What’s on this week: 29 September to 5 October

Belgium’s most famous comic strip characters are honoured in Tintin/Kuifje, The Immersive Adventure at Tour & Taxis. The larger than life digital experience offers children and adults the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of the boy reporter, created by Belgian artist Hergé. From the first edition, Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, in 1929, to the most recent publications, the show follows the quiffed hero on his travels around the world. Naturally, he’s joined by a family of characters, from Snowy and Captain Haddock to Professor Calculus and Castefiore, along with a host of villains. Until 7 January, Tour & Taxis, Shed 3, Avenue du Port 86C

It’s foodie heaven at the Eat Festival with no fewer than 60 chefs, pastry chefs, cheesemakers, mixologists and gourmet artisans showing off their specialities at Gare Maritime. Discover the capital’s rich culinary heritage plus seasonal produce at a farmers' market. New additions this year include a collaboration with the site’s food market with its chefs each whipping up a unique dish for €8. Brussels brews, wine from Bordeaux and cocktails will keep everyone refreshed, while Tipick DJs are set to spin the discs on Friday and Saturday evenings. Kids can enjoy a bouncy castle and treetop adventure course. Until 1 October, Gare Maritime, Tour & Taxis, Rue Picard 11 (Molenbeek-Saint-Jean)

If you, like us, have a hard time choosing just one beer to try from the menu, then head to BXL Beer Fest, where you have two days to sample to your heart’s content. There are 60 breweries from Belgium, Europe and beyond, all of them independent, craft brewers. There’s also plenty of food on site to help you soak it all up. 30 September to 1 October, Tour & Taxis, Avenue du Port 86C

Join partygoers in the Grand Place on Friday evening for a free concert by a host of francophone stars. The annual Wallonia-Brussels Federation celebration marks its 51st anniversary with a colourful fanfare. Up on stage are MC Solaar, Hatik, Pierre De Maere, Loïc Nottet, Rori, Black M, Yg Pablo, Coely, Benny B, Daddy K, Colt Et Fùgù Mango. The show starts at 20.20 with controlled access to the Grand Place from 18.00 until 23.00. Entry and exit for the square is via Rue de la Colline, Rue Charles Buls, Rue de la Tête de l’Or and Rue au Beurre. The concert is also broadcast on La Une and Vivacité. 29 September 20.20, Grand Place

If you own a car that is 25+ years old, you can register for Cars & Coffee, a free show of vintage cars in the square at Cinquantenaire. If you don’t, you can still stop by to see them all, from 1980s Volkswagen vans that have travelled the continent to lovingly cared-for ’60s sportscars. Pop in to Autoworld while you’re there for the exhibition Bugatti Unseen. 1 October 10.00-13.00, Autoworld, Parc du Cinquantenaire 11

Catalan artist Antoni Tàpies, a major figure in post-war modern art, would have turned 100 this year. Bozar kicks off the Tàpies Year with the largest retrospective devoted to the artist in 20 years as part of the Spanish EU presidency. With more than 120 paintings, drawings and sculptures, it’s a rare opportunity to appreciate the full scale of his art. The Spanish civil war and the Franco dictatorship mark his work in an exploration of pain, revolt and a reflection on the human condition. Trademark symbols, such as the recurring cross are accompanied by an interest in spirituality. Until 7 January, Rue Ravenstein 23

American professor and author Margo Jefferson comes to Passa Porta to talk about her latest book Constructing a Nervous System. It is part criticism, part memoir about growing up black and middle-class in Chicago in the midst of civil rights and feminist movements. The book serves as an in-depth examination of black female identity, examining the materials that make up her life: “chosen, imposed, inherited, made up”. 3 October 20.00-21.30, Rue Antoine Dansaert 46

The Korean Film Festival continues its programme focusing on the mysterious, miraculous worlds evoked by the movies. It includes new films as well as highlights from the last 20 years of Korean cinema, one of the best cinema cultures in the world. Catch the closing film Smugglers, a drama about two women in a sleepy seaside village who find themselves caught up in a large-scale smuggling ring (pictured). Until 5 October, Bozar & Cinema Galeries

The free In.out.sider festival is all about diversity, which shines through in an eclectic programme of music, film, workshops and art installations. Concerts are at the core, featuring musicians with disabilities or who colour outside the lines in one way or another – with hybrid sounds or innovative methods. Workshops aimed at artists take place in the days prior to the festival. Workshops 2-5 October, festival 5-8 October, LaVallée, Rue Adolphe LaVallée 39 (Molenbeek)

Book now: Bernie Sanders  Love him or blame him, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders continues to evoke strong emotions from citizens – and not just those living in the US. He’s really in his element in his new book It’s OK to be Angry about Capitalism, laying bare the figures associated with the control of wealth in the west and insisting that we be as wary of our own oligarchs as we are with Putin’s. Tickets to his appearance at Bozar go on sale on 3 October. Buy one that day if you want a seat. 10 October 20.30, Rue Ravenstein 23

Outside Brussels

In the second major exhibition of the year for Namur’s Le Pavillon, Capture#2 offers a snapshot of Belgian artistic and digital creation with some 20 artists exploring two tenets: how machines ‘capture’ the world and how to evoke the way in which Man is destroying nature. Maxime Van Roy’s installation Née (pictured) is contemplative with its plastic reproduction of water droplets driven by motors. The exhibition space, run by the organisers of the KIKK festival, specialises in new or digital art and occupies the intriguing former Milan world expo building now located atop the historic citadel (conveniently next to the cable car). Until 14 January, Esplanade de la Citadelle, Namur

The autumn edition of the Fête des Plantes at Jardins d’Aywiers has adopted the theme of of ‘rain and fine weather’ to show how gardeners need to be ready to embrace whatever the skies throw at them! Some 200 horticultural experts are on hand to advise and guide visitors amid the enchanting setting of the Cistercian abbey. The seven-hectare enclosed gardens are full of ancient trees, rare shrubs and plants, aromatic and medicinal herbs and a pond. 29 Sept to 1 October, Rue de l’Abbaye 14, Lasne (Brabant Walloon)

What would historical artistic trendsetters do today? It’s an interesting question and one the city of Leuven is taking on during New Horizons: Dieric Bouts Festival. The 15th-century Flemish Master painted his best-known works in Leuven, becoming the first from the Northern Netherlands to apply the linear style to create a sense of depth. This made his landscapes groundbreaking, especially as he created imaginative, unseen worlds. A programme of performances, exhibitions, club nights, Belgium’s first 4D music festival and augmented reality street art consider how Bouts might have innovated in the 21st century. M Museum hosts the biggest exhibition of his works ever assembled. Until 14 January, across Leuven

The Red Star Line Museum, which tells the story of the many emigrants who took the famous ocean liner from Antwerp to America, celebrates its 10th anniversary with a big bash. Creative workshops, guided tours, walks in the neighbourhood and a roaring ’20s dance party await, amid a photo exhibition honouring 10 people who have donated objects or documents to the museum. 30 September to 1 October, Montevideostraat 3, Antwerp

The Festival International of Francophone Film (familiarly known as FIFF) rolls into Namur for its 38th edition with an impressive 125 features, animations and documentaries. While showcasing movies from the francophone world, the focus as ever is on multicultural filmmaking, such as the opening movie Quitter la nuit (pictured) by Belgian director Delphine Giraud (Bel/Fr/Canada, 2023). The drama centres on one night when an endangered woman calls the police and speaks to emergency operator Anna. In addition to the competition programme, a full line-up of ‘off’ events transform the Walloon capital into a mecca for film fans, including the festival's hub this year,  cafe bar Extérieur Nuit. 29 September to 6 October, cinemas across Namur

Photos: Vins de Bordeaux at Eat Festival ©Mathieu Golinvaux; ©Courtesy BXL Beer Fest 2; Cars & Coffee ©O Deplechin; Tàpies Blue with Four Red Stripes; Margo Jefferson ©claire holt; Bernie Sanders ©Bot Uitgevers; Maxime Van Roy Nuée Capture#2 ©KIKK; Aywiers: illustration by Sophie Collet; ©Courtesy Red Star Line