Brussels’ 2026 flower carpet extravaganza to honour Japan from 13 to 16 August

After an Art Nouveau floral motif two years ago, this year’s edition of the Brussels Flower Carpet is inspired by Katsushika Hokusai’s world-famous Japanese print The Great Wave of Kanagawa.

From 13 to 16 August, crowds will be descending on the Grand Place to admire the ephemeral floral display sweeping through the medieval square.

Honouring 160 years of diplomatic relations and friendship between Belgium and Japan, the colourful artwork is the design of Japanese artist Hiro Sugiyama and his collective “Enlightenment”.

It will take more than 500,000 dahlias and some 120 volunteers less than six hours to interpret their “Neo-Hokusai” concept. The workers will start their marathon effort early Thursday morning so that it is ready for the grand unveiling and an onslaught of visitors.

For the 24th edition of the floral fresco, dahlias will represent around 80% of the 70m x 24m design thanks to a collaboration with the Bloemencorso Loenhout association.

Traditionally, the installation has used predominantly begonias but as production of this tropical perennial has slowed, it has increasingly been adopting this alternative robust and decorative bloom.

Attracting sightseers from around the globe, the flower design can be admired from the panoramic viewpoint of the balcony of the gothic City Hall. A sound and light show adding to the spectacle is performed each evening at 30-minute intervals, from 21.00 to 23.00.

An innovation for the 2026 edition is the introduction of a second flower carpet at the Bourse. In a nod to the stock exchange’s new identity as a Belgian beer museum, the design is inspired by the country’s brewing heritage. Visitors are invited to follow a floral trail that links the Grand Place with this second installation.

It is not the first time that the biannual event has honoured the Land of the Rising Sun. A previous collaboration in 2016 featured a Japanese motif by Nomura designer Fujie Suzuki (pictured above).

The Flower Carpet can be viewed from the balcony of Brussels City Hall until Sunday 18 August. An entrance ticket costs €8 per person, while children under the age of 10 can view it for free.

Photos: 2026 design ©City of Brussels; 2024 edition ©asbl Flower Carpet/Fabian De Backer; Flower Carpet 2016 ©City of Brussels