This year in September it will be impossible to miss the range of events on offer around the capital. From music to comics and gourmet cuisine, a number of activities of all kinds will spring up throughout the month to the delight of young and old alike.
Gearing up for fall, Brussels offers more possibilities for outings and activities than ever so visitors can have a nice relaxing time among family and friends.
Brussels Comic Strip Festival & Balloon’s Day Parade
Since its debut in 2010, the Brussels Comic Strip Festival has become the main event for comics fans. Young and old, novices and experts, all share a passion for the ninth art and come together each year to participate in the variety of activities on offer.
PLACE: Parc de Bruxelles and BOZARDates: 01/09-03/09
Belgian Beer Weekend
“Laughter is to the man what beer is to the pump,” wrote Alphonse Allais. The quip seems to have been written for Belgium, the ultimate country for this beverage, which is savoured at all occasions. Gathering of vehicles and wagons from historic breweries, introduction of new beers, tasting, and concerts: plenty to bring a smile to visitors’ faces!
Place: Brussels’ Grand-PlaceDates: 01-03/09
Design September
Like Milan, Montreal, or Courtrai, Brussels has become a meeting place for Belgian and international designers, the only difference being that the Brussels event lasts a whole month, not just one week! Debates, studio tours, city walks, and other markets with good finds draw a large and diverse crowd and underscore Brussels rank among the design capitals of the world.
Place: Various locations in BrusselsDates: September 2017
Brussels Design Market
Established in 2002, the Brussels Design Market is a flea market exclusively devoted to design, and, more specifically, to productions from the Fifties to the early Eighties. About a hundred exhibitors, professionals, and novices from all over Europe display furniture and objects in a relaxed flea market atmosphere.
Place: Tour and TaxisDates: 23/24-09/2017
Marni Jazz
During the festival’s 14th running, when drums will be featured, half the concerts will be premieres! There visitors will be able to discover “(The Mystery of) KEM,” an all-new project by globetrotter Stéphane Galland and Indian carnatic flautist Ravi Kulur. The essential pillar of the Belgian and international scene, Bruno Castellucci will play in a quintet with saxophonist Joe Higham among others. Funk, groove, and power with the French Manu Katché alongside Ivan Paduart and Quentin Dujardin; and Paco Séry, the brilliant Ivory Coast drummer for an extraordinary closing night performance.
Place: Marni TheatreDates: 07-16/09
B-Est Jazz Fest
Musical gatherings marking Estonia’s Council of the European Union presidency and the Republic of Estonia’s centennial. To celebrate its first European Union presidency, Estonia introduces itself to the world with a cultural programme in Belgium and Luxembourg. You can find the full schedule here.
Place: FlageyDates: 12-13/09
Brussels Gallery Weekend
In September, the Brussels Gallery Weekend celebrates its tenth anniversary. Over the past decade, the number of remarkable institutions, artist colonies, and galleries has only grown in Brussels. The same can be said of the number of artists, curators, and other cultural producers who have flocked to the city to contribute to the enhancement of the dynamic landscape of contemporary art. This year twelve new galleries are joining the event.
Place: In several Brussels galleriesDates: 07-10/09
Art on Paper
Art on Paper offers an art fair devoted to contemporary drawing. It’s a fast-growing medium which distinguishes itself through its accessibility – both in aesthetic and financial terms. Art on Paper intends to display artistic offerings reflecting the variety and diversity of contemporary approaches to drawing, rooted specifically in graphical expression.
Place: BOZARDates: 07-10/09
eat! Brussels, drink! Bordeaux festival
This coming 7-10 September, Parc de Bruxelles will once again serve as the setting for the eat! Brussels, drink! Bordeaux festival. About twenty Brussels chefs will take to the kitchen to prepare their signature dishes for the public. To complement these delicious dishes, about fifty Bordeaux wine growers and merchants will offer a wide range of wines highlighting the diversity, quality, and accessibility of Bordeaux wines. There’s sure to be plenty to delight the senses of their foodie visitors!
Place: Parc de BruxellesDates: 07-10/09
“Nuits Sonores” & Brussels European Lab
Nuit Sonores and Brussels European Lab are putting together their first run with the goal of creating a challenging and innovative urban laboratory at the core of independent cultures and European reflections, and artistic and intellectual ferment. The festival and forum hope to become part of the city of Brussels by galvanising different communities and bringing together local leaders and artists from this dynamic and diverse scene. This way, Nuits Sonores and Brussels European Lab wish to put on an open, constructive, unusual, and wellpublicised event accessible to all in this extraordinary European capital for four days and nights.
Place: Various locations in BrusselsDates: 14-17/09
BOZAR Electronic Arts Festival
The Bozar Electronic Arts Festival, a unique annual event in Belgium, offers two weeks devoted to electronic culture. With music, audiovisual displays, performances, and workshops, the festival intends to get the word out about the artists who bring life to these genres and also has some great surprises and exciting innovations in store.
Place: BOZARDates: 14-30/09
Brussels Museum Nights – beginning 14/09
Another season of Brussels Museum Nights is on the way! Every Thursday night beginning 14 September, (re)discover at least five museums in a relaxed atmosphere at an affordable price (free/€1.50/€3). They will enable you to take advantage of Brussels’ rich culture through special guided tours, activities for young and old, events among their collections and temporary exhibitions. Good times guaranteed, to be shared with family, friends, or colleagues.
Place: BOZARDates: 14-09 – 07/12
Mobility Week & Car-Free Sunday
Each year, Mobility Week is the ideal opportunity to try more sustainable modes of transportation. Cycling, carpooling, walking. Car-Free Sunday in Brussels has become Europe’s largest car-free area, but, above all, it is a real
Dates: 16-22/09
Bike Brussels
The Bike Brussels Fair is held in the middle of Mobility Week and includes the Car-Free Brussels Day, Sunday, 17 September 2017. This day brings together hundreds of thousands of cyclists in the streets of Brussels!
Place: Tour and TaxisDates: 15-18/09
