Best of Brussels in June

Welcome to the June edition of our carefully curated selection of what’s worth your time in Brussels this month. Our community just crossed 70.000 followers on Instagram and if you aren’t already, be sure to follow us for your daily dose of city inspirations.

As recently announced, the first batch of our limited-edition merch has arrived! To celebrate the launch, we created a giveaway contest on our Instagram channel, offering 5 tote-bags & 5 caps to our readers. Missed it? New contest coming soon on our website, be sure to follow these pages!

What’s on in the coming days?

The new season of cultural events returns to the beautiful Citizens’ Garden in the European Quarter. European Parliament’s summer concerts take place daily from Monday to Thursday (at 13h) until the end of June. Concerts will be held in the serene oasis of the Citizens’ Garden, with occasional performances at the Info Hub, due to weather conditions. Be sure to check the latest schedule here.

The Museum of Art & History presents its most ambitious project in 25 years: From 13 to 15 June, enjoy free access to two brand-new museum galleries dedicated to the decorative arts of the 19th century, Belgian Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Explore long-hidden collections in newly redesigned spaces that bring their artistic and historical value to life. Marvel at iconic works by Victor Horta, Henry van de Velde, Paul Hankar, and others. Highlight: The fully restored Winter Garden of the House of Cousin — a true gem of Belgian design!

To continue this journey, visit the expo: All over at Horta Museum. Starting from Art Deco to Modernism (1910-1945), the expo showcases decorative richness of textiles, carpets, wallpapers by Belgian and international artists. Until 2 November.

Now let’s step back to the Renaissance, considered as the most prosperous period of Brussels’ history. The Brussels Renaissance Festival invites everyone to relive the golden age of Charles V with shows and events until 4 July. On 15 June there will be thematic guided tours in Grand-Place’s Musée de la Ville de Bruxelles and the festival will close on 2 and 4 July with the Ommegang procession, with its 1400 costumed participants. Get inspired with our photo story or grab your tickets here.

They may come from different eras and disciplines, but Victor Horta, Henry van de Velde, Paul Delvaux, and Santiago Calatrava share a common passion: trains. Draw Me A Train is an exhibition at Train World museum that celebrates this fascination, showcasing works by these exceptional artists who captured the beauty of rail travel. For the first time ever, the public can also view original drawings by Victor Horta linked to his work on Brussels Central Station. On display until August 2025.

This summer is a perfect time to visit Van Buuren Museum and Gardens which 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.

Following its 5-star production of Radiant Vermin last November, The Bridge Theatre, Brussels’ professional English-language theatre, is returning with a new production this June: 855-FOR-TRUTH. This quietly radical new play is asking an unexpected question: what happens when two people who see the world completely differently are forced to really listen to each other?

Cinema lovers, have your popcorn ready for the Brussels International Film Festival from 20 – 28 June at UGC De Brouckère. BRIFF returns with a lineup of powerful visuals and emotions on the big screen. This year’s program features three competitions (International, National & Directors’ Week), retrospectives, and open-air screenings. More info

Brussels Makers Market is back to Tour & Taxis on 8 June forging new connections between talented independent designers and customers. If you are into flea markets and second-hand marvels, you have a monthly date with the Brussels Vintage Market, this time in Reset Atelier on 1 June. In addition, take note of the brocante market in Uccle on 8 June, another one in Vanderkindere on 22 June, and a special flea market dedicated to photography gear in Forest on 15 June.

Before we dive further into the busy agenda, here are a few updates from our bureau. An immersive ART LAB will open on Avenue Louise 375 from 5 June, becoming the setting for a unique artistic experiment: a 400m² fully dedicated to contemporary art in motion and the exploration of living forms of creation.

A pioneer of neuro aesthetics Guillaume Bottazzi has set up his own Maison de Création, located a stone’s throw from Place Brugmann in the Molière district. Set in a Beaux-Arts-style building designed by Paul Picquet, this mansion resembles a Maison de Haute Couture, and is listed as a heritage site. Adding to the growing art appeal of the Belgian capital, it is located near the Horta Museum, the Maison Hannon and the Marcel Broodthaers Foundation, a Brussels district littered with architectural treasures. Interested to visit? Open days are organised a few days a year, with the next dates being 19 – 21 June.

Did you know? A few weeks ago, pralines were granted a cultural heritage status, making Brussels the first region in Belgium to officially recognize the craft of its chocolatiers as “regional cultural intangible heritage”. Learn more!

Gastronomy pulse: 
A new addition to the Brussels food scene – the launch of an exciting new restaurant group: 90 Follies, aiming to reimagine the Belgian brasseries of tomorrow. Boemvol, their first address in the capital, opens right next to the Brussels Stock Exchange on 6 June.

Le Gédéon gets a fresh new look: Formerly a restaurant, Gédéon is now a cozy coffee shop in the heart of the Art & History Museum. Visitors can rediscover this iconic spot and enjoy freshly brewed coffee, homemade quiches, artisanal treats, and refreshing drinks, indoors or on the terrace with views of Cinquantenaire Park.

If you fancy exploring fine dining scene, check the list of new Michelin-starred restaurants in Belgium. Each year, the Michelin Guide presents several establishments with some of the culinary world’s most prestigious awards.

Music corner:
June sees the return of the festival season and Brussels is ready to offer a fair share of musical events for many diverse audiences. To celebrate World Music Day, la Fête de la Musique will take over almost all the communes from 19 – 21 June, with the main stage at Parc du Cinquantenaire highlighting the Belgian talent.

Another musical highlight this month, Brussels Palace Open Air, is a two-nights festival in front of the Royal Palace with concerts by two exceptional legends: Neil Young and Jean-Michel Jarre performing on 30 June and 1 July respectively.

The Midsummer Mozartiade Festival is back at the Théâtre Royal des Galeries. In the programme: Così fan tutte, Liebeslieder Walzer, Serenades and much more. For this 9th edition, Mozart invites us to follow him – blindfolded – through the improbable labyrinth of love.

Just a few steps further, Opera La Monnaie De Munt currently runs Georges Bizet’s Carmen until 25 June. This month, there will be many more performances and activities – concertini, one day choir event, even the yoga at the opera & more. Discover more here. Couleur Café, the annual world and urban contemporary music festival returns from 27-29 June at Atomium square. Festivals like Musiq3 and TW Classic are also back this month and you can find all the music tips in our June Music Agenda.

EU Quarter tips:
Polish Day in Brussels. As every year, the biggest festival of Polish culture returns to Park Cinquantenaire on 28 June. This year, the event also marks the end of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU. From 10h – 22h, free entrance. More info

Join one of the June lunch tours in the House of European History (on Tuesdays, from 12h15 to 13h) for a free guided tour – this month’s focus: 80 years since the end the Second World War.

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)

For the photography aficionados:
The House of European History has recently opened their first ever photography exhibition, titled Presence of the Past. A European album. The documentary photo expo reveals how people across Europe engage with the past in their everyday lives. Discover more

Sebastião Salgado, regarded as one of the world’s greatest documentary photographers, has sadly passed away on 23 May, at the age of 81. The celebrated Brazilian photographer captured striking images of humanity and nature in the Amazon rainforest, leaving behind a monumental legacy. Currently, Brussels is hosting the landmark exhibition Amazônia with Salgado’s works – an invitation to see, listen, and reflect on the future of biodiversity and humanity’s place within the living world.

Expo 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. More than 100 images on display until September.

Feeling sporty?
Brussels is becoming increasingly bike-friendly, so if you are up for a challenge, BXL TOUR 2025, a 40KM cycling race crossing 8 communes will take place on 22 June and inscriptions are open now.

Running enthusiasts, mark your calendars: Anderlecht will host a 6 km and 12 km race on 20 June, the perfect opportunity to lace up your shoes and hit the pavement! Inscriptions here.

How well do you know Brussels canal and its surroundings? This vast area is full of hidden gems and summer is a perfect time for outdoor explorations. We share a photo story from Port of Brussels with pro tips & must-see spots!

For the fashion & style aficionados, check the new guest photo blog by the sisters, wondering if Brussels could soon turn into a fashion capital.

Also happening this month:

• Fashion & Lace Museum hosts 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.
• At MAD Brussels, you can see “Come as You Are,” a fashion exhibition by Belgian photographer Laetitia Bica showcasing portraits of dancers, drag artists or DJs styled by local designers.
• Explore the City Hall on the Grand Place with their special parcours for kids & families. 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. Learn more
• ART DECO. Style in a changing society at Belvue museum. The King Baudouin Foundation is showcasing Art Deco pieces from its collection, offering a captivating journey through sculptures by renowned artists such as Marcel Wolfers and Oscar Jespers, vases by Charles Catteau, glassware by Val Saint Lambert, decorative tiles, stylised book bindings, furniture, medals, and much more.
• On the occasion of World Art Nouveau Day, the Horta Museum, in collaboration with CIVA, the Cauchie House and Lab.An, invites you to a festive afternoon of outdoor activities on 14 June, at Jacques Franck Square.
• Art Deco 1925 >< Mode 2025 just opened in Halles Saint-Géry offering a reinterpretation of Art Deco through the prism of 10 Brussels designers.
• The Queen Elisabeth Competition, one of the most demanding and widely publicised international piano competitions is in the final stage. You can still catch the performances by the laureates in Bozar until 11 June.
• 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.
• Magical Realism: Imagining Natural Dis/order, running until September at Wiels, brings together over thirty visual artists in an exhibition offering new ideas and perspectives on the relationship with our planet. Info here
• 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
• 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
• The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium presents Spilliaert Room, a new room dedicated to the poetic and mysterious world of the Belgian painter, illustrator and draughtsman Léon Spilliaert.
• 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
• 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 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.
• The Design Museum Brussels presents the travelling exhibition Skateboard, a project of the Design Museum in London, until 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
• Dino World, the amazing universe where roaring dinosaurs and exciting playtime come together. Over 55 animated dinosaurs will be arriving in Palais 2 at Brussels Expo – an unforgettable experience with 5,000 m² of Jurassic Fun. Perfect for families and dino fans of all ages. From 7 June. More info
• The Beatles Legend. Relive the magic of The Beatles with a breathtaking multimedia show that brings to life the music, energy and iconic style of the Fab Four like never before thanks to The Beatbox. On 13 June at Viage.
• 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. 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.
• 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
• Two exceptional National Geographic photography exhibitions at Liège-Guillemins train station: The Greatest Wildlife Photographs and Pristine Seas: Bringing the Ocean Back. Info