Get on your bike for Car-Free Sunday in Brussels on 20 September

Brussels is gearing up for its annual bike fest, namely the car-free day held every third Sunday of September from 9.30 to 19.00.

This year – 20 September – the big two-wheeler day also coincides with the capital’s annual heritage day event, comic-strip festival and other seasonal activities.

If you want to try cycling without the hassle of cars, this is your chance. Many municipalities in the city celebrate the occasion with cycling villages offering stands to repair or pimp your bike, workshops, information about cycling organisations and myriad cycling-based games, family activities and suggested cycle rides.

Seasoned cyclists (the suggested speed is 22/23 km per hour) can join a special 60-km ride spanning all 19 Brussels municipalities. Starting at 9.00 at Mains boulangerie in Uccle, it is organised by Brussels Unchained – a growing road cycling community and group ride platform of more than 900 riders based in the capital (pictured above at Spa-Francorchamps).

“For our tenth anniversary, we wanted a ride that showcases Brussels at its best – its neighbourhoods, its parks, its people. Car‑Free Sunday is the perfect moment to celebrate this shared energy,” says Kim Smouter, Brussels Unchained co-coordinator.

As well as exploring some of the city’s most beautiful spots, the ride – free and open to all on road or mountain bikes – gives participants the chance to try local eateries such as Mains. The ride is scheduled to end at 13.00 with a community lunch provided by Fermenthings & Brasserie La Source at Be-Here in Laeken.

Car-Free Sunday’s key goal is to get more people to take to the road on two wheels. Despite many improvements including the rise of dedicated cycle lanes and one-way streets except for cyclists, there are slightly less women on bikes than there were in the boom Covid years. The Women’s Bike Ride Brussels is aiming to boost the numbers and push for safer streets for all. Families – children and supportive men – are welcome to join this festive fourth edition.

The lack of traffic also means that sports other than cycling can be practised in peace. Even a yoga Sunday morning on what is normally a near motorway – the Rue de la Loi. If the event is currently fully booked, it is possible to join a waiting list.

“Yoga Space Brussels with our partner Thon Hotels is taking yoga out of the studio… with Yoga in the City,” Yoga Space teacher Michael Chia tells the Bulletin.

“For one morning, a street normally dominated by traffic will instead be filled with yoga mats, movement and a bit of calm... Last year we had more than 60 yogis practising and meditating on the street,” he explains.

“We’re bringing [the event] back this year. It’s not just about doing a yoga class in an unusual location; it’s about experiencing the city differently and making use of a normally busy urban space for people, movement and connection. “There is also a charitable element, with donations going to the Red Cross,” Chia added.

Car-Free Sunday is an opportunity to (re)discover Brussels from a different perspective—on foot, by bike, or via public transport. The Stib network will be free of charge throughout the day, from the start to the end of service. Additionally, metro, tram, and bus services will be stepped up to accommodate the large number of visitors expected.

This year’s event also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Brussels metro. To mark the occasion, there’s a special opening of the Jacques Brel metro and bus depot in Anderlecht for a behind-the-scenes peek at public transport operations and maintenance.

So whether you opt for a 60-km cycle ride or a peaceful interlude on a mat, Sunday looks set to be fun for all. And if when 19.00 nears, the cars creep back and you miss the calm already, the good news is that the next car-free day is in less than eight months’ time.

Subject to approval by Brussels’ 19 municipalities, it will take place on 2 May 2027. The Brussels government wanted the second car-free day to be 8 May, 2027, to coincide with the Fête de l’Iris. However, with this date Mother’s Day, residents, shopkeepers and café and restaurant owners protested, saying no car use would deter customers.

From 2028 onwards, this clash will no longer arise, meaning the city’s second car-free day will be on the same weekend as the Fête de l’Iris.