Guinguettes to open this summer despite lack of Brussels government

The annual summer bars in Brussels parks, called "guinguettes", will return in 2025 with or without a government in place, according to environment minister Alain Maron (Ecolo).

The guinguettes were facing uncertainty about their ability to proceed with a lengthy application and approval process amid stagnant government negotiations, because the outgoing caretaker government cannot pursue new policies.

But Maron said that a solution had been found.

“There was indeed some discussion within the resigning government as to whether the guinguettes are still covered under the previous government arrangement, but that is indeed the case,” explained Alexandre Azer-Nessim, Maron’s spokesperson.

“The budget for this had already been set and it remains exactly the same as last year's budgets.”

The Brussels Environment administration therefore launched its delayed call for projects for new guinguettes on 25 February.

All applications must be submitted by 26 March at the latest, meaning candidate operators have just over two weeks left.

The budget is again for seven guinguettes in total, but all with the same operator.

“In the course of April, Brussels Environment will choose the new operator and grant the summer bars their permits,” Azer-Nessim said. “We hope they can open in May.”

May is later than usual, with guinguettes having opened in mid-April last year in the following parks: Parc du Cinquantenaire (Maurice), Laeken Park (André), Parc Roi Baudouin in Jette (Fabiola), Duden Park in Forest (Emile), Georges Henri Park in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert (Henri) and Parc du Bon Pasteur in Evere (Vincent).

The new tender mentions the same six locations, with a seventh yet to be announced. Last year the seventh was a mobile bicycle bar in the Abbey of La Cambre.

The guinguettes in Brussels parks are managed by Brussels Environment, but other guinguettes can be found outside of these regionally-managed parks.