From Belgium's only Animation Film Festival and performances dedicated to events contemplating salient contemporary issues, to Brussels' biggest Latin carnival, there is something for everyone this weekend in Brussels.
Arts, music and culture
Anima, various locations across Brussels, until 3 March
Brussels International Animation Film Festival, the only festival of its kind in Belgium, is returning this weekend and will take over the capital's unique venues Flagey, the Marni Theater and Cinematek for ten days. The 43rd edition will once again be a festival for all audiences, with over 300 animated films for young and old alike.
Credit: Anima Festival 2024
It will, as per tradition, devote its mornings and afternoons to children, with previews for new films and reruns of the best films from the previous year, as well as workshops, exhibitions and other fun activities (including the legendary crêpes eating) From the evening onwards, the screenings will be tailored to a more adult audience with the timeless Best of Shorts. Not to be missed this year is the Queer Night.
Find more information here.
James Ensor: Inspired by Brussels, KBR, until 2 June
That Belgian painter James Ensor (1860-1949) was inextricably linked to the coastal city of Ostend. But the Belgian capital also played a crucial role in his development as an artist and his quirky visual language. This side of the story is brought to the surface in the exhibition "James Ensor. Inspired by Brussels".
Credit: KBR
The exhibition is taking place in the magnificent rooms of the Palace of Charles of Lorraine, where Ensor was often to be found during his Brussels years and brings together an exceptionally large number of original works by the master, including well-known works on canvas, as well as hidden treasures.
Find more information here.
Out and about
Ici commence la mer, Les Brigittines, until Saturday 24 February 2024
This festival at Les Brigitinnes showcases the Ici commence la mer (Here begins the sea) awareness campaign, which serves as a reminder of how waste travels from land to sea, and how it impacts our immediate environment.
Marée haute. Credit: Les Brigittines
It does so through indoor and outdoor performances and shows, ranging from an exploration of the traces we leave in the world to protesting deep-sea mining, as well as a workshop by the Climate Fresco which aims to raise awareness of climate change in a fun and educative way.
Find more information here.
Les BienVeilleuses, Théâtre Le Public, until 23 March 2024
Théâtre Le Public has reinvented itself to shed light on a darker, but important phenomenon that affects many families across the country: domestic violence. A group made up of artists, therapists, doctors, anthropologists, commissioners, politicians, and legal experts seek to answer key questions on abuse, from understanding mechanisms of domination to why it often remains hidden and what the repercussions are for those who are affected, from the perpetrator to the victim and possibly children who are witnesses to the violence.
Réels, slam par Marie Darah. Credit: Théâtre Le Public
Les BienVeilleuses will put on a series of concerts, theatre, dance and slam performances as well as conferences, debates, exhibitions, readings and workshops to explore these questions and find answers, and to break the taboo that exists around the phenomenon.
Find more information here.
Get on your dancing shoes
Kinshasa’s Pulse: Beyond the Frame, Cloud Seven, Saturday 24 February
This festive evening aims to celebrate the photo exhibition KINSHASA 1960s-2020s: Jean Depara – Alain Nzuzi Polo, which is being organised at Cloud Seven in the context of the Brussels Photo Festival. DJs Auncle Bolingo, Mambele, and Blacksapho will be behind the decks bringing the audience their unique styles with similar energy.
The photo exhibition KINSHASA 1960s-2020s: Jean Depara – Alain Nzuzi Polo. Credit: Cloud Seven
It also offers people who haven't been to the exhibition yet a chance to enjoy art and music together. To make the event even more appealing, there will culinary delights as an extra before it's time to hit the dancefloor.
Find more information here.
Fiesta Latina: Carnival Edition, Tour & Taxis, Friday 23 and Saturday 24 February
The organisers behind the popular summer festival Fiesta Latina are returning with the Carnival edition for the second year running. This year, the programme for the two-day three-night festival includes concerts, DJ sets, parades with colourful costumes and titanic floats as well as performances by dancers and percussionists. The audience will also get a chance to show their moves during Salsa, Bachata, Zumba or Reggaeton dance classes throughout the event.
Credit: Fiesta Latina
Brussels' biggest carnival also has plenty on offer to please the tastebuds and provide that energy boost. More than 40 food trucks will be on-site offering a feast of Latin American flavours with arepas, tacos, tapas, chili con carne, fajitas, chorizos, and more. Meanwhile, the bars will provide refreshments in the form of cocktails, cerveza and chupitos.
Find more information here.
