What’s on this week: 13 to 19 March

Dress up in green along with the Brussels’ Irish community at the 18th annual Brussels Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in the city centre. Organised by Irish in Europe, the festivities kick off at 13.00 in Halles Saint-Géry with the colourful procession winding through cobbled streets before arriving in the Grand Place at 15.30. The parade is led by the Brussels Caledonian Pipe Band, featuring Irish and international groups. Along the route, shops and restaurants will show their support with Emerald Isle-themed decorations and illuminations. 15 March 13.00-17.00, city centre

The annual Banad Festival showcases the capital’s Art Nouveau and Art Deco treasures with an extensive programme of interior visits and guided tours. Some 60 architectural gems open their doors for this 10th edition, an opportunity to sneak a peek into interiors habitually off limits. Many of the visits are sold out, but tickets are still available for some tours and there’s a full agenda of satellite events. Staged over successive weekends in thee different locations. 14 & 15; 21 & 22; and 28 & 29 March, locations across the city

The River Jazz Festival  heralds the spring with festive sounds. Celebrating its 11th edition, this convivial festival in the intimate setting of Marni, Jazz Station and Senghor offers 16 concerts showcasing Belgian artists with a sprinkling of international talents. The festival kicks off with Brussels-based Adja, continues with Paris-based Australian jazz singer Hetty Kate (pictured) on 20 March and concludes with the River Jazz Night: three performances by Margaux Vranken in each of the festival venues on 28 March. 13 to 28 March, multiple venues

La Maison des Arts celebrates its 200th anniversary with three exhibitions on the theme of ‘inhabiting’ all-year-long. The first, Habiter la Maison, is a group show that invites visitors to travel through time: contemporary artworks in the bourgeois setting of the museum reinterpret our relationship with ‘home’. A second show A l’abri des regards is staged on the upper floor with seven artists exploring intimacy and domesticity. Free entrance. Until 24 May, Chaussée de Haecht 147 (Schaerbeek)

Cycling enthusiasts and curious newcomers alike can head to Bike Brussels, a three day fair dedicated to bikes and active mobility. Held at the Gare Maritime site oft Tour & Taxis, it brings together manufacturers, innovators and cycling organisations presenting the latest bikes, accessories and urban mobility solutions. Visitors can test different models on indoor and outdoor tracks, discover technological innovations and explore travel ideas related to cycling tourism. The event is open to both professionals and the general public, making it a lively meeting place for anyone interested in the growing culture of cycling in Brussels. 13-15 March, Gare Maritime, Avenue du Port 86C

The Mauvais Coton Festival returns for its third edition with a weekend dedicated to contemporary embroidery and textile art at LaVallée. More than 30 artists present their work at an art market alongside exhibitions, installations and workshops exploring the creative possibilities of thread and fabric. The programme also includes talks, collective embroidery sessions, a documentary screening and a festive opening evening with music and food. By bringing together artisans, designers and curious visitors, the festival highlights embroidery as a living artistic practice that blends craft, experimentation and community. 13-15 March, Rue Adolphe Lavallée 39 (Molenbeek-Saint-Jean)

Brussels Water Days invites residents to rediscover the capital through its waterways and water infrastructure. More than 50 activities take place across the city, including guided walks, exhibitions, workshops and exclusive behind the scenes visits. Participants can explore locations such as the Brussels South water treatment plant or the stormwater basin beneath Flagey Square, join nature walks across the green belt or take boat trips on the canal. With many activities free, the event highlights the importance of water in Brussels and encourages a closer connection with the city’s rivers, canals and urban ecosystems. 16-22 March, various locations

Book now Klara Festival returns for its 21st edition, honouring its host city Brussels with a question that is pertinent to the capital’s multicultural residents: Where is Home?  The theme of the classical music Festival of Flanders event was inspired by Abel Selaoco’s  latest album, and the charismatic South African cellist-composer (pictured) performs pieces from it in three of the 37 concerts staged for the festival. “Our mission is to let as wide an audience as possible experience that classical music is alive and kicking,” says festival director Joost Fonteyne. 20-29 March, Bozar, Flagey & other venues in the city 

OUTSIDE BRUSSELS

Every spring, the Japanese Garden in Hasselt invites visitors to experience its Cherry Blossom Festival, an ephemeral display of some 225 different varieties of cherry trees. Due to its popularity, the garden is asking people to book ahead to guarantee a slot to admire the colourful vision. The festival is accompanied by a programme of activities every weekend. 14 March to 19 April, Gouverneur Verwilghensingel 15, Hasselt (Limburg)

Antwerp’s M HKA contemporary art museum presents the group show we refuse_d as part of its spring programe, which highlights how creating, showing, and persisting in art can itself be a form of resistance under censorship and silencing. The exhibition brings together 15 artists in a collective statement. 13 March to 7 June, Leuvenstraat 32, Antwerp

BeCraft occupies Mons’ Anciens Abattoirs museum to present works on the theme of slaughterhouses by some 60 artists from 12 European countries. The European group exhibition À la belle vue de l'abattoir celebrates the 20th anniversary of the association's collaboration with the site, itself a former slaughterhouse. While exploring the imagery, history and contemporary issues relating to them, the artists invite us to take a sensitive and informed look at slaughterhouses as places of transit, abandonment, production, transformation and also heritage. Until 24 May, Rue de la Trouille 17, Mons

Spring is in the air in the musical world. The annual festival Printemps musical de Silly launches this weekend. Classical music and jazz performances by young musicians are staged in churches and beautiful properties across the region of Wallonia Picardy over the next three months. The opening concert by Young Belgian Strings (pictured) and violinist Guillaume Duby is entitled Les huit saisons recomposes and is performed in the church of Silly on Saturday at 20.00. 14 March to 21 June, Place Communale, Silly (Hainaut)

Forest Therapy walk: As Spring gently stirs, certified guide, George Biesmans, invites you to join a walk in the Tervuren Arboretum. Inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin Yoku (Forest bathing), these gentle, three-hour therapy walks invite you to slow down, awaken your senses and support you in reconnecting with yourself and the rest of nature. Find out more and register for an upcoming walk here. 15, 21 & 28 March 9.00-12.00, Tervuren Arboretum

Discover more upcoming events at The Bulletin's events page.

Photos: (main image) courtesy Irish in Europe; Maison Marit ©EB/Sophie Voituron; Hetty Kate ©Trudy Schuringa; Maison des Arts: Aurélien Goubau - Znamya - Un militaire dans son salon de Paris, 2021; Klara Festival:  Abel Selaocoe Bantu Ensemble ©Calum Morrison; courtesy Japanese Garden, Hasselt; courtesy MH KA; courtesy BeCraft