Welcome to the November edition with your Best of Brussels tips. Before we dive in with packed agenda, we recommend some of our most read articles last month. Firstly, Lessons from living and working in the heart of Europe – the good, the tricky, and the unexpected, a survival guide for Brussels newcomers, disguised as personal reflections 🙂

Secondly, we recommend our guide to the Green Walking Ring of Brussels – The Promenade Verte. It’s a perfect tool to help you immerse into the magic of autumn.

Condé Nast Traveler has just released its list of “The Best Places to Go in 2026” featuring quiet coastal paradises, contemporary design cities, and inspiring new ways to travel far and wide. Among destinations like Tanzania, Barbados, Panama, or Mexico, Brussels proudly earned a spot on the list. Our city is highlighted as a destination for travelers seeking creative inspiration and cultural revival: “This often-overlooked European capital is having a cultural moment, signaling a shift from a bureaucratic hub to a creative powerhouse.” Read full article here and find more cool mentions in our media section below.

New this month

MAD Parcours returns to the city centre from 12 to 15 November. MAD Brussels, the centre for fashion and design, shines a spotlight on the richness of the local fashion and design scene. Visitors are invited to (re)discover the city centre along a route passing through shops, studios, showrooms, galleries, and surprising locations.

Brussels Coffee Show is also back for its second edition from 7 to 9 November. Expect specialty coffee and bean-to-bar chocolate, tastings, workshops, baristas and a great atmosphere, an ideal event for coffee enthusiasts. Details here.

Exhibitions, art, architecture, design…

Spanish master Goya takes over Bozar with the exhibition Luz y Sombra (light and shadow) bringing his groundbreaking oeuvre into dialogue with work by contemporaries and artists from later generations. Until 11 January.

As part of Art Deco Year, a new exhibition at the Design Museum portrays The Art Déco period of the Baucher-Feron couple. It explores the archival material of the couple’s design of textiles, lighting, objects, carpets and furniture during their trips between Paris and Brussels, with a focus on this constellation of Art Deco characters and retail enterprises.

The Brussels Expertise Labels (BEL) hosts the 4th edition of the BEL Prizes and expo “When Expertise Meets Art”on 14-16 November at Autoworld. This event will honour the expertise, creativity and innovation made in Brussels.

The 37th edition of Brussels Design Market returns to Gare Maritime on 22 and 23 November, with over 130 exhibitors, showcasing mid-century and modern design objects, furniture, decor. More here

Did you know? As our city marks the 2025 Year of Art Deco, Brussels Museums offers a special edition of its popular Art Nouveau Pass, which allows everyone to discover Brussels’ Art Nouveau and Art Deco masterpieces in one easy and affordable package. Find out more here.

Performative & multidisciplinary arts, shows…
Coudenberg Sound Box Fest 2025, is a unique festival in a historical place taking place beneath the streets of Brussels, at the ruins of Charles V’s palace – transformed since 2021 into a bold sound laboratory. The festival merges early music with contemporary voices, breaking boundaries and blending heritage with innovation. From 24 November to 14 December. More here.

Bruxelles sur Scènes: Throughout November, various Brussels’ café-theaters transform into stages for a vibrant program of music, comedy, theater, and cabaret in an intimate and welcoming atmosphere. An ideal opportunity to discover the local scene in its purest form.

CINEMAMED, Brussels Mediterranean Cinema Festival takes place from 27 November to 5 December for its 25th edition with films, concerts, workshops, exhibitions and more. Programme.

The Dire Straits Experience concerts at ING Arena Brussels (13 November) and in Ostend (15 November). The renowned band, led by former Dire Straits saxophonist Chris White, is delivering a special tribute to the legendary Brothers in Arms world tour from 1985, exactly 40 years later.

Brussels Fashion Days is a multidisciplinary fashion event celebrating Belgian fashion designers with shows, exhibitions, pop-up shops, workshops, installations… From 28 November to 14 December, Espace Vanderborght becomes a playground for designers, brands, and fashion enthusiasts.

After a busy festival season, Belgium concert venues are fully packed with shows by international stars like Lady Gaga, Hans Zimmer, HAUSER, Marilyn Manson, Benson Boone, Jamiroquai, Simply Red or The Offspring, just to name a few! Check the unique selection of festivals, concerts and parties all around Brussels & Belgium in our November music agenda.

Brussels in the Global News
Let’s continue our global news coverage from the beginning of this newsletter: “Paris has fallen for the peanut butter latte – thanks to Buddy Buddy. Manhattan is next”, reports Financial Times in their HTSI magazine. Read more how the Brussels-based nut butter cafe & atelier plots its New York expansion.

Monocle magazine brings a story about Brussels-based Animo studios, leading the rise of new super-boutique gyms. Read more how this energetic Belgian brand lifts exercise into a lifestyle, offering community, calm and cultural capital.

EU Quarter tips:

The Info Hub at the European Parliament is hosting a brand-new series of lunchtime concerts – the Tuesday Concerts. The concerts are set to keep the melodies flowing through autumn and winter, bringing a touch of harmony and relaxed flair into the busy EU Quarter. Until 16 December, free access.

Tuesday Lunch Tours. Topic for this November: Colonialism. The tours are in English and last 45 minutes. Free of charge and no booking required. Start at the Family Kiosk.

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. Open until January 2026. Discover more

For those interested in history, you can attend the conference Legacies of Southern European dictatorships: fifty years later on 18 November at the House of European History.

Travel around the World without leaving Belgium

• Visit the Orient with Amazing Asia, a festival in Antwerp on 21-23 November with performances, workshops, crafting, music, dances and even karaoke! Check out the programme here. If you are a fan of Korean culture and talent, you can also enjoy young Korean artists performing Mozart, Fauré & Brahms at Antwerp’s AMUZ on 8 November.
• Travel to South Africa with the photo exhibition What’s The Word? Johannesburg!, hosted by A Foundation. Through the eyes of nine young South African photographers, the show reveals the city’s pulse – its tensions, hopes, and resilience – through themes like identity, love, spirituality, and family.
• Autoworld’s newest exhibition German Tuners features 15 iconic vehicles from the 80s and the 90s, including a Treser’s Quattro Roadster, Mattig’s Manta Manta and Buchmann’s Rainbow Porsche.
• Spain takes over this year’s edition of Europalia festival, bringing visual arts, music, flamenco, cinema, literature and talks to over 30 different venues.

🍂 Slowly shifting from Autumn to Winter:
Mark your calendars for a new edition of Winter Wonders in Brussels. From 28 November, enjoy the Christmas market with more than 200 chalets, light displays, attractions, ferris wheel, merry-go-rounds, ice skating rink and many other cultural activities.

Community / clubs / networking events

This autumn, The Nine invites you to step into a marketplace with purpose where each purchase tells a story and contributes to a more equal, conscious future. Whether you’re browsing, connecting, or celebrating, the Conscious Winter Market is a chance to support visionary entrepreneurs and leave with gifts that truly matter. On 28 and 29 November.

The Art Society Brussels organises a new lecture on 5 November – Puzzling Out Picasso by Alan Read. Lectures take place at Woluwe St.Lambert town hall at 20h.

Brussels Ideas Festival is back from 28 to 30 November. This year the theme is resist. There will be a variety of activities driven by inspiring and thought-provoking ideas and conversations.

Kids-friendly activities:

Wild About Art: Fun Family Trail on Sunday 16 November. For “Kunstendag voor Kinderen 2025”, the House of European History’s educators invite families with children from 6 years old to follow a special art trail around the museum. The animals from the Fables Room paintings have escaped and one animal is hiding on each floor – help find them and get to grips with their artistic challenges! The trail is available in English, French, Dutch and German. Learn more

GAIA presents an animal-friendly alternative to traditional zoos. Zoo of the Future is an immersive, educational, and ethical experience for young and old in Tour & Taxis until 30 December. 

Once a month, Studio 5 at Flagey hosts two screenings of rare and exceptional animated films for children (ages 3-6). Sometimes they are full-length features, more often collections of short films, but always carefully selected by the Anima team in Flagey.

From Brussels with love is a creative workshop for children (ages 7–12) taking place on 29 November led by Katherine Longly, where painting, drawing, photography, and collage are used to bring urban stories to life. More info here.

For young explorers with a curious eye (and their parents), Brussels City Hall on the Grand Place offers more than just a photo opportunity. Until 31 December, step inside the storied halls with the help of an innovative children’s parcours – part treasure hunt, part architectural deep-dive, brought to life through smart, interactive video guides. The experience is immersive, multilingual (French, Dutch, English, German, Italian and Spanish), and entirely self-paced, making it fun & engaging for all generations.

Also happening this month:

• Superstar cellist and co-founder of 2Cellos, HAUSER, returns to the stage with his new world tour: The Rebel Is Back. On 7 November, Forest National in Brussels will resonate with the sound of the cello in a show filled with intensity, emotion, and electrifying energy. Don’t miss!
• A new exhibition in BOZAR highlights the work of John Baldessari, a prominent conceptual artist. 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.
• The Boghossian Foundation in Villa Empain presents Fire, an exhibition that brings together around fifty modern and contemporary artists from diverse backgrounds around the captivating theme of fire.
• Final call: Cirque du Soleil is in town for a few more days with Alegría, a spectacle with iconic music, stunning acrobatics, vibrant sets, and whimsical humor. Show runs in Brussels until 9 November. More info
• The landmark exhibition Amazônia features works of Sebastião Salgado, celebrated Brazilian photographer who captured striking images of humanity and nature in the Amazon rainforest. Until 11 November at Tour & Taxis.
• A TABLE! is a new free exhibition with food as main focus. Expect works by eight contemporary artists in dialogue with the Schaerbeek municipal collection and partner projects, hosted by Maison des Arts. Until 23 November.
• MAURICE, Tristesse et rigolade is a moving testimony that tells the story of a struggle — one man’s battle with illness — and of a rebirth, carried by the love of a daughter. This visual and poetic narrative resonates as a timeless tribute from Belgian photographer Charlotte Abramow to her father, Maurice. At Hangar. Until 21 December.
• (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 Viage.
• 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. Until 10 January.
• 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.
• For this year dedicated to Art Deco, Maison Autrique hosts expo Loisirs-Plezier Brussels 1920-1940. Explore the leisure and daily life of Brussels’ residents during the interwar period.
• 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.
• 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.
• If you fancy a little trip from Brussels, La Boverie in Liège is hosting a major retrospective devoted to Robert Doisneau, one of the greatest masters of 20th-century photography. Nearly 400 images, ranging from his early work in the 1930s to the end of his career, are featured in a rich and sensitive display. More here
• The City of Mons hosts the exhibition David Hockney. The Song of the Earth at the CAP, a polyphonic journey combining painting, music and poetry with Gustav Mahler’s symphony as its guiding thread. Until 25 January 2026.
• For festivals, concerts, parties and music events in Brussels and around the country, find complete information in BrusselsMusicAgenda.com