Today is 1 May, known as May Day, and the Day of the Worker. This year the public holiday happens to fall on a Saturday, which means that the changes are not as widespread as they would be on a weekday.
For example banks, post offices and government offices are closed, as they would be any other Saturday. There will be no delivery of letters, packages or newspapers, and in fact most people are not offering a print version today.
Aldi, Lidl, Makro, Cora and Colruyt supermarkets remain closed, while some branches of Match, Delhaize and Carrefour are open, often with a Sunday timetable. For more information on a store near you, refer to the links given.
Shops like Proxy Delhaize and Carrefour Market and Express are in general operated by franchisees, and open and close according to their own choices, in line with local regulations. On the whole, they tend to remain open on public holidays to profit from demand left unsatisfied elsewhere.
Shopping centres like Woluwe in Brussels and Wijnegem in Antwerp are closed today. However Maasmechelen Village remains open. Major stores like Ikea will also be closed.
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To find a pharmacy (for urgent matters only) consult the list of on-call pharmacies here.
Hairdressers have just come out of a long lockdown, and Saturday has always been their busiest day, so most are likely to remain open. However, appointments are obligatory, so call up anyway.
Reservations are also required for animal parks like Planckendael, Antwerp Zoo and Pairi Daiza, which will be open. Amusement parks, on the other hand, are closed.
Museums in general are open, with the exception of the MAS in Antwerp. If in doubt, consult the museum website.
The Brussels Times
