Culture beat: 10 July

Cheer on teams of travellers setting off on a charity roadtrip to Mongolia from Cinquantenaire Park on Saturday. The Mongolia Charity Rally is a 30-day, 15,000km journey to the ancient Mongol capital of Ulaanbaatar  while the finishing line of the Roof of the World Charity Rally is Dushanbe Tajikistan. A total of 15 vehicles are leaving from Brussels in the international event, including a Belgian fire engine and other utility vehicles. Aboard the fire truck is Belgium-based couple Joanna Meade and Jeroen Thijs who run the Brussels office of the charity rallies. They have collected over €9,000 to fund the truck and fill it with supplies. The teams are raising money for UK registered charity Go Help that runs educational medical projects in Mongolia and Tajikistan. The vehicles are also donated to the local communities. Lend your support and wave them off at the park’s esplanade outside Autoworld Museum, from 10.00 to 13.00.

The sun is ready to shine on Brosella Folk & Jazz in the dappled setting of the Green Theatre at the Atomium this weekend. The annual folk and jazz festival is entertaining the crowds with local and international artists. There’s folk on Saturday, including UK singer-songwriter Martha Tilston, performing  traditional English and Irish folk music. Sunday is devoted to jazz, including young Brussels drummer and composer Antoine Pierre Urbex. Mini-festival Brosella Kids will keep the little ones busy. Entrance €5, open from 15.00.

There’s also outdoor music every Sunday in the Royal Park until 26 July (except 19 July) in the annual Royal Park Music Festival. On the menu this Sunday is an aperitif concert at 11.00 with the pop-music choir Ioca, conducted by Hans Primusz, accompanied by pianist Steven Mintjens. The 35-voice ensemble is set to fill the square with its feel-good numbers. Then it’s the turn of the Lieven Venken Trio to blast out 1970s jazz soul sounds at 14.00.

Continuing the outdoor theme, many of the city’s parks are equipped with deckchairs during the summer months, including Cinquantenaire, Woluwe, la Cambre, Rouge Cloître, Mont des Arts and Tenbosch. Park authorities set them up at 11am and pick them up at 20.00. First come served!

Outside Brussels

For one weekend only, Namur is not only the Walloon capital, it’s a beer capital with 40 breweries plying their special brews until Sunday at the Grognon area (confluence of the rivers Meuse and Sambre). The festival also offers a blind tasting competition, concerts and a playground for kids.

Gent Jazz kicks off tonight (Friday) with a free jazz programme in the first weekend of the festival’s thoroughly diverse and quality programme. This evening’s opening gambit is Bill Laswell  and Jack DeJohnnette ‘Made in Chicago’, while a new quartet by Charles Lloyd follow senior South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim perform on Saturday. Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga (virtually sold-out) take to the stage on Sunday along with trumpet player Stéphane Belmondo. Singers Mélanie Biasio and Zaz wrap up Wednesday’s party, while fusing rock, blues and jazz, Ginger Baker and Van Morrrison headline next Friday. The festival's finale on 18 July features Snarky Puppy, Neneh Cherry and the sublime US vocalist Gregory Porter. From 10 to 12 & 15 to 18 July. At De Bijloke in Ghent.