a concert from 21:00 with a light show, drones and fireworks from 23:00.
Find more information here.
