PRESS KIT Brussels, 30 November 2017
A bright winter in Brussels...
If the sun's rays are scarcer and no longer bring warmth and comfort at this time of the year, Brussels undertakes to brighten winter days and warm hearts with events and activities of all kinds which will lend rhythm to the season there.
As it does every year, Brussels is putting on its finery for the close of year festivities. From Winter Wonders to the many Christmas markets that flourish in the four corners of the capital, not forgetting the magnificent son et lumière show that further glorifies one of the most beautiful "Main Squares" in the World, young and old will have plenty to feast their eyes on. A great chance to enjoy the magic of the holidays and turn your back on gloom in the heart of the capital of Europe. Contents
Unmissable events this winter in Brussels ...... 2 Exhibitions ...... 3 Christmas Markets ...... 7 New Year’s outings ...... 9 What can you do with the children this winter? ...... 10 Jazzuary ...... 13 Guided winter tours in Brussels ...... 14
Unmissable events this winter in Brussels With its Christmas tree, the superb son et lumière show in the Grand-Place, the exhibitions and Christmas markets, Brussels can provide an abundance of winter activities. Here is a glimpse of the events on offer throughout the season.
Winter Wonders [Plaisirs d’Hiver] 2017
From 24 November to 31st December this year, the centre of Brussels will be the sumptuous setting for Winter Wonders, an unmissable event that makes the city even more attractive and puts it high on the list of favourite winter city trip destinations.
A breathtaking son et lumière show and a lavish Christmas tree will deck out the Grand- Place. The skating rink in the Place de la Monnaie, novel lighting, festive attractions, a string of cultural and fun events...The wide range of activities is what makes Winter Wonders so original and enjoyable for all the family.
Five weeks of delightful events, colourful stalls, gift ideas and original tastings to enable you to share an unique experience!
The Winter Wonders' 4 unmissable activities Big Wheel Safely out of the winter wind, the Winter Wonders Big Wheel takes visitors on board for a journey to new heights! Just take your place in the snug pod and admire the view. Skating rink Have a glide on the Winter Wonders skating rink: opposite the majestic Monnaie theatre, the ice is perfect for skating, a special children's area and a welcoming terrace await all who love to slide along... what icy joy! Son & Lumière At nightfall, come to the Grand-Place for a moment of pure magic: around the majestic illuminated Christmas tree, a fantastic son & lumière spectacle that will leave young and old with stars in their eyes for a long time. Christmas Market With its Christmas market, Winter Wonders casts its spell over Brussels' historic centre. Visitors wander at will through its wooden cabins and follow the scents of chocolate and mulled wine. The place to unearth the perfect gift made by one of the many dedicated artisans and to have a nice gourmet break: tartiflettes, waffles and other heartwarming delicacies.
More info: www.plaisirsdhiver.be
Exhibitions
Islam, it's our story, too! (15/09/2017 - 21/01/2018) The civilisation that grew up around Islam has left its mark on Europe. Physical marks in Spain, Sicily and the Balkans; intellectual marks all over the continent. This is the heritage that the ISLAM, IT'S OUR STORY, TOO! exhibition proposes we explore. A way of linking past and present.
Venue: Vanderborght Building More information: www.expo-islam.be
Europalia Art Festival Indonesia - (10/10/2017 - 21/01/2018) Launched in Brussels in 1969, Europalia is a big international festival that presents the essentials of a country's cultural heritage every two years.
From October to February, in Brussels and a number of Belgian and neighbouring cities, the festival presents all the arts: music, plastic arts, film, theatre, dance, literature. All Belgium and its neighbouring countries deck themselves out in the colours of the guest country. The aim of the festival is to promote exchange between peoples, offering partner countries the chance to present their cultural heritage and their contemporary artists.
This year, Indonesia takes the floor. How can you represent the culture of a country as complex and varied as Indonesia in one month and also go off the beaten track? In cooperation with Indonesian and European artists, curators and experts, EUROPALIA has taken up the challenge and unveils Indonesia in all its most unexpected and contrasting forms.
Venue: Various places in Belgium More information: www.europalia.eu
Ancestors & Rituals - (11/10/2017 - 14/01/2018) From Sumatra to Papua, not forgetting Java and the Maluku Islands: ancestors have played and still play a major role in Indonesia. The religions based on their veneration and their representations powerfully and poetically reflect the vast diversity of the country. A captivating introduction to Indonesia, presenting its heritage and also questioning the place of tradition and ritual in contemporary society. Archaeological and ethnographic treasures will be presented for the first time, contextualised with unique iconographic material and interviews. In collaboration with the Jakarta National Museum and many other collections from the four corners of the archipelago.
Venue: Palais des Beaux-Arts - BOZAR More information: www.bozar.be
Magritte, Atomium meets surrealism (21/09/2017 - 10/09/2018) Fifty years after the death of René Magritte, known all over the world and an icon of Belgian surrealism, the Atomium pays a unique tribute to him. Some of his most memorable works come to life. Transformed into decor and unveiled, they allow visitors to get visually acquainted with the surreal world of René Magritte.
Venue: Atomium More information: www.atomium.be
Magritte, Broodthaers & contemporary art (13/10/2017 - 18/02/2018) Since his death in 1967, Magritte has never left us and indeed is still with us. The exhibition of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (MRBAB) shows this, focusing on the dialogue that Marcel Broodthaers has forged with Magritte's work since 1964. The influence of the “word-image” paintings (1927-1929) was decisive, both in Belgium and in the United States, and contributed to the emergence of conceptual art. Broodthaers' debt to Magritte is huge, and is based on a mutual relationship with Mallarmé.
Venue: Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium More information: www.fine-arts-museum.be
Pompeii - The immortal city - (24/11/2017 - 15/04/2018) After feeling the physical shock of the Vesuvius eruption that destroyed the city in the year 79, the visitor will discover a hundred or so authentic objects (including the famous casts of bodies entombed in the ash from the volcano) that tell the story of the city from two angles: nature and technology. What was the natural world like around the city? How did its inhabitants use it to feed themselves? What wines were produced there? And how was the city built? How was water brought in and how were the roads laid?
Venue: Brussels Stock Exchange More information: www.expo-pompeii.be
The monkeys (11/10/2017 - 26/08/2018) Penetrate the heart of the jungle, immerse yourself in its vegetation, its sounds... and discover the extraordinary diversity of its primates. Watch the orangutan in the branches, spot one of the world's smallest primates, the grey mouse lemur, admire the chimpanzee's termite catching technique, look the male gorilla in the eye... Learn where these animals live, how they move around, what they eat, how they communicate and interact with each other.
Venue: Royal Institute of Natural Sciences of Belgium More information: https://www.naturalsciences.be
Robert Doisneau (19/10/2017 - 04/02/2018) Ixelles Museum will no doubt have record visiting figures for an outstanding exhibition. Hard to believe, but this is the first retrospective dedicated to Robert Doisneau in Belgium! Despite the fact that the French photographer's work is part of the collective memory of a multi-generational public. His humorous and benevolent gaze focused on the world of childhood with a sensitivity that marked his style. Witness of the twentieth century, the Paris of the 30s, the Liberation, he was also an admirer of great figures of his time, such as Picasso.
Venue: Ixelles Museum More information: www.museedixelles.be
Christo & Jeanne-Claude - 'Urban Projets'- (25/10/2017 - 25/02/2018) "Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Urban Projects" is the first retrospective since the 1980s of the urban projects of Christo and Jeanne-Claude.
A unique opportunity to discover the entire creative process of this unclassifiable artist couple. With a narrowed-down selection of about eighty original works, this exhibition is intended to evoke a number of urban projects, some realised and some not, by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, from Wall of Oil Barrels, Visconti Street, Paris in 1962 to The Gates, Central Park, New York, completed in 2005. Their projects in the city were realised through their temporary appropriation of buildings, monuments and public places of high symbolic value.
Venue: ING Art Center More information: www.ing.be/art
Oceania (26/10/2017 - 29/04/2018) This exhibition was conceived as an invitation to cross the great ocean in the wake of 18th century explorers, in search of the aesthetics of Oceanic art and its cultural context reconstructed by ethnography and archaeology. The rich oceanic collections of the Royal Museums of Art and History (Museum of the Cinquantenaire and Museum of Musical Instruments) and the Royal Museum of Central Africa will be showcased in this exhibition.
More than 200 items from New Zealand, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, Hawaii and Easter Island, as well as old maps and mappae mundi, model ships and archives, will be on display for the occasion.
Venue: Cinquantenaire Museum More information: www.kmkg-mrah.be
Christmas Markets
Winter in Brussels is fun and it's going to stay that way! This year more than ever, getting ready for Christmas in Brussels means (Christmas) markets with all sorts on offer: traditional products, arts and crafts, food or you can keep warm in one of the marquees. There are alternative and vintage selections for everyone.
They are waiting for you everywhere in Brussels: from the cobblestones of the Grand-Place to the paths of its leafy suburbs or the enchanting setting of a fairy-tale castle. Follow the guide...
Traditional
Winter Pleasures @Brussels - 24/11>31/12/2017 Credit where credit's due, Winter Wonders and its cosy cabins are the beating heart of Brussels. On foot, by bicycle or on the metro, experience the gentle vertigo of the big wheel, seek out the chilly pleasures of the ice rink, find all of the must-have gifts, taste the enchanting mulled wine, experience the aromas and flavours of here and elsewhere.
Magic Christmas Market @ Anderlecht: 14>17/12/2017 The Christmas market and its fairytale charm await visitors all around Anderlecht's majestic Place de la Vaillance. In addition to seasonal tastings and enthusiastic artisans, every day has something special in store: opening by Santa Claus in person, concert in the collegiate church of Saints-Pierre-et-Guidon, activities for the very young and magnificent fireworks for all... it's magic!
25th Christmas Market at the Château du Karreveld: 08/12 > 10/12/2017 For a weekend, the Château du Karreveld welcomes artists and artisans into a fairytale setting to celebrate the close of 2017. The chance you have been waiting for to wander through the cabin village and do your shopping, while tasting a local specialty in a mellow Christmas atmosphere. Fireworks: Saturday 9/12 at 8.00 pm
In the warm Christmas Market @ Ixelles - Place Flagey - 08>10/12/201 The biggest covered Christmas market in Brussels awaits visitors in Place Flagey with a selection of artisans from all over Belgium and beyond. You will find a selection of original gifts, activities and a gourmet area there!
Xmas Festival @Woluwé-St-Pierre - 13>17/12/2017 A Russian nesting doll of a Christmas market: nice and warm under canvas, with a circuit of cabins around the emblematic Place Dumon to light up your Christmas shopping. And then a plastic arts festival and an abundance of activities...
Alternative, ethical, vintage Christmas Market at the Ateliers des Tanneurs @ Brussels - 08>10/12/2017 A Christmas market unlike the rest, which transports the whole family into a fairytale universe. Craft workers and designers give objects a new lease of life or work on recyclable materials. Ecology, nature, citizens of planet Earth, slow living, food trucks and a relaxation corner.
Christmas craft market at La Tricoterie @ Saint-Gilles (10 & 17/12/2017) A fair trade market that supports local craft workers. Around twenty exhibitors will show you recycled jewellery, textile designs for children and adults, original lighting fixtures, craft decorations, leather accessories, fair-trade clothing...
X-MAS SHOP 10-12 @ Brussels - 01>24/12 X-mas shop is an alternative market bringing together designers who are offering a selection of their original, surprising and fun creations for sale during the close of year holidays. A chance to enjoy yourself and find a Christmas gift you won’t have seen anywhere else.
Christmas Designers Market at La Tentation – 27/12 The perfect place to find an original gift! Over 50 designers will come together in the friendly atmosphere of "La Tentation" to present their creations there.
And also Traditional Finnish Christmas Market 29/11 > 10/12/2017 The Finnish Seafarers’ Church Christmas Market is back in Brussels! This year the market will once again offer a range of gift ideas of all kinds from this beautiful northern country. The items on offer include: crockery of original design, wooden articles, Finnish culinary specialties... There will be something for everyone.
New Year’s outings Near the Atomium Fireworks Following the success of last summer’s firework display, the City of Brussels is moving the New Year’s Eve firework display to the Atomium. Prepare yourself for a breathtaking pyrotechnics display, musical entertainment, a giant screen to share festive wishes, the excitement of the countdown to the New Year, and many more surprises…
Festival FCKNYE For the 8th time on December 31 this year, the FCKNYE Festival will be held in the 12,000 m2 of Palais 12 in Brussels, the largest indoor venue in Belgium. This year again, nearly 45 groups and international artists are expected to be there to celebrate New Year's Eve and ensure that the fun lasts until the early hours. Hip-hop, techno, dub, drum and bass, hardcore: the FCKNYE Festival offers a programme rich in all styles that make up music's present and future. Venue: Palais 12 More information: http://fcknyefestival.be/fr/
In the centre Happy Brussels Brussels nightlife in all its forms For the New Year, visit.brussels and PLAY asbl offer a unique opportunity to discover all aspects of "Made in Brussels" nightlife. The capital puts on its party clothes.
Apart from access to about ten New Year's Eve parties, the happy.brussels pass also includes ways of enriching your stay with rewarding daytime activities. Indeed, happy.brussels gives you the best tips on bars and unusual places to start off your celebrations; The pass also provides access to the Atomium, the unmissable architectural giant symbolising the capital of Europe. Finally, it includes admission for a show of your choice at the Cinéma Galeries.
Venues: various places in Brussels More information: www.happy.brussels
What can you do with the children this winter? Exhibitions
The monkeys Penetrate the heart of the jungle, immerse yourself in its vegetation, its sounds... and discover the extraordinary diversity of its primates. Watch the orangutan in the branches, spot one of the world's smallest primates, the grey mouse lemur, admire the chimpanzee's termite catching technique, look the male gorilla in the eye... Learn where these animals live, how they move around, what they eat, how they communicate and interact with each other.
Venue: Royal Institute of Natural Sciences of Belgium Dates: 11/10/2017 - 26/08/2018 More information: www.naturalsciences.be
Festival
Anima 2018, The Brussels Animation Film Festival Apart from its must-see previews, ANIMA has chosen to spotlight, in 2018, the work of a very prolific country in terms of animation: Estonia. This little Baltic country will be the subject of a focus on children’s animation and another on animation for adults, complemented by a retrospective and an exhibition devoted to the animator Priit Pärn. We add a programme of school films to this, in the context of FUTURANIMA. Really, in terms of animation, the only thing that’s small about Estonia is its size...
More information: www.animafestival.be
Activities
Winter Pleasures The children can enjoy the Winter Wonders that illuminate the heart of the city with the ice rink and the big wheel, the Christmas tree and the living nativity scene, the magic roundabouts... and the snack breaks: crisp chips, light waffles and hot chocolate.
More information: www.plaisirsdhiver.be
Museums
Children's museum “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. ” As one of the first in Europe, the Children's Museum has made this Chinese saying its own, wonderfully illustrating its participative and psychological approach to early learning. In this space for education through play, there are no computers or video consoles, but rather decorations, wooden games and scenarios that enable the child to discover and deepen their knowledge of themselves and the world around them.
More information: www.museedesenfants.be
The Sewers Museum An unusual journey into the bowels of the city of Brussels. The sewer system under Brussels city has more than 350 km of underground branches that swallow thousands of cubic metres of wastewater every day. The Sewer Museum invites you on an unusual trip through the most carefully hidden part of Brussels, which is also most necessary to its function. A museum like no other, a living museum, with the Senne in the starring role. A museum that tells when, why and how the sewers were built, which focuses on the work of men in this underground world and explains the water cycle in the city. More information: www.sewermuseum.brussels
Train World Come and discover the wonderful world of Belgian trains. Let yourself be amazed by the impressive steam locomotives and luxury carriages. Admire the most spectacular inventions and the wide range of railway equipment. The railway giants are really impressive. But an exceptional train driver always sees the details. A sticker book invites students to look carefully! Train World is really not a traditional museum! It's an action-packed outing for all ages. More information: www.trainworld.be
Le Bronks The Dutch-language youth theatre, which speaks all languages, offers a series of original activities for children. More information: www.bronks.be
Belvue Museum Chips, beers, chocolate… There’s more to Belgium than that, isn't there? Democracy, prosperity, solidarity, pluralism, migrations, languages, Europe: here are the themes the BELvue museum offers you for discovering the country! Every theme is developed with the aid of current testimony, then explained through history. A modern and original way to better understand the Belgium of today. Several activities are offered to the young visitors. They can, for example, wear a Minister's suit during their visit to the museum. A nice way to learn more about Belgium while having fun.
More information: www.belvue.be/fr/education
Théâtre de la Montagne Magique As in a house, children, teens and adults (teachers, nursery nurses, parents, grandparents, artists, etc.) get together there for meetings, shows, workshops, training sessions.
More information: www.lamontagnemagique.be
Jazzuary
In January, the capital of Belgium vibrates to the rhythm of "blue note", saxophone crescendos and groovy sounds. No fewer than three jazz festivals are held there during the second half of the month: Brussels Jazz Festival, River Jazz Festival and Djangofolllies.
Jazz lovers can sample the diversity of the Brussels jazz scene in many bars and clubs throughout the city, as well as in the prestigious Flagey Hall. Jazz standards, gypsy jazz and Ethio-jazz, more progressive jazz or free jazz... there is something for everyone in Brussels in January.
Brussels Jazz Festival - 11.01 > 20.01.2018 In its fourth year, everything suggests that the Brussels Jazz Festival is becoming a flagship event on the Brussels and international jazz scene. Proof of this is in the programming, which is both more solid and more daring.
River Jazz Festival - 12.01 > 27.01.2018 Jazz Station, Marni and Senghor – three venues on the banks of the old Maelbeek stream – are the origin of the River Jazz Festival. For three weeks, they invite you to attend some exciting but intimate jazz evenings. The Chet Baker Focus will give them the opportunity to evoke the personality and the work of this timeless jazz figure. Sailing through a starry night, double bassist Nicolas Thys will draw the map of the closing night, the River Jazz Night: an entire evening devoted to three aspects of a single musician... in three different venues.
Djangofolllies - 13.01 > 16.01.2018
Encouraged by Koen De Cauter, Brosella launched the very first Djangofolllies as a tribute to Django Reinhardt and decided in 1994 to celebrate Django's birthday every year, because fans of the genre had nowhere near had enough by then. Meanwhile, Djangofolllies has become a safe bet and an annual event, to the great satisfaction of both fans of the "Django" style and those discovering it for the first time.
Guided winter tours in Brussels
To make the most of the winter and (re)discover Brussels and its jewels, guided tours are organised every weekend! A great way to discover the winter atmosphere of the different neighbourhoods and art nouveau interiors that keep their doors open to warmly welcome visitors of all kinds!
Here is a selection of tours to enjoy in the capital during the festive season.
The Art Nouveau masterpieces Explore.Brussels offers guided tours of exclusive Art Nouveau interiors like the Hôtel Max Halle and the Hôtel Solvay up to the end of December. Grab the chance!
Brussels chocolate – 30/12 at 2.30 pm Sweet, refined, very full-bodied or subtly potent, you can enjoy the full range of cocoa pleasures... A guided chocolate tour for a sweet moment in the middle of winter.
Delicious close of year traditions: 03/12 – 10/12 – 17/12 A guided, gourmet walk in search of the meaning of close of year traditions, their history, the symbols of these holidays... and a chance to savour some of their delights!
Christmas lights – 14/12 at 5.00 pm On this guided bicycle tour you will be feasting your eyes on the Christmas lights at dusk... magical!
Mixity – African art and atmosphere in the City – 3/12 at 2.00 pm Taste Brussels "African style" by sharing Matongé flavours and moods. A unique guided experience of diversity in all its splendour and colour.
In winter, Brussels unveils its mysteries: 26/11 Once in Brussels offers a guided tour of Brussels and its mysteries by electric bicycle. A programme that includes indoor tours for those who feel the cold.
Walt Disney guided tour in Brussels: 18/11 – 2 pm
Dive into the Disney atmosphere with "Tours" through the centre of Brussels. Peter Pan, The Little Mermaid, Chip and Dale and their many friends will lead you on a journey through a unique fairytale atmosphere in Brussels.
Brussels Greeters Discovering Brussels also means doing this through the eyes of a resident. The Brussels Greeters will lead you in a magical atmosphere, according to your and their availability, on a unique, personalised tour. Set out to meet a Brussels resident passionate about their city during the winter festivities (Specify "winter in Brussels" in the application form).
Meetings are possible in French, Dutch, English, Italian, Spanish, Russian, German! A language diversity courtesy of Brussels' multiculturalism!
Experience winter in Brussels
More information on www.winter.brussels
Press contact:
Noémie Wibail, press support coordinator - +32 490 49 43 84 - [email protected]