During the occasion of the Iris Festival this coming May 7 – 8, a party atmosphere will spread throughout the neighbourhoods of Brussels. More than 200 activities are on the agenda. Streets alive!, Brussels, born and bred !, Food Truck Festival, Out! Village and many more will join forces to transform these two days into a must-see weekend.
Public Corner – Sunday 8 May, from 12am to 6pm
At the initiative of Fadila Lanaan, Secretary of State for the Civil Service of the Brussels-Capital Region, a new village, the “Public Corner”, will be placed at the entrance to Brussels Park. This new regional village will bring together a dozen public services each of which will offer leisure activities featuring the daily work of the people of Brussels. Also, in cooperation with beezy.brussels (the Brussels Reference Centre promoting jobs in the city and the civil service), the civil service will inform participants of job opportunities in its different branches. The following operators will be present: Bruxelles Environnement, Innoviris, Bruxelles Propreté, the Service d’Incendie et d’Aide Médicale Urgente (SIAMU) and the non-profit Jeunes Sapeurs Pompiers, Vivaqua, the Port de Bruxelles, Actiris, Bruxelles Formation, VDAB, beezy.brussels, Parking.brussels, the Service Public Régional de Bruxelles (SPRB) and STIB.
Streets alive ! – Sunday 8 May, from 12am to 6pm
A showcase for artists from Brussels, Belgium, and all over the world, “Rues en Fête” brings the performing arts to the great outdoors. Colourful, off-the-wall stage designs will take over the cityscape, which will become a place to meet and exchange ideas. On the programme: colourful stilt dancers, a giant walking camel puppet almost 5 m tall, and even an Urban Jam celebrating graffiti and street art.
The winners of the be on stage, be .brussels contest – Sunday 8 May from 2:45 pm
The be .brussels be on stage contest, a springboard for artists and groups from Brussels, has now ended.. Laura Crowe, Ladylo and SeeUsoon were the winners of this third edition. On Sunday, during the day, they will appear on the main stage in the Place de Palais as the opening acts in concerts by Charles Pasi, Mustii and Sinsémilia.
Brussels, born and bred ! – Sunday 8 May, from 12am to 6pm
To honour the towns around Brussels, “From Brussels? Maybe not!” brings together about a hundred associations. BOZAR, Quinoa, Musée René Magritte, Itinéraires, Discover the City and many others will help visitors to discover the treasures and activities of their towns in an individualised, playful, interactive way.
At the Brussels Parliament with the whole family ! – Sunday 8 May, from 11am to 6pm
Parliament will be open to the public on Sunday for the Festival of Swing, which has been put together by the organisers of the famous “God Save the 90’s”! From the gardens of the parliament building, the lively rhythms of electro-swing will provide an original accompaniment to visits.
Out ! Village – Sunday 8 May, from 12am to 6pm
Organised by Rainbow House, Out! Village offers a festive moment at the Crossroads of Europe to honour the LGBTQI community. There will be a cocktail bar, DJ, activities and concerts as well as meetings with young people, seniors, athletes, the less sporty, fans of queer culture, party animals, fans of good music, activists… In a word: everyone is welcome!
Kids & Family – Sunday 8 May, from 12am to 6pm
The Iris Festival includes numerous activities for children and families. Amazing make-up at the Beauty Saloon, a photo studio by the group “Les oiseaux sans tête”, face painting and a bouncy castle at the European Parliament… Everything to make this weekend memorable for kids and their parents!
Free walking and bike tours – Saturday 7 May from 10am to 5pm
Free walking and bike tours have been organised to help visitors discover some unusual places in some of the towns around Brussels. Professional guides from the non-profit Pro-Vélo and Itinéraries will take visitors on bike tours of Woluwe Saint-Lambert and Woluwe Saint-Pierre and walking tours of Saint-Josse-Ten-Node and Evere. The tours will be in French, Dutch and English. Also, a number of Greeters, local people who are passionate about Brussels, will share the things they like best, good ideas and their favourite unusual places in Schaerbeek.
Brussels Food Truck Festival – Friday, May 8 from 4:30 PM to 10:30 PM, Saturday, May 9 from 11:00 AM to 10:30 PM and Sunday May 10 from 11:00 AM to 9:30 PM
The largest annual gathering of Food Trucks in Europe is setting the table for a second edition! This next generation of tastemakers offers a different, innovative, surprising but also traditional tasting experience. More than just a meal break, this gathering is an activity in itself.
But there is even more. Scientific experiments in the Science Village, discoveries of Wallonie in the Village Wallon, sporting activities (roller skating, funball, trampoline), stirring music at Electro Night and the Sunday concerts in the Place des Palais , exclusive visits during Bruxelles Bienvenue.