Belgium Auto Show to be held in Ghent instead of Brussels

The organisers of last winter's motor show in Brussels have announced that they will organise a second edition this year, but will move the event to Ghent instead of the Heysel plateau in Laeken.

The show was launched in January 2024 to fill the gap left by the traditional Brussels Car Show, which organiser Febiac had cancelled.

From 2025, the alternative car event will be called the Belgium Auto Show and will be held in Flanders Expo, Ghent, to avoid a clash with the Brussels Car Show, which is making a return next January.

“Both cities have their strengths, but two major motoring events in quick succession in the same place seems too much for us,” said the organisers 402 Automotive.

It said that the January 2024 show was a great success, drawing 122,000 visitor to Brussels Expo. Car enthusiasts could sample more than 400 vehicles from 150 companies, with ‘super cars’ and influencers adding star value to the event.

Unlike the traditional Brussels Motor Show, last January's show in Brussels was not primarily aimed at buyers.

“In Ghent we can organise a motor show unparalleled in Belgium,” said 402 Automotive.

The motor show will cover more than 70,000m² and include an outdoor section with rally car demonstrations, stunts and drift shows. Drifting is a technique where the driver intentionally oversteers, with loss of traction, while maintaining control and driving the car through the entirety of a corner or a turn.

This is not good news for the beleaguered Heysel plateau. Labelexpo Europe, the world’s largest event for the labelling and packaging industry, will move from Brussels to Barcelona next year.

The Brussels hotel sector was particularly disappointed, especially after the world’s largest seafood show – Seafood Expo Global – has also bid farewell to Brussels.

For 402 Automotive chief executive Ronald van den Broek, the decision is mainly due to the return of the Brussels Motor Show. This will take place as usual in January 2025, while the Belgian Motor Show will drive into Ghent in the second weekend of March.

“It’s certainly not a choice against Brussels, it’s one because of Flanders Expo’s strengths,” said van den Broek. “We also have a multi-year agreement with the city of Ghent. The location gives us a clear distinctive character compared to the classic motor show.”