BANAD Festival celebrates Brussels’ architectural heritage from 14 to 29 March

Once again, the BANAD Festival offers unique and exclusive insights into the wide range of Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Modernist architecture spread across the capital’s many diverse neighbourhoods.

At the heart of the annual event’s 10th edition are more than 60 venues opening their doors for interior visits over three weekends. The selection ranges from townhouses, villas and private homes to public buildings, former shops and factories, including 12 sites on view for the very first time.

The programme spans three weekend and tickets go on sale on 3 February at 14.00.

Weekend 1 (14 & 15 March) Anderlecht, Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Koekelberg, Laeken and Brussels (Pentagon).

Weekend 2 (21 & 22 March) Forest, Saint-Gilles, Uccle, Ixelles and Brussels (Avenue Louise and Avenue Franklin Roosevelt).

Weekend 3 (28 & 29 March) Etterbeek, Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Schaerbeek, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre and Brussels (Squares district).

Alongside some 50 guided tours in several languages, visitors can also enjoy conferences, exhibitions, concerts, tasting walks and the Art Deco Objects Fair. All the events contribute to bringing these defining artistic movements of the 19th and 20th centuries to life as part of Brussel’s intrinsic architectural heritage.

The programme is carefully designed to appeal both to first-time visitors and to seasoned enthusiasts seeking rare access, newly-opened sites and deeper architectural insight. To guarantee that everyone with an interest in architecture has the opportunity to take part, adapted tours for visitors with visual, hearing, mobility and cognitive disabilities are also offered.

The BANAD Festival is organised by Explore.Brussels, uniting organisations such as ARAU, Arkadia, Bruxelles Bavard and Pro Velo.

New additions

Among the new additions for 2026 is a remarkable selection of modernist houses, including works by Louis-Herman De Koninck, Raphaël Delville, Huib Hoste and Charles Van Nueten.

Art Deco is further represented through prestigious buildings such as the Fondation Universitaire (pictured, main image), Villa des Hêtres and Maison Van Keirsbilck. Visitors will also have rare access to a restoration site at Victor Horta’s former house and studio (pictured above), offering insight into heritage in transformation.

Together with Fernand Brunfaut’s Maison Morjau and François Malfait’s Athénée Robert Catteau (pictured above), these new openings showcase both the diversity of Brussels modernism and the continued life of its architectural heritage.

Photos: (main image) Fondation Universitaire ©EB/SophieVoituron; Villa-Berteaux ©Admirables Facades; Maison Coppens ©EB/Endre Sebok; La Maison des Terrasses ©visit.brussels/Jean-Paul Remy; Horta museum ©Maxime Delvaux; Atheneum Robert Catteau ©EB/Admirables Facades