The latest edition of the Bright Brussels festival drew nearly 400,000 spectators out to the streets, shattering the festival's previous attendance records despite difficult weather conditions.
Large crowds gathered in areas throughout Brussels for the fifth edition of the lights festival, weathering the strong winds of Storm Dennis as it raged through Belgium at the weekend.
Organisers said that a total of 388,000 people had attended the event, held from 13 to 16 February, smashing the previous record of 149,000 and more than doubling last year's attendance figures.
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The largest crowds were recorded on Sunday, with 40,000 people coming to admire the attractions on the closing day of the event, even as stormy weather blew some attractions off course.
For its latest edition, the festival took attendants through a 6-kilometre itinerary which extended from the Grand-Place to the Porte de Hal, passing through the lively Marolles and Sablon neighbourhoods as well as the Quartier Royal.
The festival's success also had a positive impact on local businesses, particularly food and drink establishments downtown, as well as a 70% increase in public transport use, Le Soir reports.
The event also recorded growing popularity with tourists, with the figures showing that out of the total number of attendants, 108,000 were tourists.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
