Carnaval de Binche is Belgium’s most famous pre-Lenten celebration, recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Centered in the town of Binche, the three-day festival reaches its peak on Shrove Tuesday, when the iconic Gilles—men dressed in ornate costumes, wax masks, and wooden clogs—parade through the streets. They throw oranges into the crowds as symbols of good luck, accompanied by the sounds of drums, brass bands, and exuberant dancing. With its mix of pageantry, ritual, and community spirit, the Carnival of Binche is one of Europe’s most extraordinary and historic carnival traditions.

ANIMA International Animation Film Festival, Brussels is Belgium’s flagship celebration of animation in all its forms, bringing an international lineup of short films, feature films, and family screenings to the city each late February to early March. Beyond the cinema program, ANIMA is known for its welcoming, public-facing atmosphere—pairing premieres with talks, masterclasses, and special events, alongside Futuranima days that connect creators and industry professionals. Blending playful creativity with serious craft, the festival turns Brussels into a lively meeting point for anyone passionate about animated storytelling.

Laetare de Stavelot is a lively spring carnival celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent in the Belgian town of Stavelot. Famous for its mischievous characters known as Blancs-Moussis—cloaked figures dressed in white with long red noses—the festival fills the streets with playful antics, confetti, and laughter. The Blancs-Moussis parade through town, throwing confetti, waving inflated pig bladders, and playfully teasing the crowds. With its mix of humor, tradition, and community joy, the Laetare Carnival of Stavelot is one of Belgium’s most unique and entertaining folk celebrations.

Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF) is Belgium’s flagship genre cinema event, running each spring with a high-energy program of horror, thriller, science fiction, and fantasy screenings, packed with premieres, late-night cult slots, and a famously vocal audience atmosphere. Founded in 1983, the festival pairs its film selection with a broader fan experience—think Q&As, masterclasses, themed happenings, and a festival “village” vibe—typically hosted at Brussels Expo (Palais 10), making it as much a celebration of community as it is a showcase for fantastic cinema.

Lotto Brussels Jazz Weekend fills Brussels, Belgium each last weekend of May with free jazz concerts across the city centre, turning the Grand-Place, Place Sainte-Catherine, and Place de la Bourse into lively open-air stages. The weekend celebrates jazz in all its forms—swing, bebop, fusion, blues, soul—with pop-up sets in bars and cultural venues, plus a roaming Brass Parade that pulls crowds from square to square.

Ducasse de Mons (also known as the Doudou Festival) is a traditional and vibrant annual festival held in Mons, Belgium. The event celebrates the town’s rich cultural and religious heritage, featuring a series of processions, performances, and historical reenactments. The highlight of the festival is the Lumeçon, a dramatic battle between Saint George and a dragon, which takes place in the main square. The festival is recognized as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage event and is a lively celebration filled with music, parades, and community gatherings, drawing visitors from around the world to experience the unique traditions of Mons.

Ommegang is a historic and vibrant annual festival held in Brussels, Belgium. The event celebrates the rich cultural heritage of the city, with a grand procession that features participants dressed in medieval costumes, including historical figures, knights, and musicians. The procession traces its roots back to the 16th century, commemorating a royal event when Emperor Charles V visited Brussels. Along with the procession, the festival includes live performances, music, and traditional celebrations, offering a unique glimpse into Brussels’ past.

Rock Werchter is Belgium’s flagship open-air music blowout in Werchter (near Leuven), Belgium, staged at Festivalpark Werchter each early July to celebrate a boundary-hopping lineup built on rock but stretching into pop, indie, hip-hop, and electronic. Expect blockbuster sets on the Main Stage, discovery-friendly moments in The Barn, and after-dark pulse in KluB C, plus festival comforts from crowd-pleasing food stands to a full-on camping culture—often capped with a classic fireworks send-off.

Cactusfestival brings three days of open-air concerts to Minnewaterpark (Lake of Love Park) in Bruges, Belgium, each early July, celebrating a wide, genre-crossing mix of Belgian and international artists. The setup is easy to love: one main stage where every act plays a full set, leafy picnic vibes, the foodie-packed Bazaar for snacks and local bites, and the lakeside Cactus Oasis for drinks and sunset downtime.

Gentse Feesten is an annual cultural festival held in Ghent, Belgium. It is one of the largest and most vibrant cultural festivals in Europe, lasting for ten days. The festival features a diverse range of activities, including music performances, theater, dance, street art, and comedy. Both local and international artists participate, and various venues around the city host performances, including open-air stages and intimate settings. Gentse Feesten is a celebration of creativity and community, drawing thousands of visitors who enjoy the lively atmosphere, cultural diversity, and the beautiful medieval backdrop of Ghent.

Tomorrowland is a large-scale celebration of electronic dance music and immersive festival storytelling in Boom, Belgium, staged in the park of De Schorre across the last two weekends of July. Expect a fantasy-built Mainstage, dozens of genre-focused stages, and marathon sets from top international DJs, wrapped in theatrical décor, lasers, and crowd rituals like glowing bracelet light shows and euphoric finales. Many fans make it a full experience via DreamVille camping, where pre-parties and sunrise walks set the tone before the music takes over.

Musica Antiqua Festival is an annual celebration of early music in Bruges, Belgium, filling the city’s canalside, medieval backdrop with historically informed performances of medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque repertoire each August. Expect a packed rhythm of concerts in landmark venues—often pairing the modern acoustics of Concertgebouw Brugge with the atmosphere of historic churches and halls—alongside festival extras that make it feel like a true early-music hub: masterclasses and talks, a browse-worthy instrument market, and the internationally watched MA Competition spotlighting period-instrument virtuosity (from keyboard and organ traditions to ensemble brilliance).

Brussels Flower Carpet transforms the Grand-Place (Grote Markt) in Brussels, Belgium into a vast, living tapestry every two years in mid-August, when teams of gardeners and volunteers assemble an intricate carpet of begonias (and occasional dahlias) over a full-scale template in just a few hours. Built around a new theme each edition, the floral mosaic—spanning roughly 70 metres by 24 metres—is most spectacular from the City Hall (Town Hall) balcony, where the full pattern snaps into focus above the square’s iconic guildhalls, while the surrounding weekend buzz often includes music and illuminated evening ambience that turns a quick look into a lingering, camera-happy stroll.

Pukkelpop is a four-day celebration of contemporary, alternative music in Kiewit (Hasselt), Belgium, staged on leafy festival grounds each mid-August. The lineup is deliberately broad—rock, indie, pop, hip-hop, electronic, metal—spread across multiple stages, with after-dark DJ sets keeping the energy high. Beyond the music, expect a full festival-village feel: camping, easy rail-and-bike access, and foodie zones like Food Wood, where Belgian bites and global street food power long days in the crowd.