Belgium — Events
Marktrock
July 1, 2010 - July 31, 2010
Marktrock is an outdoor rock concert held over a long weekend each summer. Groups from home and abroad perform on four stages in the heart of town. This is a popular crowd-puller for students and tourists alike which each year attracts over 350,000 visitors.
Namur in May
May 1, 2012 - May 31, 2012
The Festival of Traveling Arts comes to the Walloon capital, converting its streets into an open-air stage. A huge street fair, the event features over 300 fairground performers including acrobats, tightrope walkers, street theater performers, cabarets and clowns. Not forgetting the carousels, fun activities, rides and food and drink stalls. An international cast of artistes treats the crowds to a feast of merrymaking - everything from the high wire to performing fleas, with many innovative twists on the fairground tradition.
Holy Blood Procession
May 3, 2012 - May 9, 2012
The relic of the Holy Blood (a blood-stained cloth retrieved from the crucifixion) was brought to Bruges in 1149. Ever since, it has been the subject of great veneration and, since 1303, of a magnificent religious procession. The tradition is maintained each year by about 1,500 local people in medieval and crusader costume in a spectacular, mile-long procession through the historic streets of the city. The event is divided into two parts, beginning with biblical and historic floats representing scenes from the Bible.
Cats Parade and Throwing of the Cats
May 13, 2012
The origin of this festival goes back to the days when cats were employed to control the rodent population in the magnificent medieval Cloth Hall of Ypres. When the stocks of cloth were sold, the cats were no longer required and so were thrown down from the highest belfries to the streets below. This tradition of cat-throwing has been continued to the present day, although the actual cats were replaced with cat dolls from 1817. The job of “casting down” falls to the jester, a key figure among the parades and marching bands that now form the mainstay of the celebration.
Summer in Antwerp (Zomer van Antwerpen)
June 1, 2012 - October 1, 2012
Borne out of Antwerp’s status as ‘Cultural Capital of Europe’ in 1993, the annual Summer in Antwerp is a program of events that spans music, art and theater. With its multidisciplinary approach and its commitment to world cultures, the festival promises an exciting range of events and performances for visitors of all ages. The entertainment takes place in unusual locations throughout the city, ranging from specially-erected tents to old abandoned warehouses in the industrial district.
Zinneke Parade
June 4, 2012 - September 24, 2012
The multicultural communities of Brussels come together in the middle of the city on this day of colorful, exuberant celebration of the Zinneke Parade. Around 4,000 participants converge in the main avenues of the city center, creating a carnival atmosphere with brass bands, actors, dancers and musicians. The Zinnodes, as the workshops are known, work hard for months following a preparatory stage of about a year and a half. With the input of thousands of volunteers the result is always varied and surprising, a delightful mixture of styles and genres in one happy street party.
