Major music, sporting, and cultural events have become key drivers of tourism in Brussels.
From July 17 to 26, more than 400,000 people will converge on the plains of Boom to party. A must-attend event for electronic music fans worldwide, Tomorrowland has also become essential for the Brussels tourism industry. The festival alone generates 60,000 overnight stays, according to figures from the Brussels Hotels Association (BHA).
The City of Brussels seized this opportunity by partnering with the organizers. At the end of July, 4,000 festival-goers will enjoy a special Brussels day trip, including museum visits, beer and chocolate tastings, and a grand end-of-day party at the Bourse (Stock Exchange). "Beyond festivals, concerts at the King Baudouin Stadium have a direct impact on the entire destination. The upcoming concert by the South Korean group BTS, for example, mobilizes the entire hotel sector," notes Rodolphe Van Weyenbergh, Secretary General of the BHA (Brussels Hotel Association), further emphasizing that residencies by major artists, such as Céline Dion in Paris or Adele in Munich, significantly contribute to a city's international renown.
Positive impact and flow management
For hospitality professionals, event tourism is particularly attractive because it allows them to secure occupancy rates with certainty and well in advance. Cancellation rates for this type of booking are virtually nonexistent. What about restaurants and cafes? "Even though the impact is difficult to quantify precisely and often remains concentrated around accommodation areas, event venues, or major gathering points, events naturally generate more spending," explains Kamila Ostrowska, Managing Director of Horeca Brussels.
Brussels Airport shares this satisfaction. “It’s difficult to establish a direct and perfectly measurable causal link between a specific event and airport activity. Nevertheless, major international events held in Belgium undeniably have a positive impact on our passenger traffic,” confirms the airport’s press office. They also reiterate the airport’s key role in welcoming a significant portion of Tomorrowland visitors, particularly through specific initiatives such as “party flights” organized with certain airlines. Furthermore, the spokesperson explains, the Airport Operations Center closely monitors the schedules of major events to minimize their impact on passenger flow and ensure the smoothest possible experience.
Relay sports
Among other notable events are major sporting competitions. The Formula 1 Grand Prix, which draws huge crowds to Francorchamps, has always had a positive impact on Brussels' tourism industry. Rodolphe Van Weyenbergh also mentions the stages and starts of the Tour de France, major football matches, and the Padel World Cup, which has been growing in popularity for several years. In August, Walloon Brabant will also host the Hockey World Cup, the positive effects of which should be felt beyond Wavre. As the official sponsor of the national hockey teams, Brussels Airport confirms that it expects a positive impact on passenger traffic.
Cultural events: potential for growth
While Brussels Pride drew 216,000 people to its streets in mid-May, Brussels will also host the Flower Carpet from August 13 to 16. As it does every two years, the cobblestones of the Grand-Place will once again be transformed into a gigantic carpet of flowers. This highly Instagrammable event has the dual advantage of attracting and dazzling foreign visitors while simultaneously turning them into ambassadors for the most beautiful square in the world. That same weekend, two of the biggest names in the global electronic music scene will perform in Brussels at the Royal Palace Open Air.
However, in Rodolphe Van Weyenbergh's view, Brussels' summer vibrancy still has room for improvement. "Today, visitor numbers in August are low and well below the monthly average. In addition to the absence of business tourism or tourism related to European institutions, Brussels isn't considered a summer destination by the public. Events and cultural programming are therefore all the more important to enhance its appeal. And there's still work to be done there," he explains. In this regard, the Secretary General of the Brussels Heritage Association (BHA) has high hopes for the upcoming Kanal Museum, which will organize internationally acclaimed exhibitions, including during the summer months, similar to Paris's recent Calder and Matisse retrospectives at the Grand Palais.
In fact, the upcoming museum should benefit a greater number of businesses. “Visitors are still very concentrated around the historic center. They take relatively little time to explore other, yet very attractive, neighborhoods. More residential or outlying restaurants sometimes feel the effects much less,” adds Kamila Ostrowska. Furthermore, she explains, local events and other neighborhood festivals organized during the summer often provide business for local restaurants. “While large gatherings primarily benefit certain well-defined areas, locally rooted events create a more diffuse and balanced dynamic,” she adds.
Boosting Business Tourism
What about the rest of the year? Certainly, the various art fairs – from BRAFA to Art Brussels, Ceramic, the Brussels Affordable Art Fair, COLLECTIBLE, and Brussels Gallery Weekend – attract their share of visitors. The "Winter Pleasures" have also made the capital a destination worth visiting in December.
But with an average occupancy rate of 72.7%, according to figures from visit.brussels, the Brussels hotel sector, which has invested heavily in its accommodation capacity, remains in need of additional anchor hotels, particularly in business tourism. Many are therefore eagerly awaiting the Confex project, which plans to build a convention center on the Heysel plateau capable of hosting mega-events requiring up to 100,000 m² of space. "This should allow us to regain market share that Brussels had lost to other major cities," says Rodolphe Van Weyenbergh.
According to the director of Horeca Brussels, the capital could also better leverage several of its currently underutilized assets, from the quality of its restaurants to its convivial atmosphere, nightlife, and the diversity and dynamism of its culinary scene. “The Basque Country, like Denmark, has largely focused on gastronomy, the art of living, and hedonism to attract genuine food tourism. Berlin, for its part, has built a significant part of its international appeal around its nightlife and cultural offerings. These strategic choices have generated considerable economic benefits for their entire local ecosystem,” she observes, subsequently calling for renewed ambition, a clear vision, and well-targeted promotional efforts.
What will their summer be like?
AG
Throughout the summer, the insurer is providing tourists and residents of Ostend with free sunscreen dispensers, placed at four strategic locations in the seaside town. The goal: to raise awareness of the risks of UV radiation. It's also worth noting that AG will be hosting the Beci Summit on August 26!
Brussels Airport
Unsurprisingly, July and August will be very busy. The busiest weeks will be from July 20 to August 2, with some days seeing more than 90,000 passengers (arrivals and departures combined), compared to a daily average of around 65,000 outside of the holiday period. "The projected figures are known and communicated in advance to all our partners so that they can prepare properly and mobilize sufficient staff, such as G4S for security checks, Airport Crew for passenger assistance within the airport, and the federal police," the airport explains.
Sports dear to Belgians – football, cycling, and hockey – will be celebrated in the terminal, with designated areas for live broadcasts of the competitions. As a partner of the Hockey World Cup 2026, Brussels Airport will welcome players, teams, fans, and delegations from around the globe. The airport also plans interactive games and installations and will unfold a thematic storytelling throughout the airport, reflecting the emotions associated with sport. Passengers can also look forward to various DJ sets reminiscent of major festivals.
Carrefour
Business is primarily driven by the search for fresh products, the start of summer holidays, and the increase in outdoor activities. But summer will also be marked by the FIFA World Cup. Among the departments that see a surge in sales during the competition, Carrefour specifically mentions barbecue meat, fan accessories and apparel, and the aperitif and party section (drinks, snacks, and ready-to-eat meals). "The national team's performance plays a key role. On match days, beer sales can jump by 20% to 40%," the retailer explains.
Carrefour Belgium will be present at the Spa Grand Prix with a mobile store in the campsite, as well as The Box, located on the starting line as a "VIP" welcome lounge for the retailer's clients and stakeholders. "The aim of our presence at this type of event is to surprise consumers where they don't expect us, and to associate our brand with a positive experience," the spokesperson further explains.
ING
A partner of the Belgian Football Association (URBSFA) since 2010, ING invests in the development of women's football in Belgium in collaboration with the various national federations. This summer's World Cup provides an opportunity for a new initiative. For every goal scored by the Red Devils, the bank pledges to release €1,500 in support of a women's football project, previously registered via the bank's website.
By Philippe Beco, Freelance Business Journalist
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