What’s on this week: 18 to 24 October

More than 100 artists are preparing a unique programme to showcase city culture for the annual Museum Night Fever. One ticket provides access to 28 museums with endless fun entertainment cooked up by each one for the evening. Music, food and performance are all on the programme, described as ‘the coolest cultural event of the year’ by organisers. Among the participating institutions is MIMA, with female DJ collective Tropical DJipsies filling the museum’s exhibition space with a dance tour through the ages and cultures. Or take part in inspiring peace-themed workshops at the Royal Military Museum (pictured). A shuttle bus is conveniently on hand to get you from one venue to the other. €26 for standard ticket + after party. 19 October, across Brussels

Love is Louder is the bold title of Bozar’s new exhibition exploring love in its multifarious forms via 120 works dating from the late 1960 to today. While focusing on three aspects: intimacy and romance; kinship and friendship; and community and solidarity, this is a timely appeal to “Make love, not war”. From its starting point of the 1967 ‘Summer of Love’, 80 artists – Belgian and international – capture differing forms of love in painting, sculpture, video, film and multimedia installations. The result is a colourful, tender and expansive portrayal of human relationships. Included in the entrance ticket is access to Bozar Video Arcade, a video game space focused on the topic of love.  Until 5 January, Rue Ravenstein 23

We think of Belgium’s wolves as wild animals, but the more foxes we see rummaging through trash bins, the less we think of them that way. And what about us? Are we wild? Maybe we are to the wolves and the foxes. Certainly our children can be pretty wild. Such questions will be explored at the new exhibition Wild? at the Natural Sciences Museum. It will also confront you with how humans – always a threat to the rest of all living things – are now threatened themselves. 18 October to 31 August, Rue Vautier 29

If you missed Cirque du Soleil’s fabulous KURIOS: Cabinet of Curiosities show last year, or simply want to relive the experience, catch the contemporary circus performance in two live interactive screenings from the comfort of your own home. The digital experience enables viewers to explore backstage scenes as well as the show that thrilled audiences in Brussels in 2023. Thanks to innovative technology, viewers can switch between multiple devices to simultaneously see different perspectives of the show. Tickets €19 (exc VAT).  17 October 20.00 & 20 October 18.30

The fourth edition of the Slow Ways Weekend invites walkers to stroll through the capital.  Discover hidden alleys, secret paths, cultural and architectural sites, garden cities footbridges and overlooked tunnels.  More than 30 tours – either guided or downloaded via an app - cover some 12 municipalities. From the diversity of woodland mushrooms in Molenbeek, the inauguration of the first UN pathway in the Sonian forest and visiting abandoned train stations in the eastern suburbs of Brussels, the event is a rare opportunity to explore different facets of the city. Bike tours are included in the programme. 19-20 October, across Brussels

Woofstock, the first festival dedicated to dogs, is coming to Brussels! If Jimi Hendrix and Joan Baez will not be present, the event is bound to get tongues wagging. Take your four-legged friend/s to the party complete with puppucinos and other canine treats. Activities include dog training, photo workshops, dog yoga or, why not, a dog tattoo? While you watch special doggy demonstrations or browse the stalls to spoil your pet with accessories or sweets, your dog can run riot, off the lease, in the special dog-friendly playground. Prices, including doggy delights, are €10 or €20 with one workshop included. 20 October, 10.00–20.00, Tour & Taxis (near the ponds), 86C Avenue du Port (Brussels)

False books, false bindings, false identities. Yes, fraud is rife in the book market. With Atelier du Faux, Wittockiana invites you to explore the paradoxes of deception and ingenuity throughout history in the literary world – as new technologies, copying systems and fake news are making it increasingly difficult to discern ‘the real thing’. Also showing at this fascinating museum is a celebration of Brussels-born surrealist painter, poet and publisher Jacques Lacomblez (1934). In words and images presents his editions, illustrations, limited-edition prints, designs and watercolours of anything from bright blue ice floes to fossilised shells. Until 2 February (Atelier du Faux); until 15 December (Jacques Lacomblez), Rue du Bemel 23 (Woluwe-Saint-Pierre)

Dive into the world of the Smurfs, exploring the little blue creatures’ village complete with mushroom houses and mystical forest. The iconic Belgian comic strip characters come alive in this new immersive Schtroumph Experience at Brussels Expo thanks to cutting-edge augmented reality and 3D projections. Visitors of all ages can enjoy the 75-minute exploration through the 1,500m² attraction  consisting of nine thematic zones. Created by Peyo in 1958, the Smurfs continue to enjoy global success. From 23 October, Palace 2, Place de la Belgique (Laeken)

If you’re tired of shelling out €40 to take yourself and your kids to the movies, don’t miss Filem’on, Brussels international film festival for children and teens. Prices are extremely democratic and there’s always something appropriate on the bill. As well as the many films helpfully categorised by age group, there are fun workshops like making movies with virtual reality or on 35mm film, acting and casting and how to make a documentary. 23 October to 6 November, across Brussels

Ultima Vez’s energetic, subversive and sometimes just weird dance/theatre fusions are as smart as they are entertaining. Their leader, Brussels choreographer Wim Vandekeybus, has created a new show where outcast characters defy social norms. In Void, he points out that a stage always functions as a place where anything can – and does – happen, and no one questions it. Characters in Void co-exist without conflict, offering an optimistic perspective on individuality. 23-31 October, KVS, Quai aux Pierres de Taille 7

OUTSIDE BRUSSELS

Scottish artist Lucy McKenzie is based in Brussels and is finally getting her due at this first institutional solo exhibition in the country. She created several new pieces at the request of Z33, further developing her look at mass media and the internet’s effect on folk culture and leisure, as both respond to the shifting patterns of political and social change. Z33 also shows the work of Moldovan artist Anna Godzina, whose Zen-inspired installations spin, tick and curl. McKenzie until 23 February, Godzina until 1 December, Bonnefantenstraat 1, Hasselt

Do you ever browse through home interior magazines and think “where do I find all these beautiful designs?” Well, you can start at SavoirFaire: A Tribute to Craftsmanship, a market and showcase of exquisite décor and finishings. You’ll find furniture, lighting, technology, floor and walls coverings and more, much of it new to the Belgian market. 24-27 October, Grand Casino Knokke, Zeedijk-Albertstrand 509, Knokke

A dance company throws its own festival. The long-standing Voetvolk – with Lisbeth Gruwez and Maarten Van Cauwenberghe at its core – have produced many of their own works over the years, but they invite other choreographers to join them for Buitenkant Voet. There’s a cinematic dance performance, an interplay of bodies, music and light, an intimate séance and a terrific production featuring kids, who build a world from scratch, far from the world of adults. 24-26 October, Nona Arts Centre & De Maan, Mechelen

Fill your baskets with local produce at a farmers market in Namur’s Place d’Armes on Sunday, just one of the events at the third edition of Festival Namur Demain . Some 40 producers from food cooperatives Paysans Artisans will be selling their wares. Musical entertainment, kids’ activities, a bar selling local beers and a spot for light snacks all add to the festive occasion. The festival is extended this year with multidisciplinary events, including talks, shows, screenings, exhibitions and stands. Until 26 October, market (Place d’Armes), multiple venues, Namur

Liège hosts its annual craft beer celebration this weekend. Hoppy Days is serving more than 100 artisan beers from Belgium and abroad with some 18 breweries attending the event. For grape and alcohol tipplers, wine and home-made cocktails will also be available, and thanks to a 0% stand, there’s a good range of non-alcoholic drinks and softs with priority given to fairtrade and local refreshments. The event also includes music quizzes and DJs. Entrance fee €4. 18-20 October, Palais des Congrès, Esplanade de l’Europe 2, Liege

The 13th edition of the internationally reputed KIKK Festival  showcases new creative digital technologies while looking to the future with the theme True/False. Aimed at building bridges between culture, science and the economy, the festival offers a dual programme for professionals and the public, with conferences and workshops, a demo market, workshops, city-wide art trail (KIKK in Town) and kids’ activities. Learn how to sort out the real from the fake thanks to speakers Stefan Sagmeister and Anouk Wipprecht. And awaken your senses with immersive works by the Ethiopian collective Yatreda among Belgian and international artists. 24-27 October, Place d’Armes (market), Théâtre de Namur, Le Delta, Galerie Beffroi, Le Pavillon and other venues

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

Photos: (main image) © E. Danhier; Love Is Louder ©JuliePollet; UV Void ©Danny Willems; Buitenkant Voet ©Danny Willems; KIKK 2023 Quentin Chevrier