What’s on this week: 20 to 26 March

Klara Festival returns for its 21st edition, honouring its host city Brussels with a question pertinent to the capital’s multicultural residents: “Where is Home?”  The theme of the classical music event was inspired by Abel Selaoco’s  latest album and the charismatic South African cellist-composer performs it in three of the festival’s 37 concerts. Another highlight is 'Mont des Musiques' on 21 March, a concert series at the MIM, Bozar, Galerie Ravenstein and Museum of Fine Arts and other Mont des Arts venues that pays homage to the capital’s vibrant music scene. Or follow a literary soundwalk to see the historic district in another light. Meanwhile, Queen’s Delight on 22 March honours former Queen Elisabeth with concerts by prize winners from the competition that bears her name. 20-29 March, Bozar, Flagey & other venues in the city

The spring edition of Brussels Design Market fills the lofty halls of Gare Maritime at Tour & Taxis this weekend. With some 170 dealers from across the continent, this is Europe’s largest market for vintage and retro 20th century furniture and objects. The event stands out for the quality and diversity of its wares. Alongside iconic design names from the past century are lesser-known and more affordable pieces. Entrance tickets from €10 to €30 (weekend pass). 21 & 22 March, Avenue du Port 88

UP Festival returns to Brussels with a bold programme celebrating contemporary circus. Over 11 days, Belgian and international performers take over theatres, public spaces and unusual venues across the city, transforming Brussels into a stage for daring physical performance. The 19th edition features 26 shows and more than 70 performances by companies from across Europe, blending acrobatics, storytelling and hybrid art forms. Rooted in Molenbeek at the UP Circus & Performing Arts site, the festival highlights the circus as a vibrant, contemporary art form that is incredibly entertaining and artistic. Until 29 March, multiple venues, including Rue Osseghem 50 (Molenbeek-Saint-Jean)

The fourth edition of the Kinolatino Festival brings the energy and diversity of Latin American cinema to Belgium. The programme features feature films and short films, fiction and documentary (Al Oeste, en Zapata from Cuba, pictured above) as well as masterclasses, filmmaker talks and debates exploring contemporary issues across the region. Screenings take place in several cities, including Brussels, Antwerp, Nivelles and Louvain-la-Neuve, with the opening night hosted at Cinema Palace. 20-28 March, various venues including Cinema Palace, Boulevard Anspach 85

Festival Indigo celebrates the 10th anniversary of Ateliers Indigo, a Brussels initiative supporting neurodivergent artists. Over two days at Les Halles de Schaerbeek, the programme mixes exhibitions, performances, talks, concerts and DJ sets, showcasing work created in the collective’s visual, performing and audiovisual arts workshops. The festival highlights the creativity of artists with intellectual disabilities and promotes greater inclusion in the contemporary art world. Expect hybrid performances, discussions on art and accessibility, and a lively closing evening with live music. 20-21 March, Les Halles de Schaerbeek, Rue Royale Sainte-Marie 22 (Schaerbeek)

Les Equinoxes returns to La Tricoterie for a day long festival celebrating creativity, equality and diversity. The programme combines concerts, performances, conferences, dance, cabaret and DJ sets, alongside activities for children and community organisations. Rooted in feminist ideals, the event aims to highlight female talent while creating an inclusive and welcoming space for audiences of all backgrounds. With a focus on accessibility and sustainability, Les Equinoxes offers a vibrant mix of culture, discussion and celebration marking the arrival of the spring equinox on the 21st. Pictured: cabaret performer Blanket la Goulue. 21 March, La Tricoterie, Rue Theodore Verhaegen 158 (Saint-Gilles)

Pick up some pre-loved books at  Serve the City’s Second-hand English Book Sale. All proceeds go to the nonprofit’s ongoing volunteer projects supporting vulnerable people in Belgium. Books are priced at €2 per centimetre based on their height when stacked. A 25% discount is available for students on presentation of a valid student card. You can even drop off some of your own stash of old books from 10.00 to 12.00 - no CDs or DVDs – at Rue Fritz Toussaint 8. 21 March, UrSquare – The Hall, Avenue de la Couronne 227-229 (Ixelles)

The Brosella Spring Festival returns for its fourth edition with four nights of contemporary jazz in an intimate club setting at VOLTA in Molenbeek. Each evening features three live acts and a DJ, spotlighting album releases and new projects that reflect the diversity of today’s scene. A highlight is BXL x LDN Interplay III, bringing together young musicians from Brussels and London after a residency at VOLTA. With limited capacity, the festival offers a close up experience that complements Brosella’s summer edition by the Atomium. Tickets are on a pay what you can basis from €16 to €25. 25-28 March, VOLTA, Centre for Music, Rue Osseghem 53 (Molenbeek-Saint-Jean)

Showcasing international documentary films dedicated to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the Millenium Festival spreads its wings beyond Brussels, to also offer screenings in Antwerp and Charleroi. It kicks off at UGC De Brouckère in the capital with the Belgian film L’Extraordinaire Voyage de Mister Jack (pictured) by Sarah Moon Howe, which recounts a young lad’s dream of riding to Paris on a tandem bike. Twelve films compete in the international competition, exploring powerful themes such as vulnerability, mental health, search for identity and inspiring women. 26 March to 3 April, venues across Brussels, Antwerp and Charleroi

OUTSIDE BRUSSELS

Museum Plantin Moretus presents Plantin’s Plants, an exhibition celebrating the 500th anniversary of botanist Carolus Clusius. Drawing from the museum’s exceptional collection, the show brings together botanical illustrations from the 16th to the 20th centuries, including historic engravings, woodblocks and rare prints. Flowers, fruits, vegetables and wild plants appear through the eyes of early scientific illustrators, revealing how nature was studied and represented long before the digital age. The exhibition also highlights the role of the Plantin printing house in publishing groundbreaking botanical works that shaped European knowledge of plants. 21 March to 2 August, Museum Plantin-Moretus, Vrijdagmarkt 22 (Antwerp)

A new generation of Belgian musical talent is spotlighted in Klara’s De Twintigers, a programme encompassing jazz, classical and contemporary music at Antwerp’s Royal Museum of Fine Arts. It serves as a platform for the 10 young artists and enables them to share their artistry with a wider audience. They include Brussels-based jazz singer and composer, Adinda Hertmans, harpist Stef Van Vynckt and Jazz drummer Moene Peeters. The next session on 26 March features pianist Jef Kolacny. Entrance is free with a museum ticket. Until 15 May, KMSKA, Leopold de Waelplaats 1, Antwerp

Oxomoron at Leuven M is a first museum solo show devoted to Antwerp artist Els Nouwen. Her work is notoriously hard to pin down; paintings often begin with a photographic image, originating from the media, art history or her personal archive, that is then transferred to canvas. The resulting creations play with illusion, disrupting the viewer’s perception of the work. Until 22 November,  Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 28, Leuven

La Louvière’s ceramic centre Keramis hosts the 10th edition of its Brocante Boch this weekend. The sale of Boch and Villeroy&Boch china at this industrial heritage site is also an opportunity to discover the museum and its rich collection of porcelain. One display is dedicated to Anna Boch, the artist and collector who was a member of the illustrious family behind the local industry. There are also guided tours and workshops, as well as a space for children. Entrance: €7 (includes access to museum). 21 & 22 March, Saturday 8.00-18.00; Sun 10.00-16.00, 1 Place des Fours-Bouteilles, La Louvière

One of Belgium's largest art trails, Chambres avec Vues in Namur, awaits visitors for its second weekend. More than 500 artists unleash their creativity in around 100 venues in and around the Walloon capital. Visitors can expect painting, video works, sculpture, textile art, photography, digital arts, ceramics, drawing and collage. Pick up a map and brochures at the tourism office or other cultural venues in the city. 21 & 22 March, multiple venues, Namur

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

Photos: (main image) Muziekberg Radio Lomax © Karolina Maruszak; courtesy Brussels Design Market; L'Homme Cirque-David Dimitri ©Martin Pelikan; AOEZ_Al Oeste, en Zapata, courtesy Kinolatino Festival; Museum Plantin Moretus Groepsbezoek Jeroen Broeckx; Cauliflower Ears XOOOO ©Els Nouwen