Christmas Day is exactly two weeks away! And Brussels' events calendar is hotting up. There are plenty of carol concerts coming up over the next few weeks and markets to browse gifts for loved ones, but also several non-Christmassy activities to enjoy in the city. Find all our favourites below.
Christmas cheer
Brussels Carol Concert, Église Saint Marc, Saturday 13 December
Get in the festive spirit with the Brussels Carol Concert at 5pm this Saturday in Uccle, organised in aid of the Foetal Medicine Foundation Belgium. Expect all the traditional carols plus some more modern ones, under the expert musical direction of Belgian-Chilean conductor David Navarro-Turres and with Mary Gow accompanying on piano. Mezzo-Soprano Amalia Avilán will be the guest soloist, and the evening will be compèred by actor Richard Wells.
Credit: Brussels Carol Concert / Didier Misson
Net proceeds will be donated to the Foetal Medicine Foundation Belgium at Brugmann Children's Hospital to help the work of Professor Jacques Jani, a specialist in neo-natal care. Tickets are €25 and €15 for children under 12.
Find more information here.
'Christmas with Benjamin Britten', Église Notre-Dame du Sacré-Cœur, Saturday 13 December
If you want to feel even more festive and one concert's not enough, you can also watch the Brussels Chamber Choir straight after at 7pm!
Credit: Brussels Chamber Choir / Sushant Chaturvedi
The choir will be performing Benjamin Britten's much-loved 'Ceremony of Carols' and 'Rejoice in the Lamb' in the Église Notre-Dame du Sacré-Cœur in the heart of Etterbeek. Tickets range from €17 to €50, depending on the category.
Find more information here.
Brussels Makers Market, Gare Maritime, every weekend of December
Feeling uninspired with your Christmas shopping this year? Brussels' biggest Christmas market for local producers is the place to go! Stroll through the iconic Gare Maritime to discover dozen of stalls filled with handmade treasures.
Credit: Brussels Makers Market
The market features over 200 artisans throughout the whole festive season – with different creators every week. From jewellery and clothing to hand-crafted pieces, shoppers are sure to find the ideal gifts for friends and family, all while supporting local businesses.
Find more information here.
Art, music and culture
'Live in Brigittines', Les Brigittines, until Saturday 13 December
'Live in Brigittines' was born out of "a desire to reflect on rarity" and gives artists carte blanche to showcase their dance and musical creations. This year, the evening will feature two performances: Vincent Glowinski and Florian Guibert followed by Mercedes Dassy and GEM&I.
Live in Brigittines
Glowinski has been making Brussels a city of prolific street art for two decades. His work is particularly prominent in the Les Brigittines neighbourhood, and in collaboration with Jean-François Roversi, he has devised a unique way of creating and bringing his images to life. Florian Guibert, an improvisational musician with a penchant for experimental music, will be taking to the stage, and Mercedes Dassy, whose work focuses on dance, theatre and visual arts, will also give an energetic performance of 'Laissez-la danser'.
Find more information here.
'Listening Other·Wise', La Loge, Friday 12 December and Saturday 13 December
This 24-hour public programme explores the democratic, emancipatory and communal potentials of listening, and how it can unsettle, connect, and reimagine our relations with one another and the world. Bringing together sound and vocal performances, audio streams, reading sessions, deep listening exercises, DJ sets, and lecture performances, the event unfolds as an exploration of listening in its many forms.
Credit: La Loge
It invites us to focus on the relations, responsibilities, and forms of reciprocity listening generates, and how it can be used as a political gesture: a way to reconfigure how we inhabit the world together, how we acknowledge voices, and how we resist hegemonic ways of knowing and speaking.
Find more information here.
English stand-up comedy, The Commons Hub, Saturday 13 December
The non-profit Side Splitters Comedy Club wants to build the English-speaking stand-up comedy scene in Brussels, which it says is increasingly attracting international attention by the presence of headliners from the UK, US, and more. The group aims to build its presence in an inclusive, encouraging and accessible way.
Credit: Side Splitters Comedy Club
This Saturday, shake off the winter blues and head along to the group's exceptional showcase, 'Top Shelf Comedy', featuring the likes of Brussels-based Yannick Joos, Venezuelan Carlos Montoya, and supporting acts from around the world.
Find more information here.
'Nafas - un souffle', Esac, until Sunday 14 December
The Arabic word nafs is often translated as "breath", "breathing", "self" or "soul", which represents someone's vital breath, their inner self, and plays a central role in understanding oneself. Based on this complex concept, Élodie Doñaque has created a show exploring the collective body, movement and ephemeral presence.
Credit: Élodie Doñaque
This powerful circus show aims to "leave a mark on the audience", Doñaque said. Under the musical direction of Simon Thierrée, the students explore the senses through their jaw-dropping circus skills.
Find more information here.
Belgian Cabareteke, Théâtre de Poche, until Saturday 20 December
Enjoy a celebration of all things quintessentially Belgian this month, with the 'Belgian Cabareteke'. Created by Claude Semal and multi-instrumentalist Eric Drabs, this music hall show combines songs, sketches and burlesque acts to bring every aspect of Belgian culture together.
Credit: Philippe Petitjean
From frites-mayo, beer and surrealism, to the Ommegang festival, Gilles de Binche, the awful weather – and plenty of wit, humour and self-mockery – this delightful little cabaret will remind you of why you fell in love with Belgium in the first place!
Find more information here.
