Street theatre and circus performers will be hard to avoid this weekend with a stack of summer festivals to end a sweltering week in the Belgian capital.
There’s a family theatre festival in Uccle, the annual Schaerbeek cherry festival takeover of Josephat Park, a circus festival in Zaventem and a summer festival at the Tour & Taxis farm. Culture vultures will enjoy the Musiq3 classical music concerts and the B=Equal theatre shows.
You’re spoiled for choice for storytelling in French this weekend, with readings at toy shop Carabistouille, bookshop A Livre Ouvert and a special outdoor performance by a spoken-word theatre.
For something more offbeat, you could race pink ducks for charity or head out to farms in Wallonia, including one with shaggy haired Highland cattle who really can’t be enjoying the heatwave. Find out more below.
Festival weekend
Esprit de Famille, La Roseraie, Uccle – Sunday, 10:30-00:00
This day-long family festival offers musical theatre for the very young first thing in the morning with “Les Paniers” for babies of 6 months and over.
Credit: La Roseraie
There are shows, concerts and circus performances for small children and older siblings, along with street theatre and a little carousel. Local ice cream will be supplied by Le Papillon.
Find more information here.
Fête de la Cerise, Josephat Park, Schaerbeek – Sunday, 13:00-19:00
Schaerbeek’s magnificent park celebrates its yearly cherry festival with a family-centred day on Sunday. Up to you if you want your kids to start copying the traditional cherry-pit spitting contest!
Credit: Schaerbeek 1030
There should also be music and activities dotted across the park, including bouncy castles, games and reading corners with an Ideas Box – a mobile library that serves as a chill-out zone.
Find more information here.
Festival Musiq3, Théâtre Marni & Flagey – Saturday, 16:00 & Sunday, 10:30
Classical music festival Musiq3 has two events for children this weekend. Cric Crac at Théâtre Marni on Saturday afternoon is a show in French for children of 6 years and up focusing on environmental themes.
Credit: Festival Musiq3
Flagey takes over on Sunday morning with a “contemporary musical tale”, Fanto & Lou, also in French, and also for children aged 6 years and up.
Find more information here.
B=Equal Festival, Grand Hospice, 1000 Brussels – Friday to Sunday
The fourth edition of B=Equal has a full programme of popular theatre and music, starting on Friday night with a grand opening and a performance of Sheherazade and 1080 nights (Molenbeek’s postcode is 1080).
Credit: B=Equal
There will be children’s entertainment on Saturday and Sunday along with a few events for kids, such as storytelling, acrobatics and a theatre show. All shows are free but you should reserve a ticket in advance to enter the site.
Find more information here.
Parckfarm summer festival, Tour & Taxis – Saturday, 13:00-20:30
The urban farm at the huge Tour & Taxis site wants to put your family to work, starting with baking bread and making pancakes and soup before opening up an array of workshops on everything from turning wooden spoons to making pesto. There is also a clay workshop, clown tricks and face painting.
Credit: Parckfarm Tour & Taxis
You’ll get to relax with live music at the end.
Find more information here.
Cirkerie, Park Mariadal, Zaventem – Saturday 14:00-0:00 & Sunday 13:00-23:00
Zaventem’s park turns into a big circus tent this weekend for the circus festival which welcomes performers from all over Europe for acrobatics, clowning and fire masters.
Credit: CC De Factorij
Outside of the shows, there’ll be workshops and street theatre. All the shows are free apart from Circus Ronaldo and Spanish act Paki Paya.
Find more information here.
Story time
La famille souris, Carabistouilles, Avenue Georges Henri, Woluwe Saint-Lambert – Saturday, 10:30-11:15
The Carabistouilles toy shop will host a storytelling session in French by Muriel Philips to relay the tale of the mouse family and their plan to go on a seaside holiday. The story is based on the books by Haruo Yamashita and Kazuo Iwamura.
Credit: Carabistouilles
This is aimed at children between 3 and 8 years of age. There’s no charge but you are asked to reserve a spot in advance.
Find more information here.
Atelier-lecture avec Coralie Ramon, A Livre Ouvert, Cour Paul-Henri Spaak, Woluwe Saint-Lambert– Saturday, 15:00
A Livre Ouvert and Le Rat Conteur have only recently moved into the old Cook & Book premises next to the Wolubilis arts centre. They’re kicking off a new programme of events by welcoming author Coralie Ramon to read, in French, from her new book about Fungi, the marsh troll.
She’ll also be working with children aged 5 and up on making bookmarks. There’s a charge of €5 for the event which can be deducted from the price of one of her books.
Find more information here.
Pique-Nique & Jack et l’Ogre – Sunday, 13:00
The Théâtre de la Parole shows off the work of the students of its spoken-word performance school by telling the tale of Jack and the Ogre in French, in the lovely surroundings of the Rouge-Cloître park in Auderghem.
Credit: Théâtre de la Parole
You are free to pay a low or high entry fee; just bring a picnic so you can enjoy the afternoon.
Find more information here.
Pink ducks!
Pink Duck Race, Tour & Taxis – Sunday, 14:30
Adopt a pink rubber duck and see if it can win a race on the Brussels canal to raise money for breast cancer.
Credit: Pink Duck Race
You can adopt one for €5 and the winner will get a golden pendant. The organisers promise that all ducks will be rescued from the canal at the end of the event.
Find more information here.
Wallonia farm open days
Ferme de la Tour, Place Saint-Joseph, Glimes – Saturday & Sunday, 10:00-18:00
Sixty farms across Wallonia are open to the public this weekend.
Credit: Belga
One of the closest to Brussels (a 45 minute drive) is this farm near Walhain. It dates back to the 11th century and combines raising livestock with a rose garden filled with 350 different varieties.
Visitors can see sheep shearing and how horses are shod as well as seeing Highland cattle, Frisian horses, goats and sheep. There’ll be games and a drawing competition for kids and plenty of local food and beer for the adults.
Find more information here.
