Brugge Events and Festivals

Apart from the chilly winter months when nothing much of interest happens in Brugge , the city hosts an exciting range of events, fairs and festivals held at both indoor and outdoor venues. Major annual affairs include the Procession of the Holy Blood, in which Brugge' most treasured religious artefact is paraded through the city, while the Cinema Novo Film Festival, Jazz Brugge and the ground-breaking Music in Mind festival are also very popular.

Cinema Novo: Brugge's annual film fest is held at two separate venues, the Lumiere art house cinema and the Liberty blockbuster cinema. The multicultural event includes premières, short films and full length features from Asia, Africa and Latin America, screened over a 10-day period.

Procession of the Holy Blood: every year, Brugge's most sacred religious relic – a piece of cloth said to be stained with drops of the blood of Christ - is the focus of the Holy Blood Procession. Held on Ascension Day, the parade moves through the streets of the city, halting around the Grand Place to perform a series of short performances related to religious and historical events in Brugge.

Cactus Festival: one of Brugge's best loved annual events, the Cactus Festival has been staged beside the city's 'Lake of Love', or 'Minnewater', for more than 20 years. Held over three days in the summer, this musical extravaganza combines big name performers with promising newcomers, featuring a diverse programme of reggae, hip hop, R&B, roots and rock.

Festival Musica Antiqua: one of Brugge's most significant cultural events, Festival Musica Antiqua has been going strong since 1964, presenting an annual series of classical concerts spread over eight days. Works by composers such as Mozart and Clementi are performed at historically significant venues around Brugge and at the city's modern concert hall.

Klinkers Festival: a two week-long festival held at the beginning of August, the Klinkers Festival sees a series of music concerts electrify Brugge's two main squares - the Markt and the Burg - with smaller performances held at surrounding bars and cafés. Additional features of the event are films shown outdoors at Astrid Park and a wide variety of dance classes.

Brugge Canalside Festival: an equally enticing but entirely different music festival is also held along the city's canals by night in the month of August. The Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Baroque eras in Belgium's history are revived by hundreds of musicians, singers, actors and dancers dressed in period costumes.

Brugge Concert Weekend: every year in September, the Brugge Concert Weekend is held at different venues across the city, featuring a wide range of musical genres from various periods in history.

Jazz Brugge: the silky sounds of jazz are celebrated in the city during three days in October, when jazz artists from all over Europe perform outdoors in the afternoons and at Brugge's Concertgebouw every evening.

International Fine Arts and Antiques Fair: this renowned art and antiques show draws dealers, collectors and specialists from all over Europe and beyond. Items on sale at the fair include artworks from medieval times to Impressionism and antiques from all four corners of the globe, exhibited at one of Brugge's most impressive historical venues, the Belfry on the Markt.
Visit this website for further information about International Fine Arts in Brugge.


Music in Mind: this vibrant, off-beat music festival focuses on individuality, non-conformity and creativity, and brings together a diverse group of famous musicians and emerging artists who perform to reach new heights of expression and imagination.

Brugge Festival of World Music: musicians from all over the world come to Brugge to perform at this eclectic, multi-ethnic event held at venues across the city.

Winterfoor Fun Fair: a great event for the whole family, the Winterfoor Fun Fair features exciting rides and a multitude of food stalls spread across two city squares, Simon Stevinplein and Jan van Eyckplein.

New Year's Eve Carillon: this end-of-year event is held at the Markt and celebrates the New Year with the chiming of a carillon, a musical instrument comprising over 20 carillon bells, which are attached to foot pedals and can be played through a keyboard.