What’s on this week: 4 to 10 September

More than 50 breweries set up their tents for the Belgian Beer Weekend. From small-scale family operations to big name brands, this is an opportunity to sample different tipples, although it’s best you pace yourself as there’s some 500 on offer. They include the big five Belgian Trappist brews as well as lesser-known names. Saturday and Sunday lunchtime crowds will be treated to traditional parades by brewers and there’s live music throughout. Entrance is free but naturally you need to pay for any beers you consume either via tokens or a prepaid card. 4-6 September Friday 17.30-22.30; Saturday 12.00-22.30; Sunday 12.00-20.00, Grand Place

The Brussels International Film Festival (BRIFF) has shifted from June to September and kicks off the autumn film festival season. Competitions, Belgian and international films, retrospectives, a focus on Irish films, open-air screenings at Mont des Arts and meetings with prestigious guests are all on the programme. Plus a directors’ week spotlights the next generation of European filmmakers, the ‘Once Upon a Time’ section of films honours female directors and ‘Green Planet’ focuses on ecological issues. The festival hub with concerts and more is in Place de Brouckère. 4 to 12 September, cinemas around the city

The contemporary art season officially launched in the capital with RendezVous - Brussels Art Week. Almost 100 galleries, museums, foundation and artist-run spaces open their doors to the public with a raft of initiatives including guided tours, openings, performances and get-togethers in galleries, art institutions and studios across the city. Visitors are invited to tour the venues spread around the city. There’s also numerous off-piste activities including the Opening Night on 10 September from 17.00. Until 10-13 September, multiple locations

The Park Poetik summer programme concludes with a giant fiesta this Saturday. Following an afternoon parade through the streets of Saint-Gilles and Forest, the party continues with circus acts, live music and a silent disco. Free entrance. 5 September 16.00-22.00, Marais Wiels, Avenue Van Volxem (Forest)

After Antwerp and Ghent, het TheaterFestival rolls into the capital to open the performing arts season for the 36th time. It stages some of the top productions around, from theatre and dance to circus and performance. More than a ‘best-of’, hTF is a meeting place for audiences and artists to engage in dialogue, take part in workshops, and critically reflect on what's happening on our stages. This year the festival's heart is at KVS. Until 12 September, multiple venues

Brussels’ ideas club Full Circle launches its 14th season with an evening event open to everyone: members and non-members. It will be unveiling its new programme and introducing some of the brilliant hosts behind regular activities such as .... The club’s mission is to inspire with a vibrant mix of thinkers, doers, authors, activists, artists, musicians and more. Free event but registration is required. 11 September 19.00, Chaussée de Vleurgat 89 (Ixelles)

La Monnaie opera house launches its new season with a free and festive open day on Saturday. Explore the hidden corners of the prestigious cultural institution during a guided tour in the morning, participate in workshops in the afternoon and discover how sets, costumes and props are made for each production. Pop-up concerts punctuate the day and the event concludes with Place de la Monnaie transformed into a giant open-air cinema for a free screening  of Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore. 5 September 10.00-18.00, Place de la Monnaie

The Marni Jazz Festival returns for a new #wildopen edition dedicated to “total openness of music” with Jazz, floor, pop, groove, electro and even world music. Six concerts by Belgian groups feature an album release, two carte blanche performances and guests including international artists Joao Barradas and legendary US trombonist Robin Eubanks. Among the line-up are Adja, rising star Elly Brouckmans, Brussels-based Napsis, electro trio KVR, a carte blanche by Federico Pecoraro Trio + Robin Eubanks, plus Aleph Quintet + Joao Barradas. There’s also numerous off-piste activities. 10-19 September 20.00, Marni, Rue du Vergnies 25 (Ixelles)

Lost and Found. Japanese photography at Fondation A explores themes of memory, catastrophes, disappearance and renewal at the photography museum. Its title is borrowed from the memorial project undertaken by Japanese photographer Munemasa Takahashi following the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011. His installation consists of a monumental assemblage of photographs of families found in the rubble of the disaster. Works on display also originate from the foundation’s extensive collection.  3 September to 20 December, Avenue Van Volxem 304 (Forest)

Some 29 emerging Japanese artists present around 100 original artworks at the Marolles gallery Octopus Art Center in Colors Between Words. The exhibition explores how a younger generation of artists uses painting, illustration and other visual forms to translate memory, distance, longing, solitude and unease into a contemporary visual language. Alongside the main exhibition, a series of special programmes invites visitors to experience Japanese creativity through different forms. 4-27 September, Octopus Art Center, Rue Haute 253

English Stand-Up Comedy Club invites British comedian Paul Taylor to the Kings of Comedy Club. Best known for the TV series What The F*ck France and his bilingual stand-up tours, he has spent years turning linguistic misunderstandings and unspoken cultural rules into hilarious and relatable stories. Joining him are Romanian comedian Bianca Lala, bringing sharp, self-aware comedy and a global stage presence, along with Bibi Louïs, a comedian who mixes storytelling, wordplay and wicked one-liners. 8 September 19.00, Chaussée de Boondael 489 (Ixelles)

St Anthony’s Parish Church in Kraainem hosts fundraising musical evening Bon Voyage to support two local good causes: Serve the City and the CHS Helpline. ‘Plentiful Productions’ presents music from around the world with tickets priced at €10 (€5 for children). Food and drink are available on site, cash only. Bookings encouraged via elisabethannaflynn@gmail.com or 0495 94 35 17. 11 September 19.00, Avenue des Combattants 23 (Woluwe-Saint-Pierre)

OUTSIDE BRUSSELS

Les Solidarities is a three-day music festival with a multicultural line-up will hope to continue to draw crowds with artists including  Skip The Use, Ben Mazué, Christophe Maé, Superbus, Faithless and Sam Sauvage. A village with around 40 stands by community volunteer groups injects a social vibe, and a wide array of food and drink options is tipped to keep festivalgoers happy. A parking space is earmarked, and free shuttle buses will link it with the festival site Namur train station. No camping facilities. 4-6 September, Site Ecolys, Temploux (Namur)

The classical music Festivals of Wallonia roll on with their celebration of early music in the city of Liège, Les Nuits de Septembre. For its 69th edition, 11 outstanding concerts under the festival banner ‘Voyage’ transport audiences to other lands via rare instruments, forgotten manuscripts, little-known masterpieces and emerging musical talents. The rich musical feast includes Lucile Richardot, Sébastien Daucé and the Correspondances ensemble travelling to 17th-century Scandinavia and Christina Pluhar (pictured) and her L'Arpeggiata  ensemble for a concert of traditional and baroque Spanish and Latin American music. 4 September to 11 October, multiple venues, Liège

The Biennale of Moving Image, Contour Biennale 11 returns to Mechelen under the banner The Eyes of the Heart and the Soul of the World. Curated by Sofia Lemos, it is more than an exhibition; itis an exploration of the landscape of moving image and time-based media by Belgian and international artists that is staged in venues across the city. 5 September to 1 November, multiple venues, Mechelen (Antwerp province)

The monumental artwork War and Pieces is currently on display in Ypres Museum’s Goliath room. The installation by internationally-renowned Dutch artist Bouke de Vries was inspired by decorative table centrepieces from the 17th and 18th centuries: initially made of sugar, later manufactured in porcelain by manufacturers such as Meissen and Sèvres. Entrance free with entrance ticket to museum. Until 17 January, Grote Markt 34, Ypres

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

Photos: (main image) courtesy Belgian Beer Weekend; RendezVous Brussels Art Week ©Sander Houthuys;  Parade Poetik ©Eline Adriaensen; La Monnaie ©Pieter Claes; Shibuya Noriko, Takenoko-zoku, 1979-1982, courtesy the artist and Le Plac’art Photo; het Theaterfestiavl25 ©Olympe Tits; Christina Pluhar ©Michel Nowak; War and Pieces ©Bouke de Vries