Brussels monuments will switch off lights for Earth Hour on 28 March

The City of Brussels will switch off the lights at several of the capital’s iconic monuments, including the Grand-Place, Brucity and the Atomium, from 20.30 to 21.30 in recognition of the global Earth Hour campaign on 28 March.

“Earth Hour is much more than a symbolic gesture. It is a wake-up call in the face of the climate emergency,” said Brussels’ deputy mayor for climate, Frederik Ceulemans.

“On 28 March, let’s switch off our lights and switch on collective awareness.”

Launched in 2007 by the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), the Earth Hour initiative is celebrating its 20th edition this year.

For one hour, thousands of sites across the world will symbolically switch off their lights to raise awareness of the climate emergency and the protection of biodiversity, with participating landmarks to include the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Sydney Opera House and the Colosseum in Rome.

The City of Brussels said that, through its participation, it wishes to reaffirm its commitment to the ecological transition.

In addition to darkening Brussels’ landmarks, a silent disco will also be organised at the Bourse in partnership with WWF Belgium. DJs will be performing live from 20.30 across various audio channels accessible to the public via headphones.

“Earth Hour is a call to keep hope alive,” said Déborah Van Thournout, WWF Belgium’s communications director.

“Thousands of people are taking action every day to make a difference. Let’s celebrate these small actions which, together, have a huge impact.”