What’s on this week: 27 September to 3 October

Culinary favourite Eat Festival returns to its Gare Maritime home at Tour & Taxis with a new concept. Each day, two teams of Brussels chefs, pastry chefs and cheesemakers concoct an exclusive and original three- and five-course menu, including drinks. Visitors will have the chance to taste some of the capital’s top  gastronomy with signature dishes, tasty cheeses and indulgent desserts. The festival also hosts cheese and prawn croquette competitions, while the partnership with Bordeaux Wines offers workshops, tastings and demonstrations. Until 29 September, Rue Picard 9

Popular gourmet gathering the Eat Festival teams up once again with the BXLBeerFest at Tour & Taxis. The latter offers visitors the chance to sample some of the very best of Belgian breweries to pair with their dishes, along with craft brews from other countries around the world. It’s also an opportunity to meet passionate brewers and visit a Beershop to take home some exclusive samples. 28-29 September, Avenue du Port 86C

The Grand Place is transformed into a live music arena for the Wallonia-Brussels Federation’s national holiday. Performing at the free concert are Charles, Clara Luciana, Helena, Henri PFR, liona, Lubiana, Mustii, Puggy, Santa and Saule & Lovelace. Access to the square is via Rue de la Colline, Rue Charles Buls, Rue de la Tête d’Or and Rue au Beurre. The music event is the highlight of a cultural programme spread across the regions. 27 September 19.30, Grand Place

The CurieuCity arts and science festival in Forest invites all ages to discover local flora and fauna. Workshops and activities are designed immerse visitors "in a virtual reality exploring various forms of life", says ULB, co-organiser with its Flemish counterpart VUB. The two Brussels universities aim to stimulate young people's enthusiasm for STEAM subject (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) via exploring the Wiels marsh, discovering the world of mushrooms and a quick detour to the P.A.R.T.S dance school to learn about communication and cooperation. 27-29 September, multiple locations (Forest)

Dust off your dancing shoes and join a traditional Scottish Ceilidh at the Full Circle fun event.  Combining folk music and dance, participants do not require any previous experience or dancing skills. A caller in a kilt will be calling out the steps all along to keep the dances rolling. Music is provided by Brussels-based Scottish Ceilidh Band The Hoggies, an enthusiastic group with a love of Celtic music and a mission to bring live ceilidh to the masses. 27 September from 19.30, Full Circle House, Chaussée de Vleurgat 89 (Ixelles)

A pioneering avant-garde artist couple are celebrated in Bozar’s major autumn exhibition Hans/Jean Arp & Sophie Taeuber-Arp. Friends, Lovers, Partners at Bozar. The duo – she was born in Switzerland, he in the Alsace – met in 1915 and were central figures in European abstract art until her untimely death in 1943. While Taeuber–Arp was multidisciplinary artist with a background in applied arts, Arp became internationally renowned for his biomorphic sculptures. More than 250 works, from paintings, collages and sculptures to drawings, jewellery and textiles, attest to their mutual influence and in particular her sometimes overshadowed brilliance. Until 19 January, Rue Ravenstein 23

This annual dive into the Asian country’s cinema Korean Film Festival Belgium overflows with Belgian premieres. A total of 14 feature films are screened, including crime dramas, thrillers and action movies. Among the highlights are Citizen of a Kind (2024) by Park Young-ju, a true story about a single mother, and Escape (2024) by Lee Jong-pil, which recounts a North Korean sergeant’s dramatic defection to the South. Globally-acclaimed director Kim Jee-woon is attending the festival as well as the free Forum: Originals & RE-Imagined Films  on Saturday evening. 26 September to 3 October, Palace (Boulevard Anspach 85) and Cinéma Galeries (Galéries de la Reine 26)

Anyone only associating Brussels-born Pierre Alechinsky, 96 with black-and-white ink drawings, should think again. Alechinsky, pinceau voyageur brings together some 100 incredibly varied works from 1947 to 2024: giant red, green and cobalt blue canvases, porcelain books, painted-on maps and even a decorated harpsichord (pictured). The exhibition is an ode to travel – exploring the artist’s fascination with Japanese and Chinese art – and to freedom using different techniques and mediums: etchings, book illustrations, even enamelled lava. Strange creatures dominate but one canvas stands out for its simplicity – a paintbrush, piece of paper, ink and glasses – Alechinsky in a nutshell. Until 16 March, Villa Empain, Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 67 (Ixelles)

In a world where major chains and the internet are destroying small businesses, it’s nice to know there are so many independent cinemas in Belgium. They are banding together for Open Cinema, a celebration of neighbourhood establishments, some of which have been in business for close to a century. There are special screenings, concerts, storytelling, classic film series and more. Until 6 October, across Brussels & Flanders

Snag a bargain at the Brussels Women’s Club annual Mega-Brocante. If you are looking for a something really unique and unusual, either for yourself or for someone special, you’ll find the usual flea market miscellanea plus hand-made jewellery, home-made marmalades, ready-to-heat curries and more. And while you’re browsing, enjoy the club’s non-stop café goodies. 29 September 10.00-14.00, Rue au Bois 509 (Woluwe-Saint-Pierre)

The Brussels International Women’s Film Festival  (BIWFF), formerly known as Elles Tournent, plays an important role as a platform for women filmmakers. Over six days, it screens 13 feature films as well as a series of short films that include an ‘Iran Session’ and 20 international shorts divided into three themes: ‘Long live feminism’, ‘Above all, live’ and ‘A world for all’. Opening the festival is the Italian film Gloria! (pictured above) by Margherita Vicario. The directorial debut by the actress and singer depicts the ebullient, music-fuelled story of a maid at a Venetian orphanage.  Patron of this year’s festival is Belgian director Fien Troch. 1 to 6 October, cinemas across the city

The international drawing fair Art on Paper takes to Gare Maritime. More than 60 local and international galleries feature pencil, charcoal, mixed-media, watercolours and all other manner of artworks produced on paper. Besides all of the works on sale, which span centuries, there are two exhibitions of private collections from the 19th and 20th centuries. Art on Paper also organises Drawing Week, with special exhibitions all over the city. 3-6 October, Rue Picard 11

Book now: Time is a Parasite: 30 Years K’s Choice  Belgian duo K’s Choice became global stars in the 1990s when the solid gold rock hit “Not an Addict” hit the airwaves. Since then, the brothers have released seven albums amid Sam Bettens’ move to the US – where he was also a successful solo artist – and his gender transition. He came out as a trans man some years ago, which has changed the sound if not the energy of this beloved band. This early 2025 acoustic tour will see the Bettens taking the stage with guitarist Tom Lodewyckx. 25 January to 13 February 2025, across Belgium

OUTSIDE BRUSSELS

The International Francophone Film Festival Namur (FIFF) showcases home-grown movies as well as focusing on multicultural filmmaking. This is a dive into cinema from around the world, with screenings of films from Europe, Africa, Asia and the Maghreb. For its 39th edition, the FIFF offers a rollcall of competitions with a clutch of Bayard awards (pictured) on offer, plus short films, special screenings, cinematic events and entertainment. The programme is particularly focused on youth. Head to the festival hub, a big tent on Place d’Armes to catch the action. 27 September to 4 October, cinemas across the city

In Brûlures, Brussels-based photographer Carine Doutrelepont offers an immersion in the celebration of the Indian spring festival Holi. This exploration via some 100 photos is a poetic lyrical journey that is punctuated by equally colourfully explosive images of volcanoes. The exhibition at La Boverie is a timely reminder of the beauty of the world and the need to take care of the Earth and ourselves. Until 10 November, Parc de la Boverie, Liège

Sensing the Buddha at the Royal Museum of Mariemont is far more than an exhibition: it’s an unprecedented and highly-accessible immersion into the fascinating world of Buddhism. The museum explores the multiple representations of Buddha, the rituals and the stories via a sensory journey that helps visitors understand and appreciate the symbolic figure. Among the exceptional collection of statues and objects are pieces that have not been displayed for 65 years. Until 20 April, Royal Domain of Mariemont, Chaussée de Morlanwelz 100 (Hainaut province)

In 1933, Albert Einstein travelled from New York to Belgium via the famous Red Star Line. During the voyage, the Jewish scientist found out about the passage of the Enabling Act and that his two homes had been raided by the Nazis. Upon arrival in Antwerp, he relinquished his German nationality. He was taken in by local scientists until returning to the US for good several months later. The exhibition A Welcome Refugee tells the story of those months – as well as explaining that the situation differed for other Jewish refugees of the period. Until 24 November, Red Star Line Museum, Montevideostraat 3, Antwerp

Antwerp’s photography museum is opening its autumn season with Anti-Fashion, the first major solo exhibition in Belgium of the work of Cindy Sherman. The show dives into the legendary American photographer’s attention to fashion in creating the characters in her famous self-portraits. A festive opening weekend includes an upcycling workshop, live music and speed-dating with Sherman’s characters. 28 September to 2 February, FoMu, Waalsekaai 47, Antwerp

As Ensor Year continues, Antwerp’s printing museum gets in on the act with Ensor’s States of Imagination, an exploration of how the famed Ostend artist created his prints. Inspired by masters like Rembrandt, he spent years learning to etch, ink and transfer his images to parchment and coloured satin. He then embellished them with pencil, chalk or watercolours, uncovering unexpected details and adding depth to his famous large crowds. 28 September to 19 January, Museum Plantin-Moretus, Vrijdagmarkt 22, Antwerp

There is more to the circuit of Spa-Francorchamps than the Belgian Grand Prix. Among the many racing highlights at the scenic and dramatic Ardennes track is the Spa Six Hours event, under the banner ‘The Sound of History’. The 31st edition offers enthusiasts and the curious a timeless moment around beautiful vintage cars. The famous endurance race takes place on Sunday preceded by races and numerous side events. Until 29 September, Route du Circuit 55, Francorchamps (Liège province)

Garden lovers gather at the chateau of Beez near Namur for the fourth edition of the Festival du Jardin. Horticultural specialists and other professionals in the field will be showing off their skills and their wares over the weekend, set against the beautiful backdrop of English landscaped gardens and heritage trees. 28-29 September 10.00-18.00, Avenue du Château de Beez, Namur

Discover more upcoming events at The Bulletin's events page.

Photos: (main image) EAT23 ©Maurine Toussaint; ©Bozar; Fondation Boghossian Alechinsky Silvia Cappellari; Art on Paper ©Geoffrey Fritsch; A Welcome Refugee ©Germaine Image; ©Cindy Sherman, courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth; Ensor ©'Pride' 1904, collection PF; SpaSixHours ROADBOOK EVENTS ©Romain WILMET