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What’s on this week: 28 July-4 August

Park Poetik © Rozenn Quere
12:03 28/07/2022
Festival fun around the country as summer beats on…

Park Poetik is a summer poetry festival (main image) that goes looking for its audience in streets, squares and parks in Saint-Gilles and Forest neighbourhoods. This year’s strange birds theme 'Drôles d'oiseaux & Vreemde Vogels' sees artists and performers creating ‘special nests’ in public spaces as well as parades in the streets. Until 28 August, public spaces, Saint-Gilles and Forest

In the streets urban festival

Free urban sport and cultural bonanza In the streets continues this weekend with basketball matches in and around the Play down village (Place De Brouckère). The U13, U15 and U18 teams compete on Saturday,; U23, 23+ and elite teams on Sunday. Spectators can join in the fun by participating in various demonstrations. 30 & 31 July, Place De Brouckère & Place de la Monnaie

Kasper-Bosmans-WIELS-Brussels-2022.-Photo-©-Alexandra-Bertels

Don’t miss summer exhibitions at WIELS contemporary art centre, now in their final weeks. American multidisciplinary artist Lucy Raven presents a new photo series and two ambitious film installations in her show Another Dull Day. She captures the geographical and historic tensions at play in the dramatic landscapes of New Mexico and Idaho. In the parallel exhibition Husbandry, Kasper Bosmans employs bronze, enamel, glass and sand to create installations exploring nature and culture within the thematic of the title’s reference to care, cultivation and good household stewardship. “I am trying to find visual solutions to indigestible stories,” says the Brussels-based artist. Until 14 August, Avenue Van Volxem 354 (Forest)

Villa Empain

Book ahead Villa Empain Summer Party Cure any end-of-holiday blues by dancing around the gorgeous Art Deco swimming pool at one of the city’s most fabulous cultural spaces. The annual seasonal celebration returns, opening its doors to the exhibitions Portrait of a Lady and Michel Polak, technology and craftsmanship, an architecture of wonder. Outside, DJ sets will get you in the groove, while a bar and Asian food will keep you amply fuelled. 21 August 12.00-21.00, Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 67 (Ixelles)

OUTSIDE BRUSSELS

Supervue Festival

The fifth edition of the biennial Supervue Festival gathers 35 groups atop a former slagheap overlooking the city of Liège’s industrial basin. Organised by artist collective Superette, this alternative and eclectic festival mixes concerts, performances, artistic installations and DJ sets. And all for the price of €40, with the audience limited to 2,000. The programme combines Congolese rumba, Haitian sounds and electronic music as well as pop. 29 & 30 July, Terril Piron, Liège

Libramont agricultural fair

The largest outdoor agricultural fair in Europe celebrates rural life in the Belgian Ardennes and beyond. Libramont Fair once again shows off its agricultural know-how to visitors from home and abroad with animals, farming, forestry and food all on display. The theme for the 86th edition is ‘Here begins a sustainable world’.  29 July-1 August, Rue des Aubépines 50, Libramont (Luxembourg province)

Hors-Champs

It's Pizza Party at Stefan Jacobs’ Hors-Champs restaurant, which combines a bakery, bed & breakfast, gourmet dining and event space all in a bucolic rural setting. The chef, who specialises in regional cuisine, serves a selection of gastronomic variations on the culinary favourite, while concerts and activities for kids ensure a festive vibe. Reserve with name, number of pizzas, time at info@hors-champ.be. 31 July 12.00-21.00, Chaussée de Wavre 170

Sfinks

Sfinx Mixed festival is all about peace and love, with yoga, a ‘feelgood market’ and an entire kids’ village vying for attention next to an outstanding bill of world music. You’ll find everything from mariachi to reggae to Afro-jazz at this fun festival dedicated to diversity – in music and in life. 28-31 July, Boechout (Antwerp province)

esperanzah_festival

World music favourite Esperanzah! is doing its best to offer festival-goers an unforgettable experience, and not only musically. For its 20th anniversary, the festival has an exceptional line-up of artists. Chinese Man, Asaf Avidan, Scylla, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Gaël Faye and Mali singer Fatoulata Diawara are among the chief attractions. As ever, food outlets are selected who support the event’s social and ecological mission, giving attendees a unique culinary experience. 28-31 July, Floreffe Abbey (Namur province) 

retrosurmer-wenduine-festival-retro-fifties-seaside-panorama-1-lawrenceschoonbroodt-2018-3

The Belgian coast is the perfect spot for the summer festival Retro sur mer bringing together a vintage market, old-timey cars, a fun fair and rockabilly music. It’s also totally free! Get a 1940s hairstyle on site and prepare to boogie to international bands like Black Elvis, The Maracatures and Gogo Loco. 29-31 July, Wenduine

festival_de_stavelot_1

Some dozen chamber music concerts are performed in the magnificent ancient setting of former Benedictine abbey. The Festival de Stavelot is part of the Festivals of Wallonia and staged now for over 60 years, these live performances of chamber music are an opportunity to discover the heritage site as well as listen to beautiful chamber music, from ancient and romantic to contemporary works. 30 July–14 August, Stavelot (Liège province) 

Photos: Park Poetik © Rozenn Quere; Kasper Bosmans exhibition © AlexandraBertels

 

Written by Sarah Crew and Lisa Bradshaw