Cut-price culture tickets for low incomes under threat

The future of Article 27 tickets - reduced price access to cultural activities in Brussels and Wallonia - is under threat following the withdrawal of federal subsidies.

The Article 27 initiative allows people in precarious situations to access museums, shows and other cultural events for €1.25 and has grown in popularity over the years, with 140,000 Article 27 tickets sold in Wallonia and Brussels last year.

The federal government provided €15 million in funding, which made up a large part of the initiative’s total budget. With that support withdrawn, the burden is likely to be transferred to public social welfare centres (CPAS) and local authorities.

“People who previously had access to cultural activities thanks to Article 27 will no longer have this right,” warned Laurence Adam, director of the non-profit organisation Article 27 Brussels.

“It will depend on the resources available to the municipalities and the priorities they set to ensure that people can still benefit from these activities.”

CPAS centres are already under severe budgetary pressure, making this new expenditure difficult to absorb.

“The federal subsidy was not only used to finance access to culture, it also supported social assistance to combat poverty and promote the inclusion of people in an activation dynamic,” said Sébastien Lepoivre, director of the federation of Brussels CPAS.

This redistribution of costs comes at a time when many municipalities are already facing budget constraints against a backdrop of persistent inflation and rising social demands.

Article 27 came into being more than 20 years ago, based on a simple principle: making culture accessible to all, regardless of financial means.

Associations say the disappearance of federal support risks further widening cultural inequalities.

The change in funding is expected to come into force in January 2026.