The BD Comic Strip Festival returns from 26 to 28 September in Brussels at Tour & Taxis’ Gare Maritime. The poster for this new edition has been designed by Alix Garin, the award-winning Belgian writer and illustrator of the graphic novel Impénétrable. The novel is on the shortlist of two categories for this year’s Atomium Comic…
Culture
France Still a Holiday Favourite – Survey
Photo by Ammie Ngo on Unsplash Vietnam has emerged as this summer’s ‘it’ destination but the timeless allure of France remains. These are among the results of a major travel survey just ahead of the start of what is the annual getaway for many people. As international travel reaches a fever pitch this summer, Emirates’ latest analysis of global booking…
Brussels Cathedral Organ Concerts
Fancy listening to some great church organ music this summer? If so, every Tuesday evening at 8pm, from July 29 to August 26, the Ars in Cathedrali Festival will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the great Grenzing organ of the Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula in Brussels with a dazzling programme concocted by the…
Belgian Cocktail Championship
They came from far and wide…..all seeking to be crowned the best bar person in Belgium. Bartenders, who come from all over the world, converged on a horeca training centre in Anderlecht for their gold standard event of the year: the national cocktail championships. This writer was among the judges who joined an elite group…
Darcey Harry Wins Hulencourt Womens’ Open
Welshwoman Darcey Harry, 22, won the inaugural Hulencourt Women’s Open, a Ladies European Tour tournament with €300,000 in prize money, held on the prestigious Belgian course “Le Vallon” de Hulencourt, in Vieux-Genappe. After four rounds, the Cardiff rookie won with a total score of -13 under par (cards of 71, 68, 68, and 68). It…
Belgian Winery Spreads its Wings
The Mont des Anges vineyard, located at Mons, is named after a local legend: mythical angels supposedly helped the British army defeat German troops in a local battle in 1914. The winery’s two owners – Belgian Vincent De Bussscher and his French-born wife Laurianne Lejour – this week launched three new wines, an event timed…
Concerts to Mark Church Organ Anniversary
A special landmark is looming.. the 25th anniversary of the restoration of the organ at the Church of Notre Dame du Finistère (Rue Neuve in Brussels). To mark the occasion, two concerts will be held featuring the resident organists — Momoyo Kokubu and Xavier Deprez — along with coloratura soprano Caroline Jestaedt, in a programme…
Belgium’s Growing Influence on Wine Sector
Belgian viticulture continues to grow. That was the keynote message to emerge from a major wine awards and launch of the third edition of the Gault&Millau Belgian Wine Guide. The new edition features 24 additional wineries and 29 new references, bringing the total number of wineries and 236 selected wines to 123. Of these, 63…
Welcome to London’s Latest Visitor Attraction
The keenly-awaited V&A East Storehouse, which officially opened on Saturday 31 May, is the size of 30 basketball courts and houses all-manner of items. Designed by world renowned architects Diller, Scofidio and Renfro, it opens as part of East Bank, the new cultural quarter in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. A ground-breaking new museum experience…
Plans for Brussels Art Week
Brussels’ vibrant contemporary art scene comes together again this September for the first full edition of RendezVous – Brussels Art Week. After a successful soft launch in 2024, RendezVous now returns with a complete programme celebrating the diversity and richness of Brussels’ artistic ecosystem. From 4–7 September, galleries, institutions, artist-run spaces, and collective studios across…