The annual Brussels Beach festival came to a close on Sunday with municipal officials and business people alike expressing satisfaction at this year’s 16th edition of the event. Despite the mixed weather, turnout was good, and a new bridge linking the two banks of the canal along which the event - known in French as Bruxelles les Bains - was held gave it a new dynamic, even serving as a backdrop for thousands of selfies.
The mayor of Brussels, Philippe Close, and the city’s Councillor for Tourism, Karine Lalieux, feel the challenge of populating the left bank of the canal during the festival, was met and the bridge was a real success. The 39 businesses that participated said they were satisfied with their sales, according to Marina Bresciani, head of communication for Brussels Major Events, the non-profit organization that stages important events for public institutions such as the City of Brussels.
The results will be announced in about a week’s time.
A highlight of the event was Archipelago, a new nightlife concept of Brussels Beach: it drew some 14,000 people to its 16 evening shows dominated by electronic music and featuring a total of about 100 local and international artistes.
Traditional highlights of the festival included Latin American dances on its ‘Twist’ stage, open-air cinema, swimming events and petanque, a form of outdoor bowling. This year there was a second, ‘Swing’, stage that hosted Indian dances, the Lindy Hop, Hip Hop and Tai Chi and Yoga courses.
About 70 casual workers contributed to the success of the event, which lasted about five weeks.
The festival also registered an upward trend on social media. Its Facebook page now has more than 24,000 fans, while its Internet site received more than 85,000 hits and 60,000 individual users.
The next edition of Brussels Beach will take place from 6 July to 12 August 2018.
The Brussels Times
