Best of Brussels in September

Our September edition of Best of Brussels is here to help you make a smooth transition while still keeping some of those sunny holiday vibes!

Let’s start with this “hidden” gem: Square Armand Steurs in Saint Josse, a short walk from the EU quarter, is hosting a 33rd edition of the only monumental public sculptures exhibition in Brussels, until 25 September. Get inspired and visit! (free entrance)

For its 37th edition, the Heritage Days offer a chance to rediscover the city’s tangible and intangible heritage and gain access to rarely opened sites on 20 & 21 September. This year, the focus is on « ART DECO, Roaring Twenties, Crash Years » as part of Art Deco Year 2025.

Art lovers have a date with Brussels Art Week this weekend (until 7 September), celebrating the richness and variety of the contemporary Brussels art scene in more than 20 galleries.

Right at the end of summer break, the beautiful Maison Hannon started a unique, sensitive, and intellectual exploration of the enchanting world of Belgian Symbolism with the new exhibition Echoes of dreams.

La Monnaie launches a new season with Falstaff, opera by Giuseppe Verdi. Details here

Belgian Beer Weekend celebrates its 25th anniversary on 5-7 September on the Grand-Place with over 50 breweries and live music. Whether you’re into hoppy IPAs or fruit-forward lambics, there’s your favourite glass on offer.

In case you do not have enough with one weekend, Brussels Beer Project hosts Wanderlust 2025, a beer festival at Place Sainte-Catherine on 13 & 14 September. Expect 14 craft breweries from all over Europe, food trucks, live music and more.

The second edition of Curated, Functional Art Exhibition will be hosted at Mix Brussels and curated by Lionel Jadot, Designer of the Year 2024 (Maison & Objet). Featuring the work of 42 talented designers, this unique event transforms the historic former Royale Belge building into a vibrant hub of creativity. Designers, artists, collectors and architects come together to showcase their exceptional creations during a residency weekend filled with food, music, and DJ sets. The event (26-28 September) is open to everyone.

For its 19th edition, Brussels Design September establishes itself as a space of convergence between authorial design, material research, social innovation, narrative experimentation, circular economy, and urban activation. From 17 September to 3 October, around 100 exhibitions, installations, open studios, thematic routes, and collaborative projects will unfold throughout the city.

A new exhibition in BOZAR highlights the work of John Baldessari, a giant of contemporary art, whose codes he turned upside down. Known for his paintings combining art historical references with Hollywood film stills, he blurred visual boundaries and developed a complex narrative language tinged with humour. From 19 September. More info

As part of Mobility Week, 21 September is Car-Free Sunday in Brussels. Take the opportunity to walk and cycle freely around town between 9:30 and 19h. Runners of all ages unite on 28 September to beat child cancer at Run To Kick, a charity family race of 2, 5 or 10km for a good cause. Register, volunteer or donate here. If you have a sportive dog, do not miss Dogolympics! A free competition event for your beloved pet in Bois de la Cambre on 14 September with workshops, games, food and more.

If you are over summer and you can almost smell the flair of mulled wine, Pumpkimania is back in the Groot-Bijgaarden gardens from 19 September to 2 November with a new theme. Step into a world of colour and imagination, where Roman-themed sculptures are beautifully decorated with pumpkins.

Celebrate 20 years of artistic excellence in Sablon / Zavel
Brussels Art Square, Sablon’s most iconic art event celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Discover 52 participating galleries, showcasing specialties that span 4,000 years of art history – from archaeology to contemporary art. Brussels Art Square is a cultural journey at the heart of Europe, welcoming galleries and visitors from across the continent in one of Brussels’ most beautiful and historic neighborhoods. From 25 – 28 September.

EU Quarter tips
Concerts in the Citizens’ Garden return this September during lunch breaks. From Monday to Thursday, renowned musicians & ensembles from Brussels and beyond perform in this hidden oasis near the European Parliament. Due to weather conditions, some concerts might be held in the EP Info Hub).
Full programme

Tuesday Lunch Tours: Join one of the September lunch tours in the House of European History (on Tuesdays, from 12h15 to 13h) for a free guided tour. This month’s focus: Senses. Is it possible to see, hear, taste, feel or smell European history?

Visit new expo which opened at the House of European History, Raising our roots – Bruxelles à travers onze ogen. Created by the Echoes collective, a group of 15 young adults from Brussels aged between 18 and 26, from different neighbourhoods, with a shared interest in Europe’s past, present and future. Together, they explored who is represented in history, how, and why, and what this means to young people today.

The House of European History also hosts 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

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).

The terraces of the Arcades du Cinquantenaire are open again after 4 years of renovation. Enjoy the panoramic, 360-degree view of Brussels. Access through the Royal Military Museum.

Passionate about languages? Don’t miss the Multilingualism Day at the European Parliament on 27 September! This is an opportunity to peek behind the scenes at the world’s most multilingual parliament and find out how it operates in 24 languages. Meet the interpreters, translators, lawyer linguists, communications experts and other multilingual staff, learn about their work and explore the Hemicycle.

Brussels Music Agenda
Belgian capital resists entering into Autumn and still has lots of open-air festivals taking place this month like Concertband, Saint Jazz, Molenfest and Show Up For Humanity, a massive 1-day free festival in the Atomium with more than 20 guest performers. Check the unique selection of festivals, concerts and parties all around Brussels & Belgium in our September music agenda.

Our pick of the month: Brussels Philharmonic, Between a Smile and a Tear — the music of Toots, reimagined. Two orchestras, one legendary legacy – a heartfelt tribute that spans jazz, film, and memory. On 12 & 13 September at Flagey.

Also happening this month:

• The Korean Cultural Center presents Korean Film Weekend, a three-day celebration of Korean cinema from 26 to 28 September.
• Fiesta Latina – Summer Edition is landing in Brussels on 5, 6 & 7 September 5, 6 at Bois de la Cambre for a sunny, festive weekend that’s 100% Latino.
• The landmark exhibition Amazônia is an invitation to see, listen, and reflect on the future of biodiversity and humanity’s place within the living world. Expo features works of Sebastião Salgado, celebrated Brazilian photographer who captured striking images of humanity and nature in the Amazon rainforest. Running until October at Tour & Taxis.
• (Re)discover the unique universe of Frida Kahlo with the immersive exhibition Viva Frida Kahlo. Dedicated to the work and life of the world-famous Mexican artist, dive into a new and emotionally powerful 360° experience right in the heart of Brussels, at the iconic venue, The Viage.
• Rediscover shopping districts in a new light, thanks to Philippe Katerine‘s Brussels in Pink exhibition. A dozen monumental sculptures of his emblematic character Monsieur Rose can be seen on the streets of city’s Pentagon, from the Grand Place to the Rue Haute, via the Galleries Ravenstein. Until 30 September.
• For a family-oriented experience, visit Dino World at Brussels Expo. 🦕 Designed with dino fans of all ages in mind: along an exciting and educational route, visitors will encounter the dinosaurs and their story, travelling millions of years back in time. Immersive expo and playful trail filled with life-sized, moving dinosaurs in an impressive indoor and outdoor jungle spanning over 5,000 m².
• 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.
• All over at Horta Museum. From Art Deco to Modernism (1910-1945), this expo showcases decorative richness of textiles, carpets, wallpapers by Belgian and international artists. Until 2 November.
• 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.
• 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.
• Art Deco 1925 >< Mode 2025 in Halles Saint-Géry offering a reinterpretation of Art Deco through the prism of 10 Brussels designers.
• 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.
• Thematic exhibition Echoes of Art Deco at Villa Empain.Set against the lively musical backdrop of the era, the exhibition offers an immersive experience into the lifestyle of the Roaring Twenties. Until 2 November.
• The Boghossian Foundation presents Fire, an exhibition that brings together around fifty modern and contemporary artists from diverse backgrounds around the captivating theme of fire. From 25 September.
• DÉBRIS 07 on 20 September at Brussels Beer Project Port Sud, an open-air, 8-hour event by the canal with DJs GARSA, Okima, Stanislawa, and Karassimeon bringing bold underground sounds. A collective celebrating Brussels’ deep connection to Techno, EBM, Electro, and New Beat with modern, inclusive parties and a safe space for all electronic music lovers.
• The Design Museum Brussels presents the travelling exhibition Skateboard, a project of the Design Museum in London, until 14 September. The exhibition explores the development of skateboard design over seven decades, focusing on the technological and aesthetic evolution of the skateboard. More here
• Immersive exhibition focusing on writer Jules Verne. ‘Jules Verne 200’ experience in the Horta Gallery. Get acquainted with some of the writer’s work while being immersed in five of his stories.
• 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
  

This page was updated on 23 September.