What’s on this week: 1-7 February

Good news for expats living on the outskirts or in Rhode St Genèse, say, or Waterloo … English Comedy Brussels is expanding into the periphery! The same stand-ups that perform at the Black Sheep every month on Tuesday will take to the CaliClub in Drogenbos the following evening. The CaliClub show makes its debut this week with multiple award-winning comic Marcel Lucont. Or rather, that’s the name of Alexis Dubus’s alter ego, a wine-swilling Frenchman with plenty of opinions about the British, delivered in a terribly exaggerated accent. His show at the Black Sheep is sold out, so Drogenbos is your only chance to see him.
6 February 20.30, CaliClub, Grote Baan 234, Drogenbos

Free admission and live music welcomes you to the Mima Museum for the opening of Dream Box, a magical trip through the power of illusions, whether optical or auditory. Enter a psychedelic box, see a magic piano, dodge flying CD-ROMs. 1 February opening 18.00-22.00, exhibition runs to 1 September, Quai du Hainaut 39 (Molenbeek)

This week sees the return of Flagey Piano Days, featuring Europe’s best jazz, classical and electronic pianists and also including family concerts. But there are also movies, an exhibition and a piano bar (natch). 7-12 February, Place Sainte-Croix (Ixelles)

Believe it or not, the Buggy was a craze in chilly, rainy Belgium among DIYers of the 1970s. Several companies created and sold kits for the open-top vehicles, which you put together yourself using the chassis of another car – usually the VW Bug. The companies exported thousands of kits as well. Some 700 Buggies are still firing up their engines in Belgium, and many are part of the exhibition 50 Years Buggy at Autoworld, which illustrates the history of the cute, little cars and their impact on the local automotive sector. 2 February to 10 March, Autoworld Museum Parc du Cinquantenaire 11

You’ll be hard pressed to find a venue in Brussels not hosting part of the two-month-long Brussels, Dance!, a festival celebrating contemporary dance in its many variations. If you’ve not explored the diversity the genre has to offer, do yourself a favour a pick up tickets to a few of the 162 performances. 6 February to 6 April, across Brussels

It’s Superbowl time, and the American Club does its duty with a big bash featuring music, trivia, games, giveaways, interviews and, of course, burgers, fries and hot dogs, all bathed in hues of red, white and blue. While the party is Sunday night, the game itself – between the Patriots and the Rams and shown on four big screens – starts after midnight. 3 February from 19.00, Thon Hotel Bristol Stephanie, Avenue Louise 91

A little bit of The Big Easy comes to Brussels with the Grand Bal New Orleans. Ahead of their trip to the southern US city for one of the most famous Mardi Gras celebrations in the world, the duo behind Krewe du Belge are throwing a party, complete with their own brass band, cocktails, gumbo and po’boys. In true carnival tradition, a king and queen will be crowned, and revellers are asked to write their grievances on parchment, which will then be burnt. The Krewe are taking the ashes to toss into the Mississippi river. Order tickets online by 31 January for a cut-rate. 2 February from 18.00, La Tentation, Rue de Laeken 28

Not yet sure where you’re headed on holiday this summer? Check out the Holiday Fair, where travel agents, tour guides and resorts have plenty of information to help you decide – and even book. You’ll find the usual Mediterranean suspects, but also a lot of alternatives for off-the-beaten-path exploring. 7-10 February, Brussels Expo, Place de la Belgique 1

Like electronic music and the accompanying groovy digital imagery but don’t like to get crushed on a dance floor? Bozar’s got your number, with the Electronic Series, which lets the music sink in as you sit leisurely. Up this week: US composer Christina Vantzou and a seven-piece ensemble. 8 February 20.00, Rue Ravenstein 23

Looking ahead: Museum Night Fever  You would think the people of Brussels didn’t realise that museums were open every day, the way they flock to Museum Night Fever. But we must admit, the programme is appealing: 30 museums open late, hosting concerts, movies, DJ sets, drinks, performances and general merriment all around. And a shuttle bus to get you to them. Get your armband now if you want one. 23 February, across Brussels

OUTSIDE BRUSSELS
Immerse yourself in Liege’s performance event of the year, as Festival De Liege takes over the city. International theatre and dance takes in everything from the introspective tragicomedy On est sauvage comme on peut, in which a young man announces his desire to be eaten by his friends after he commits suicide, to Bertolt Brecht’s critique of bourgeois society Wedding to the guerrilla girls of Jami Distrikt. Languages vary, with French surtitles where necessary. 1-23 February, across Liege

Love him or hate him, I think we can all agree that filmmaker David Lynch produces some pretty creepy stuff. And it doesn’t stop at movies. Check out Man in the Rain, an exhibition of drawings, lithographs and photos by the American cult icon. Until 10 March, Keteleer Gallery, Leopoldstraat 57, Antwerp

Photos: Marcel Lucont courtesy artist, Buggy courtesy Autoworld, Bal New Orleans courtesy Krewe du Belge/Facebook, On est sauvage/©Dominique Houcmant/Goldo