It’s that time of the year again when European institutions open their doors to celebrate the Europe Day. This time the event in Brussels takes place on 4 May – get ready for plenty of activities and animations in the European Parliament and other institutions in the European Quarter!
What to expect?
Europe Day is officially marked on 9 May (commemorating the signing of the Schuman Declaration in 1950) but the European Institutions open their doors every year in early May (this time on 4 May) to welcome thousands of citizens who want to learn how the European Union works and impacts our daily life. This year, with the European Elections around the corner (6-9 June 2024), it is a perfect occasion to visit the European Parliament in Brussels and celebrate the Europe Day together.
The programme
On Saturday 4 May, you can visit the Hemicycle, discover different info stands and activities or take part in side-sessions and guided tours from 10:00 until 18:00 (last entrance 17:30).
One of the highlights will be a chance to see the Hemicycle – the place where political debates take place and important decisions are being made. Don’t miss to join official opening ceremony from 11:00-11:45 with the Vice-President of the European Parliament Marc Angel, featuring the European Jazz Quartet conducted by Angelo Gregorio. After that, visitors can still discover the Hemicycle by participating in Talks and learning about the role of the European Parliament and the upcoming European elections 2024.
2024 is the year of the European Elections (6-9 June). The European Parliament invites you to celebrate democracy with your friends, family members and other citizens
Follow the Circuit and discover many different activities in various stands, starting with Welcome stand where you can pick up your EU flag and discover everything there is to know about the event programme. Continue further with exploring topics such as What Europe does for me, Democracy and Human Rights, Democracy in Action, to learn more about the impact of the European Union in your daily life.
Another activity we love is exploring how Multilingualism works in practice in the European Parliament. The interactive space will take you to the world of Parliament’s translators and interpreters – enter one of the translation booths, choose the languages you want to translate to/from and discover how it really looks to work as an interpreter in the EP.
As we are nearing the European Elections, this year’s event has a special focus on the upcoming vote which will decide where the European Union will go over the next five years. Learn everything about the elections, try the special VR activity and register for a voting reminder! As every year, all the political groups will also be present with their stands giving you a chance to talk to representatives from the European political groups and decide which one reflects your values and priorities.
If you are looking for kids activities, there will be a fun space with face painting and a balloon artist for the little ones. For those who want to dive deeper and get more involved, there will be a special Side Programme in the Info Hub.
10:30 Stories for children: Anna Learns a New Language
11:15 Women in politics
12:15 How you can better #UseYourVote in the 2024 European elections. Join together.eu!
13:15 Ten ways that Europe could do more for you
14:15 How can I enjoy my right to petition? Disinformation Workshop
15:15 Disinformation Workshop
16:15 How can I contribute beyond my vote? Civil society
17:15 The European Ombudsman: Keeping the good guys good
Finally, you can also immerse yourself in the world of the European Parliament with special
guided tours:
For more information and to book a session, click here.
Europe Day event is a wonderful opportunity to visit with your family or friends and discover how the European Parliament works, meet its political groups, and immerse in this exceptional place of European democracy. You can also enjoy many interesting animations on the Esplanade Solidarność.
Take note, the activities start from 10:00 until 18:00 with the last entrance at 17:30. See a detailed programme of the Europe Day celebrations here.
