Let’s glow! Two light festivals shine in Mons and Brussels

Gaze upon shimmering nature scenes, marvel at brilliant projections beamed onto the urban landscape and immerse yourself in interactive luminescent installations.

Illuminated trails are not confined to the Christmas period, they continue to brighten the long, dark nights of winter.

Discover how the Walloon city of Mons and the Belgian capital are both preparing to dazzle visitors with sparkling light shows.

MONS

Mons en lumières  30 January to 2 February & 7 to 9 February 

After its runaway success last year, the Hainaut capital once again stages a breathtaking free festival of lights in its city centre for an exclusive eight-night run.

This year, the 3km trail of some 20 installations and light projections celebrates the relationship between nature and the universe with the theme ‘Between earth and sky’.

Guest of honour is Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata, who is a wizard at making impressive ephemeral installations out of natural materials. His monumental installation is sited among trees in Park Square and explores themes of refuge, connection with nature and escape from the modern world.

By incorporating light into his works, the renowned artist injects a poetic and magical dimension, further strengthening the bond between urban life, natural habitats and the starlit sky.

All of the installations in the trail have been created to blend harmoniously into the architecture of the urban setting. The itinerary also features local illuminations by local and national artists in addition to international talents. 

The trail highlights four iconic murals from the city’s street art tour L’Art Habite la Ville, which are specially illuminated for the occasion to show off their splendour as night falls.

The event is supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

To help draw entice visitors from further afield, additional trains and buses have been laid on for the duration of the festival. Park-and-Ride car parks are also located around the city.

Mons en lumières, across the city centre, om from 19.00 to midnight, facilities provided for people with reduced mobility (online form, or call 065.33.55.80)

BRUSSELS

Bright Festival 13 to 16 February

The capital’s annual light show attracts around half a million visitors each year. Once again, it consists of two trails, the Royal Route (info point Place Albertine) and the European Route (info point Cinquantenaire Park). Together, they offer more than 20 installations: monumental, immersive and poetic works created by national and international artists.

Accompanying the event is a fringe programme in local museums and stores, as well as guided tours and the perennially popular Bright Market in Cinquantenaire Park. A Kids Zone in Brussels Parks runs activities over the four days, from 17.30, in addition to interactive installations especially designed for little ones.

The 4.5km circular tour of the Royal quarter includes the installation Ligne Al-Ham-Bru by Belgian collective Fijne Charcuterie at Parc metro station. The live performance was created in collaboration with residents and organisations from the city’s Alhambra neighbourhood.

In the adjacent Brussels Park, Kiosque Luminescent by French artist Algaé (pictured above) was inspired by the natural phenomenon of bioluminescence. The performance stand is illuminated and a soundtrack adds to the sensory experience.

At Palais des Académies, Spanish artist Ricardo Morcillo pays homage to Manneken Pis in his large-scale work Triple Jet (main image), a tribute to the authenticity and individuality of Brussels.

In the 3km European tour, Parc Léopold hosts the work For Peace! By Swedish artist sedemminut, proposing a tranquil walk that is also transformed into a run at the speed of light. A projection by Polish Elektro Moon Vision studio onto the park’s House of European History comes courtesy of the Polish Institute Brussels to mark the country’s current presidency of the EU Council.

Cinquantenaire Park is the setting for the interactive visual installation Event Horizon by H3 in a collaboration with the Romanian Cultural Institute. Intriguingly, it explores the nature of black holes and the enigmatic and philosophical questions they raise. The park’s Jef Lambeaux masterpiece Human Passion is shown in another light thanks to an audiovisual projection by Belgian artist Antoine Goldschmidt.

Meanwhile, the Institute of Natural Sciences stages an exceptional light show in its dinosaur gallery with support from the National Lottery.

For the event, cycloparking.brussels provides free secure bicycle parking from 18:30 to 23:30, near the routes’ info points. Electric scooter operator Dott is offering new users 4 x 10 free minutes to help them travel between the installations.

Bright Festival, across the Royal and EU quarters of Brussels, including Cinquantenaire Park, from 18.30 to 23.00

Rotary fundraiser for Serve the City

Throughout the festival, a refreshment chalet is hosted by Rotary Club Brussels Cantersteen. Located in the park in front of the Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula, it sells drinks to raise money for Serve the City Brussels. The local non-profit helps the elderly, homeless, children in need, people with disabilities and victims of abuse, as well as asylum seekers and refugees.

“The money raised will go towards a new e-cargo bike that will help us support more people in need across Brussels in a faster and more sustainable way,” said Nathan Torrini, executive director of Serve the City Brussels.

Photos: (main image) Triple Jet ©Ricardo Morcillo; Mons en Lumieres 2024 ©Marine Andre Ville de Mons;  Mons Flux ©Magic Street; ©Bright Festival 2024