As this is well and truly the last weekend of the summer holidays for all pupils in Brussels, the Belgian capital is offering plenty of varied activities to ensure people can make the most of it.
From a cider party to the city's final summer festival of the season, here's what's happening in Brussels this weekend.
Art, sports and culture
Vodoun Arts Festival, Tour & Taxis, 28 to 30 August
For the past ten years, the Vodoun Arts Festival has become one of Brussels’ most distinctive cultural events, bringing together cultural heritage from all over Africa, contemporary artistic expression and intercultural dialogue.
Credit: Voudon Arts Festival
Over three days, visitors will enjoy a diverse programme featuring live concerts and performances, cultural workshops and educational activities, an international village showcasing crafts and flavours, and food and artisan stands from over more than 20 countries.
Find more information here.
Brussels Games, various locations in Brussels, 28 to 30 August
After last year's memorable 25th edition, Brussels Gay Sports (BSG) is opening a new chapter and raising the bar even higher by bringing all activities together into one single weekend.
Credit: Brussels Games
More than 900 participants across competitions, workshops and activities will enjoy countless opportunities to shine, challenge themselves and celebrate – all in a vibrant, inclusive and fair-play atmosphere.
Find more information here.
Historic train travelling through Belgium, Schaerbeek station, 29 and 30 August
To mark its 100th anniversary, Belgium's railway company SNCB-NMBS is bringing together some of its most iconic locomotives and carriages at Schaerbeek station in a single historic train this weekend.
Credit: SNCB-NMBS
Visitors will be able to discover 11 exceptional pieces of railway heritage which, when lined up end to end, represent nearly 300 metres of railway history – taking people on a journey through a century of rolling stock, from royal carriages to the first electric locomotives.
Find more information here.
Festival season
Forest Sounds, Forest Abbey, 28 and 29 August
Closing out Brussels' summer season in style before the rentrée scolaire, Forest Sounds is occupying its usual slot during the last weekend of August. This year is a special edition, as the festival is celebrating its tenth anniversary.
Forest Sounds festival in Brussels. Credit: Official Facebook Page
The line-up gives pride of place to Brussels-based artists, but does not leave out international artists either. Two stages, a DJ area, a community village, a family zone and around ten food trucks are planned.
Find more information here.
POMPOMPOM Festival, Vaux Hall, 29 and 30 August
The Belgian artisanal cider festival POMPOMPOM is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, and is pulling out all the stops: from an impressive line-up of cider makers to an equally varied music programme.
Credit: POMPOMPOM Festival
At the Vaux Hall, an Art Deco gem nestled in the lush heart of the Parc Royal, visitors will be able to enjoy unexpected blends, spontaneous fermentation and extended ageing.
Find more information here.
Last chance!
Les Brigittines, Petite rue des Brigittines, until 29 August
Originally known as 'Les Vendredis de la Bellone', the dance festival open to audiences of all ages became the Bellone-Brigittines Festival, then the Brigittines International Festival, and is now the Brigittines Summer Festival, welcoming artists from Belgium and across Europe.
Credit: Les Brigittines
Shaped by a constantly evolving inspiration, the Brigittines Summer Festival showcases draws on artistic worlds rich in meaning and a fierce desire to tell stories – both on stage and in public spaces.
Find more information here.
