Brussels’ second car-free day set for 2 May 2027

Getting on your bike in the capital with no cars to get in your way will be easier next year thanks to an additional car-free day.

Subject to approval by Brussels’ 19 municipalities, the date has been fixed for Sunday 2 May 2027, reports Le Soir.

Brussels’ minister for mobility, Elke Van den Brandt (Groen), has campaigned for this second day for several years.

The first car-free Sunday takes place during Mobility Week and falls on Sunday 20 September this year, the second of the capital’s Heritage Days.

As usual, it will be marked by myriad activities throughout the city centre including games, information stands, bike ‘villages’ and guided bike tours.

The Brussels government initially wanted the new day to take place on 8 May, 2027, to coincide with the Fête de l’Iris. However, as this date is also Mother’s Day, residents, shopkeepers and café and restaurant owners protested. They were concerned that not being allowed to use cars would deter customers, and so the day was changed.

From 2028 onwards, this clash will no longer arise, which enables the city’s second car-free day to be on the same weekend as the Fête de l’Iris.

This second event will have a different theme, minister Van den Brandt explained: “In September, the focus is on sustainable mobility. In May, the focus will be on discovering a beautiful and pleasant region. We are planning to organise tours to explore local shops, and business partners are encouraged to make use of the freed-up space with extra-wide terraces, flea markets, etc.”

Spurred by the oil crisis, in 1956 and 1957, Belgium and the Netherlands were the first European countries to start a car-free day. Further initiatives were celebrated throughout the 1970s and 1980s, also in Germany and in Scandinavia.

In 1998, many French cities launched their own car-free day, with the support of the French environment ministry. In February 2000, the European Commission launched European Car-Free Day as a Europe-wide action, culminating in the annual event on 22 September, 2000. The day becoming the focal point of European Mobility Week that started two years later, in September 2002.

As a sidenote, Brussels’ second big day for bike lovers will also be celebrated as Orthodox Easter and World Tuna Day.

Photo: ©Mobility Week