The Brussels Christmas market "Winter Wonders" attracted more than 4.3 million visitors to Brussels – a 3% increase compared to the previous edition, the City of Brussels announced on Wednesday.
The Brussels winter event attracted a total of 4,355,253 visitors, including more than 1.5 million Brussels residents, more than 1.17 million Flemish people and Walloons, and up to 1.63 million international visitors.
Foreign visitors mainly came from the United Kingdom, France and Spain. It is also striking that Poles, Chinese and Portuguese are increasingly coming to Brussels to enjoy the Christmas market.
According to Brussels City Mayor Philippe Close (PS), who is particularly pleased with the visitor numbers, the mention of Winter Wonders on CNN also gave the event a boost. The Christmas market also received extensive coverage in The Washington Post.
Most of the Belgians who travelled to Brussels for a farmer's sausage with mustard and sauerkraut, or a ride on the Ferris wheel, came from the provinces of Flemish Brabant, Hainaut and East Flanders.
According to Close, Winter Wonders is becoming increasingly popular among Flemish people. The number of visitors from Walloon Brabant has also risen sharply.
As usual, the most visited attraction at Winter Wonders is the ice rink, which attracts around 50,000 skating visitors. The curling site is popular as well.
"I am delighted with the renewed success of this edition, which is the result of a long-term effort to make Brussels a leading winter destination," said Close. ‘This Christmas market proves that it is capable of bringing everyone together, both tourists and Belgians."
As the inclusive Brussels nativity scene on the Grand Place was frequently criticised during Winter Wonders, Close said that "the council will consider what will happen to the Christmas market in the next edition."
Close pointed out that Winder Wonders "must continue to innovate" in the future.
The next edition, which will mark the 25th edition, will take place from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027.
