What’s on this week: 3 to 9 October

Architecture and culture lovers are in for a treat with the dance and music-filled Artonov Festival. In this multidisciplinary event, the ‘Art’ stands for Art Nouveau and Art Deco, while the ‘nov’ indicates artistic newcomers breaking ground in a similar vein to the country’s former pioneering architects. The ‘o’ binds the two, creating a full circle of architecture and culture. For this 11th edition, the theme ‘The Future of the Past’ explores not only the capital’s heritage, but Japanese, Indonesian, and Levantine cultures. New locations include Ixelles Ponds (staging Mizu by Satchie Noro, pictured above), the Louise de Hem House, the Constantin Chariot space and the Charles of Lorraine Palace, while the festival also returns to the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. Inside the venues, you’ll find artists presenting a selection of music, fashion, dance, visual arts or theatre. 3-12 October, multiple venues

Talented Gazan photojournalist Fatma Hassona was killed during an Israeli airstrike in April 2025. Her on-the-ground reporting of the Gaza conflict for 18 months was the subject of a new documentary Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk that premiered at the Cannes film festival this year. For director Sepideh Farsi, the film “beautifully honours Fatma”. Alongside screenings across Brussels, a free exhibition of her work is on display at Cinema Galeries. Some 20 images are accompanied by one of her poems, calligraphed by Brussels-based Gazan artist Ismail Matar. Exhibition: daily 13.00-21.00, Galerie de la Reine 26

Celebrating diverse voices and captivating stories from around the globe, the Asian Literary Festival Brussels edition taps into the capital’s melting pot of cultures. Spotlighting Asian authors living both in Europe and their home countries, this first edition is staged in Galerie Bortier, the Brussels arcade famed for its bookshops and now its eateries. The festival reviving the historical exchange between East and West is organised by the Philippine Art & Culture Exchange and supported by numerous literary associations and publishers in Belgium. 3-5 October, Rue de la Madeleine 55

A festive weekend of events marks the opening of Créahmbxl, a new 800m² art brut centre. In addition to a XXL exhibition in the workshop and social spaces, a party on Friday evenings includes a concert, tattoos, craft beers and a DJ. Guided tours available on Saturday and Sunday. The new artistic experimentation laboratory offers visual arts and performing arts workshops to people with mental disabilities. 3-5 October, Avenue de la Couronne 224 (Ixelles)

Immerse yourself in the world of contemporary choreography at the Charleroi Dance Biennale 2025, a celebration of movement across the French-speaking region of Belgium. Its diverse programme of innovative performances and shows showcases an international selection of artists, including several Belgian premieres. It is staged in Brussels, Liège and Charleroi. Pictured: Dambudzo, a work combining sound, painting, sculpture and performance, which explores the power of resistance and is choreographed by Zimbabwean Nora Chipaumire (16-18 Oct). 3-18 October, Halles de Schaerbeek, Rue Sainte-Marie 22 (Schaerbeek)

The annual Brussels International Women’s Film Festival (BIWFF) offers fresh opportunities to discover films directed by women from over 30 countries across the globe. Formerly known as Elles Tournent, it is screening 11 feature films, including five documentaries. Opening this 17th edition is the Belgian premiere of Sima’s Song (pictured above) by Afghan director Roya Sadat. In addition to the extensive shorts programme, the Graines de Cinéastes section showcases aspiring female filmmakers, with a special evening dedicated to first and second works by young Belgian directors. 7-15 October, Palace Cinema, Aventure, Cinema Galeries, Cinematek

Get ready for five days of innovative music, debate and experimentation at the Abrupt contemporary music festival. Concerts, club events, workshops and debates exploring a hyper diverse musical landscape are lined up at Bozar, Reset, the Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula and Ancienne Belgique. The cutting-edge programme features local and international artists, intertwining music, visual art, debate and science, all infused with a festival experience. Warning: tickets are selling fast. 8-12 October, multiple venues

Forty years after the Europalia festival first focused on Spain, the prestigious biennial returns to the Mediterranean country to explore nuanced and contrasting aspects of its cultural heritage and contemporary arts for its 30th edition. Some 100 multidisciplinary events with around 170 artists are staged in 80 locations across Belgium. The programme spans visual art, music performance, theatre, film and literature to showcase familiar aspects of Spanish culture such as flamenco and bullfighting alongside lesser-known aspects like its flourishing electronic and tech music scene. Its inaugural event is the groundbreaking exhibition Luz y Sombra. Goya and Spanish Realism at Bozar (8 Oct to 11 Jan). 8 October to 1 February, across Belgium

The Living Earth Festival is a brand new event blending culture, life sciences and society with talks, performances, conferences, workshops and exhibitions. It is staged across three venues: Place Flagey, La Cambre Abbey, and the Solbosch Campus. Together, they explore our relationship with the natural world and inspire action to address the current ecological crisis. It closes on 12 October with South African contemporary artist William Kentridge (pictured), who mixes live drawing, narrative and performance to question landscapes, memory and colonisation (in Eng). 9-12 October, multiple venues

Snatch up a bargain at the Brussels Women’s Club’s annual Brocante/Plant Fair, which is ideal if you are looking for something unique and unusual, either for yourself or for someone special. In addition to the usual brocante items, you’ll find delicious home-made cakes, marmalades, jams and of course… plants. And while you’re browsing, enjoy the club’s non-stop café goodies. 4 October 10.00-14.00, Rue au Joli Bois 509 (Woluwe-Saint-Pierre)

Book now Nervous about public speaking or want to enhance your communication skills?  Join the American Club of Brussels for the interactive workshop Powerful communication using the voice and body with expert Business Communication Coach, Melanie Hussell at the historic Prince Albert Club. It will help you to learn tips and skills to present more confidently and clearly, and in turn enable you and your ideas to have more impact. Tasty sandwiches and refreshments follow in the impressive Karmeliet Room. Register by 14 October. 21 October 18.30-21.30, Rue des Petites Carmes 20

OUTSIDE BRUSSELS

Despite the significant impact of Art Brut – or Outsider Art – on contemporary art, it is a movement that frequently remains in the shadows. This is one reason why Charleroi BPSS20’s major exhibition La “S” Grand Atelier Novê Salm deliberately blurs the boundaries between the two. Presenting multidisciplinary collaborations by artists – handicapped and non-handicapped – from the renowned Vielsalm centre in the Belgian Ardennes, the show takes the form of an imaginary world ‘Novê Salm’ where new forms of expression can flourish freely and where creativity reigns. Until 4 January, Campus Charleroi Métropole, Boulevard Solvay 22, Charleroi

The International Francophone Film Festival Namur (FIFF) is celebrating its 40th birthday. This annual showcase of French-speaking cinema shows off the diversity of francophone films with screenings from new countries, including Cambodia, Burkina Faso and Egypt. They join a generous dose of Belgian and French productions and habitual cinematic gems from Quebec. The opening film is Les Baronnes (pictured) by Mokhtaria Badaoui and Nabil Ben Yadir, while proceedings close with Le Gang des Amazones by Melissa Drigeard. Visitors can head to the festival hub, a big tent on Place d’Armes, to catch the action and pick up tickets. 3-10 October, cinemas across the city

Belgium’s biggest film festival features a whopping 119 features and 38 shorts in its showcase of international cinema with a spotlight on film music. Film Fest Gent also hosts the World Soundtrack Awards and stages concerts and other musical events for its 52nd edition. The programme is far-reaching, from intimate family dramas and hyper-personal documentaries to visionary fiction and topical films. Festival opener Julian is the feature debut by Belgian director Cato Kusters and another highlight is Belgian director Laura Wandel’s second feature Adam’s Sake (pictured). 8-19 October, across Ghent

How does a passionate art exhibiter and framer celebrate his gallery’s 40th anniversary? For Frédéric Leurquin, the natural response was to invite 60 artists from his stable of creative talents to each select five works. The resulting show boasts more than 300 original works, filling the charming 17th century townhouse gallery to its rafters. Drawings, paintings, prints and sculptures recount the artistic evolution of Galerie Leurquin, located close to the centre of the Mosan town. The elelgant facade is currently graced by a powerful sculpture of a draught horse (pictured). Until 2 November, daily 10.30-18.30, Rue Alexandre Daoust 104, Dinant

It’s harvest time! The autumn edition of the Fête des Plantes at Jardins d’Aywiers gathers some 200 horticultural experts 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. There are also workshops and demonstrations, wheelbarrow delivery service, food and drink and free parking. 3-5 October, Rue de l’Abbaye 14, Lasne (Walloon Brabant)

Antwerp’s fine arts museum KMSKA honours the city’s modernist artist Marthe Donas (1885-1967). For the first time, Donas, Archipenko & La Section d'Or. Enchanting Modernism reveals her central role in the international avant-garde that transformed the art world in the 20th century. It traces how Donas and her partner, Ukrainian sculptor Alexander Archipenko, forged a singular and influential path, although she initially showed her work under the adrogynous pseudonym Tour d'Onasky or M Donas. Their works are joined by masterpieces by friends such as Mondrian, Modigliani and other pioneering women artists. 4 October to 11 January, Leopold de Waelplaats 1, Antwerp

Namur’s theatre season is underway and coming up is the funny, heartwarming and insightful play Barber Shop Chronicles by Inua Ellams that is set in Brussels, as well as Kinshasa (DRC) and other African capitals. The francophone tale was partially inspired by the story of an English barber and includes pertinent observations about the African diaspora. 8-10 October, Théâtre de Namur, Place du Théâtre 2, Namur

Book now Following editions in Brussels and Leuven, the Writers Festival of Belgium heads south to Namur for the annual literary gathering. Among the published authors giving talks and workshops are Dionysios Kalamvrezos, RHea Bravo, Claire Ruwet, Kevin Chen and Jean Jeauniaux. Culture journalist Ana Fota discusses ‘No Art, No Future’ and Bulletin editor Sarah Crew and festival director Alia Papageorgiou talk Namur, journalism and the river. The one-day event concludes with the announcement of the festival’s short story competition. 11 October 11.00-17.00, MusAfrica and Bibliothèque Céléstine, Rue du Premier Lanciers 3B, Namur

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

Photos: (main image) Artonov Festival, Mizu @Benoit Gillardeau; © Luz Arcas/La Pharmaco. Mariana-Virginia Rota; Danse Biennale ©Marie Staggat; La S Grand Atelier Nove Salm BPS22 ©Photo Leslie Artamonow; Les Baronnes ©10.18 films; Marthe Donas, Enfant avec des roses, privécollectie ©SABAM Belgium; Barber Shop Chronicles ©Stef Stessel