Best of Brussels in May

Ready to enjoy the springtime? Best of Brussels in May is here – this is your monthly city guide, from inspiring stories and new spots to major events in the coming weeks.

Brussels is a city of quiet grandeur, a place where historical and modern architecture mix and mingle, with many surprising gems coming your way in most unexpected ways. As you probably know, in 2025 the spotlight goes on the Art Deco heritage of our city. To celebrate this occasion, we have assembled a list with some of the finest examples of this architectural style in Brussels. From bold façades to unique interiors, these 11 architectural gems reveal how Brussels embraced modernity with flair!

What’s on in the coming days?

Celebrate Europe day in Brussels! The European Parliament invites you to join engaging events and discover the heart of European democracy on 10 May. Explore how EU legislation affects your life and find out how you can influence common future decisions. Visit the Hemicycle and participate in many interesting activities for all generations. Full programme.

Brussels opera La Monnaie De Munt just presented their 2025 – 2026 season, filled with a great programme. Discover the new season here.

One of our favorite music events each spring, Brussels Jazz Weekend is back from 23 – 25 May for an unforgettable weekend filled with swing, bebop, and fusion beats. Free performances take place at the iconic spots like the Grand Place, Place Sainte-Catherine, and Place de la Bourse, turning them into lively open-air concert venues.

Van Buuren Museum and Gardens celebrates a double anniversary: 50 years of the Museum and the 100th anniversary of the Art Deco movement. On this occasion, a new exhibition Around Art Deco. Interbellum Sculptures, presents sculptures from the interwar period in the Museum’s magnificent gardens. Until 28 September.

The first edition of The Rooms art & design fair takes place from 22 to 25 May. This unique event features 36 internationally renowned galleries, each of which will take over a hotel room at Mix Brussels, a stylish hotel and club that opened in the spring of 2023 in the former headquarters of Royale Belge in Watermael-Boitsfort. Visitors will be welcomed into an intimate and unconventional setting that reimagines the traditional fair experience.

The ‘Icon’ of French automotive art, the Citroën DS, turns 70. Until 29 June, Autoworld Brussels pays tribute to this iconic model with a unique collection from the legendary ID19 to special variants. Discover why the DS, renowned for its revolutionary design and technology, has become one of the most beloved cars in the world.

May is the official Pride month and the Brussels Pride, one of the earliest celebrations in Europe, will be held on 17 May. By coincidence, it also aligns with the grand finale of Eurovision 2025, ensuring that the capital will be filled with a vibrant and festive atmosphere!

At the end of the month, Brussels Street Photography Festival (BSPF) will celebrate the art of street photography and everything that makes this genre so beloved, uncompromising, surprising and compelling. This year’s edition takes place at RESET from 29 May to 1 June.

New on our website: Are you an entrepreneur thinking to establish your business in Brussels or know someone who wants to start their venture in the Belgian capital? ➡️ The hub.brussels coworking space for foreign enterprises is tailored to help you on this journey. Featuring a workspace, incubator and launchpad, you can get a complete support ecosystem that empowers businesses to navigate the complexities of a new market confidently, as well as the tools needed for sustainable growth in Brussels and beyond.

Brussels global newsroom
Wallpaper magazine paid a visit to Brussels during the annual Collectible fair to explore the capital’s design scene. Check their impressions in the following article: Postcard from Brussels.

The Guardian writes about Brussels’ claim to birth of art deco – read more in their story Gold leaf and Gatsby.

Travel + Leisure notes the big hospitality news in the Belgian capital – a new hotel is opening this month with 200 rooms and three bars & restaurants in the Northern Quarter. Read more: The Standard Is Opening Another Chic Hotel in Europe—in a City You’d Never Expect.

The Brussels museum scene gained a new addition to its offer in spring 2025, with the opening of a showcase celebrating what it calls “a Belgian culinary icon”. The Frietmuseum, not far from the Manneken Pis statue, raises up the humble potato fry as a “symbol of our culinary heritage”.

For a bit of Belgian surrealism, Financial Times brings a story about “millions of flies in the evidence room inside Belgium’s rotting Justice Palace”. Read here

EU Quarter tips:
Temporary exhibition Presence of the Past. A European album has recently opened in the House of European History. The documentary photography expo reveals how Europeans engage with the past in their everyday lives. Discover more

Join one of the May lunch tours in the House of European History (on Tuesdays, from 12h15 to 13h) for a free guided tour – this month’s focus: Nothing compares to EU. Discover more about the European Union along with programmes and events that connect European countries.

Want to learn more about the European Parliament? Guided tours of the Hemicycle take place from Monday to Friday at 11am and 3pm. (tours in English, French and Spanish).

Looking for more cool ideas & experiences in Brussels?
If you’re seeking unique family activities, we recommend a visit to the City Hall on the Grand Place with their special kids parcours. Thanks to the innovative & interactive video guides, visitors will get immersed into the emblematic Town Hall building from every angle and on their own pace. Visits are available in French, Dutch, English, German, Italian and Spanish.

Recently opened, the landmark exhibition Amazônia by renowned Franco-Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado is a must-see. This immersive journey into the heart of the Amazon is an invitation to see, listen, and reflect on the future of biodiversity and humanity’s place within the living world.

Last chance to visit the Smurf Experience in Brussels! Fans of all ages can step into their magical world, take on the role of a real Smurf and explore the Smurf village with its iconic mushroom houses and mystical forest. The Smurfs are a brainchildren of Belgian comics artist Peyo and have become a worldwide phenomenon since their appearance in 1958. Until 11 May at Brussels Expo.

The Internet’s Chess Teacher Levy Rozman, better known as GothamChess, will take his talents to Europe for his first official tour this month. The leading chess influencer with nearly 6 million YouTube subscribers will bring his unique teaching style to the live stage in Brussels on 8 May at Viage. More info

Also happening this month:

• Le Botanique has been hosting its very own festival in late spring since 1988. This year, the 32nd edition of Les Nuits Botanique will take place from 15 – 25 May. With an eclectic lineup of international and local artists, Les Nuits Botanique continues to champion the local Belgian music scene while showcasing globally renowned acts.
• Fashion & Lace Museum will host an expo about STIJL, the iconic boutique located on Dansaertstraat, which played an important part in writing the story of fashion in our city. 40+ Years of Stijl is the story of a boutique, a neighbourhood, a burgeoning creative scene and an art movement with an international influence. It’s the story of artistic expressions of global importance that have taken place right on your doorstep.
• Bozar hosts Familiar Strangers. The Eastern Europeans from a Polish Perspective, an exhibition of contemporary art co-organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute from Warsaw, presenting political and social processes from the perspectives of multiple and critical identities in a region that was long considered to be culturally homogenous, even if this was never truly the case. Until 29 June. Info here
• Alice Gallery opened a new exhibition space in Ixelles with the 20 years anniversary show, presenting pieces by 20 artists including Jeffrey Cheung, Sune Christiansen, Eric Colonel and Thomas Spit. Until 24 May. Find out more
• When We See Us is an exhibition that explores how artists from Africa and its diaspora have represented everyday life through painting over the last century. Organized by Koyo Kouoh and his team, the exhibition brings together around 150 works by some 120 artists, divided into six themes: Everyday Life, Joy and Celebration, Repose, Sensuality, Spirituality, and Triumph and Emancipation. In Bozar until 10 August. More info
• For this new edition, Culinaria 2025 is pushing the boundaries of gastronomy by bringing together three resident chefs, icons of Belgian culinary excellence and long-time friends. On 15 & 17 May. More info
• Comic Con Brussels – dive into the world of comics, cosplay, gaming, manga and pop culture with numerous activities, workshops & geek market. On 10 & 11 May at Tour & Taxis. More info
• Which are the boundaries between humans and wild animals? The exhibition WILD? at the Natural Sciences Museum, explores the tricky relationship via Belgian wildlife with a focus on the meaning and different perceptions of the wild: Exotic? Distant? Dangerous? Until 31 August. More info here
• The Horta Museum presents Smooth as Velvet, featuring five artists who will transform the house’s walls until 30 May. This fabric choice highlights Horta’s love for textiles, especially silk, and underscores the architectural importance of textiles as a source of ornamentation. Discover more
• Visit two exhibitions at Villa Empain – In the frame of the centenary commemoration of Art Deco in 2025, the Boghossian Foundation is presenting a thematic exhibition on this key movement in Brussels. Echoes of Art Deco invites visitors to explore the iconic architecture of the Villa Empain, a paragon of Art Deco with an eventful past. Set against the lively musical backdrop of the era, the exhibition offers an immersive experience into the lifestyle of the Roaring Twenties.
• Another, new expo at Villa Empain – Timeless Gazes: From Pharaohs to the present day, celebrates ancient Egypt and contemporary art in relation to the African continent. For the first time in Belgium, approximately 130 works from the prestigious collection assembled by Jean Claude Gandur is exhibited in the unique setting of the Villa Empain. More info
• The Design Museum Brussels presents the travelling exhibition Skateboard, a project of the Design Museum in London, from 5 April to September 2025. The exhibition explores the development of skateboard design over seven decades, focusing on the technological and aesthetic evolution of the skateboard. More here
• Lucile Soufflet, Common Grounds at CID Grand-Hournu. As a regular showcase for Belgian design, the CID – centre d’innovation et de design is inviting industrial designer Lucile Soufflet to present her first solo exhibition. Until 24 August 2025. More info
• Bozar hosts a solo exhibition by Berlinde De Bruyckere exploring humanity’s condition through her art. The show features 25 years of her work alongside pieces from the likes of Patti Smith and Pier Paolo Pasolini. Until 31 August. More info
• As the world’s capital of comics, an exhibition dedicated to Mr. Invincible has landed at Brussels Comic Art Museum. Mr. Invincible: Beyond the panels, explores the life of this mysterious superhero who effortlessly breaks through the panels of a comic page. While visiting the Museum, you can also jump on the exhibition A Century of Belgian Comics, available through 2025. Read more
• Astoria Concerts returned to the heritage ballroom of this recently reopened Brussels hotel. The series pays tribute to its storied heritage, seamlessly blending timeless classics with the energy of vibrant new talent. More here
• The Jules Verne Center in Forest is hosting the exhibition Alice Guy, the world’s first filmmaker. Alice Guy was a pioneer of cinema, from her work at Gaumont, to the creation in the United States of her own company Solax, she directed more than 600 films, from short silent films to sound films. Until 29 June. More info
• Napoleon, the Immersive Saga is a virtual reality experience at the Royal Military Museum. Under the dark clouds of the Atlantic, Napoleon welcomes you to his last abode on Saint Helena. The emperor, exiled and reclusive, takes you into his confidence and lets you delve into his memories. Info here
• A world of thrilling adventures filled with fun and beloved characters! Dive into the immersive settings of Mundo Pixar and meet your favourites as you journey through Pixar’s most unforgettable movies like Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc or Inside Out. More info
• Videogame lovers have a date with Gabriel Massan’s Bozar Arcade exhibition until 11 May. After stopping at Pinacoteca São Paulo, Ars Electronica festival Linz and MAAT in Lisbon, it comes to Bozar for another stop of its international tour. More info
• ICONS, a retrospective of the acclaimed US photographer Steve McCurry, author of the immortal portrait of young Afghan girl Sharbat Gula, cover of National Geographic in 1985. Enjoy this exceptional display with more than 100 images until September in Grand-Place.
• Brussels Comic Art Museum offers several workshops and conferences through May; from drawing to sketching. More info
• Art Pops expo at the Belfius Art Centre on Place Rogier. These annual exhibitions on the top floor of Belfius building have become an unmissable addition to the art scene in the Belgian capital. Discover more
• Expatival 2025 at International House Leuven. The event on 17 May is all about bringing Leuven’s international community together for a day of learning, connection and fun. More info
• Two exceptional National Geographic photography exhibitions at Liège-Guillemins train station: The Greatest Wildlife Photographs and Pristine Seas: Bringing the Ocean Back. Info
• The annual opening of the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken, until 11 May. If you missed the tickets this year, dive into the rich history and grandeur of this architectural marvel by reading this interesting story from our archives.

If you are on Instagram, check our monthly foodie events suggestions from Brussels restaurants, bars & other gastronomic establishments. Curated by @sistersspoons.

For the fashion & lifestyle aficionados, check our guest photo blog: 24-hours in Brussels by the sisters.

For the music aficionados, do not miss our unique selection of festivals, concerts and parties all around Brussels & Belgium – check the May music agenda by our collaborator David Vidal Sans.