What’s on this week: 13 to 19 November

The Listen Festival is on a mission to keep Brusseleers partying all night long this weekend. Its 10th edition promises 24 hours of non-stop electronic and experimental music in 15 venues, all for a single ticket. The musical event has a surprise for festivalgoers with the “Listen Express,” a train running between the city’s railway stations from midnight until 5.00 with stations transformed into dancefloors. Headliners include Tiga and Avalon Emerson. Brussels City Hall also hosts a free talk in English from 3.30-5.00, exploring a decade of efforts toward safer nightlife. 21-22 November 14.00-14.00, multiple venues

The third edition of the MAD Parcours is an opportunity to discover the creativity of 60 Brussels-based fashion and design talents. This free trail is spread across more than 40 participating studios, boutiques, galleries and showrooms across the capital. Pick up a map from MAD Brussels. The event also hosts a talk on Friday led by AFC Collection — this edition’s guest designer. 12-14 November, Thursday 12.00-21.00; Fri & Sat 12.00-18.00, Place du Nouveau Marché aux Grains 10

The city-centre Art Deco building Espace Vanderborght hosts the free collective group show Carte de Visite/ARTopenKUNST. The City of Brussels initiative showcases the work of more than 250 Brussels-based artists, including amateurs, professionals and students. 13-15 November, Rue de l‘Ecuyer 50

Belgium’s premier festival for international contemporary music Ars Musica heads to the Far North for its third edition themed ‘ARCTIC FEVER.’ Featuring 50 events, including 20 new works, the immersive and sensory experience is spread across 25 venues in 10 cities around the country. The nocturnal magic of flora and fauna is brought alive at the opening: Night Lives by Kristine Tjøgersen, performed by the Cikada Ensemble at Le Botanique. Another highlight is the screening of six short Nordic films from the north, curated by film director Luc Dardenne and are accompanied by live music from a string quartet at Cinema Palace on 18 November. 14 November to 7 December, multiple locations

Wine lovers shouldn’t miss Grrrabuge, a unique two-day festival celebrating natural wine, beer, cider and non-alcoholic drinks. Highlighting the role of farming practices in protecting biodiversity, it features 60 producers from around Europe. In addition to tastings, talks and workshops, the programme includes music, dancing and street food. A series of podcasts will also be recorded during the event. 15-16 November, Rue Adolphe Lavallée 39 (Molenbeek)

Female choir Vocal Ease goes on a  musical journey into the spiritual and sonic worlds of the Middle Ages in the church concert Medieval Moods. It performs music by Hildegard von Bingen and the vibrant songs of the Libre Vermell de Montserrat, a remarkable collection of pilgrimage songs compiled at the end of the 14th century. Saxophone improvisation by Cezariusz Gadzina and hurdy-gurdy and hammered dulcimer is played by Jerzy Burdzy. Baritone Richard Craddock.14 November 17.30-19.00, Eglise Sainte-Anne, Chaussée de Tervuren 89 (Auderghem)

World Catch League brings CATCH XL to Stade d’Ixelles in an event that offers entertainment for all ages, say organisers. Belgium’s biggest professional wrestling show rolls into the capital for the sixth successive year. The two hour event is an opportunity for newcomers to the sport as well as wrestling fans to discover the sport up close, through rivalries, intense matches and the energy of a live audience. 14 November, 19.00 (doors open 18.15), Stade d’Ixelles/Centre sportif Albert Demuyter, Rue Volta 18 (Ixelles)

The EU quarter’s Association of Traders at Carrefour Jean Monnet stages the third edition of its Festival of Gifts. Shoppers and consumers at one of its  participating stores and restaurants receive a voucher allowing them to participate for free in the prize-winning activity. More than 100 gifts, ranging from weekend trips to Rome and Paris and store vouchers to high-value digital goods and perfumes, with a total value of €10,000, are up for grabs, with prizes being drawn on 7 December. The event, supported by the City of Brussels, operates in Schuman Roundabout, Livingstone Street, Ambiorix Square and Avenue de Cortenbergh. 16 November to 6 December, EU quarter

Popular Brussels festival Balkan Trafik! returns after a one year hiatus - taking over the capital's landmark the Bourse for its 20th edition. The music and arts festival fully embraces diversity by encompassing music, original artistic creations, dance, fashion, social gatherings and regional gastronomy. The line-up spans a wide spectrum of genres from Gypsy brass music, electronic beats and Unesco-recognised ancient polyphonic singing to Gypsy punk, Greek hip-hop and Gypsy jazz. Festival tickets for each day, which include six concerts, are priced at €35. 19-21 November, Place de la Bourse 

OUTSIDE BRUSSELS

The Playground festival is an experimental event were artists work at the intersection of performance and visual arts. For its 20th edition, the festival remains true to its original mission in presenting performance, choreography, installations, guided tours and occasionally song that all cross paths in all kinds of ways. Pictured: The hand puppet show Revolution Is a Dinner Party, which combines singing and spoken word. 19-22 November, across Leuven

The 19th edition of the NEXT Festival presents some 29 dance, theatre and performance shows in venues spread across towns and cities in the west of Belgium and northern France. Artists from 20 different nations come together for the festival’s motto that is “art must be a catalyst for change.” It challenges, questions, and offers bold responses to the issues of our time, whether on exile, justice, feminism, ecology and inclusion. Check out the full programme and join the road trip! Pictured: Mercury Rising by Jefta van Dinther (Ger/Swe). 13 November to 4 December, multiple locations (Flanders & France)

The questions ‘who am I?’ continues to grow and change amid a an ever-changing world. This is the theme of this fifth edition of Docfest which collaborates with a Bruges-based organisation to enhance each of the powerful documentaries being screened with an added experience. Among the international offerings is the Chinese film Two Mountains Weighing Down My Chest by Viv Li (pictured) about an aspiring Chinese artist who finds herself, in the wake of the pandemic, immersed in Berlin’s vibrant alternative cultural scene (20 November). 17-22 November, Cinema Lumière, Sint-Jakobsstraat 36, plus surprise locations around the city

Every two years, the city if Namur stages the Festival des Égalités. Inviting the public to reflect collectively on major societal issues, it offers a rich programme accessible to all ages. Concerts fusing classical music and dance, as well as exhibitions, talks and a creators’ market are hosted by the Delta and the Grand Manège (Namur concert hall). Pictured: Vivaldi’s famous Quatre Saisons in a version interpreted by hip-hop dancers. 19-22 November, multiple venues

Focusing on 14 design projects in French-speaking Belgium dating from 2023 to 2026, the exhibition When Architecture Engages (Quand l’architecture s’engage) highlights architectural practices that address the major environmental, social, and cultural challenges of our time. Windows, openings, doors, airvents and thresholds serve as mechanisms through which the show explores the relationships between architecture, the environment, and ways of living. These everyday elements frame the landscape, admit light and serve as transitions between the interior and exterior, private and collective spaces. Presented by the Wallonia-Brussels Architectural Cultural Institute (ICA). Until 3 January, Avenue Fernand Golenvaux 18, Namur

Maredsous Abbey’s Christmas Market kicks off the festive season by opening this weekend! Some 60 festooned chalets are surrounded  by the illuminated neo-Gothic facades of its Saint-Joseph’s Visitor Centre. An ice rink (open until 4 Jan) promises to be a big draw, along with a programme of activities. Naturally, it’s also an opportunity to taste La Basilique, a beer specially created by the Benedictine abbey’s brewery to fundraise for a restoration project. 13 November to 20 December, Friday to Sunday, Rue de Maredsous 11, Denée (Namur province)

Students, parents and teachers are invited to an interactive free talk by Anthony Curtis: Building Resilience & Focus. Overcoming Barriers to Achievement. Organised by the University Foundation Centre, the psychology specialist and practitioner discusses helping a young person move forward when a subject feels difficult, an exam goes badly, or it is simply hard to get started. The event is aimed at students aged 14 to 18. Confirm attendance: info@uni-foundation.com. 16 November, 18.30-20.45, Château d’Argenteuil, Square d'Argenteuil 5, Waterloo

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

Photos: (main image) Listen Festival ©Annika Wallis; Carte de Visite 2025 ©Camille Crucifix; Playground Kexin Hao Revolution is a Dinner-Party 2025 ©LNDWstudio; Two Mountains ©Viv Li Corso Film; USAGES Four a lier Credits Corentin Haubruge