Brussels Open Air Festival 2026: back for its third edition

Since its inception, the Brussels Open Air Festival has highlighted the richness of the capital's party culture through lineups spanning hip-hop, techno, house, dub, amapiano, reggaeton, R&B, dancehall, shatta, trance, disco, pop, and many other genres. Emerging collectives, long-standing organizations, queer and LGBTQIA+ collectives, diasporic communities, minority-led groups, FINTA collectives, and organizations rooted in various underground cultures all contribute to making Brussels a unique destination on Europe's nightlife map.

Launched in 2024 at the initiative of the City of Brussels, the festival quickly became a key event on the Brussels cultural calendar. Its first two editions attracted nearly 11,000 attendees. Alongside clubs, festivals, and other open-air events, it contributes to the recognition of club culture as part of Brussels' intangible cultural heritage. While several European cities are restricting outdoor events, Brussels has chosen the opposite approach: recognizing open-air events as a legitimate cultural practice that can be organized responsibly and inclusively. The festival's success is such that other Belgian cities are now following its example.

Selected projects for 2026

Ten organizations, five venues, one day. Here's an overview of the diverse 2026 program spread across some of Brussels' major public spaces.

21AM x Bloody Louis | Congrès Esplanade

Driven by an inclusive vision of hip-hop culture, collective 21AM and club Bloody Louis take over the Congrès Esplanade with a lineup reflecting the richness of Brussels' hip-hop, R&B, and afrobeats scenes.

Easydone x Still Lookin' | Place d'Espagne

Still Lookin' is a queer, nomadic collective combining electronic music, visual arts, and design. Together with scenography collective Easydone, they will create a day-clubbing experience featuring DJ sets and participatory installations.

Nashaz x Fatma Soundsystem x FEMMEBASS | Vaux Hall

Three major forces of the alternative scene join forces for the first time. Nashaz, a cultural space by and for underrepresented communities based at Tour & Taxis; Fatma Soundsystem, a reggae and dub-focused crew; and FEMMEBASS, which amplifies women's voices in electronic music, will together take over Vaux Hall.

Vostock | Place Poelaert

Founded in 2021 through spontaneous parties around a converted van, Vostock has become one of Brussels' most active and community-oriented rave collectives. Known for progressive electronic lineups and strong community roots, the collective arrives at Place Poelaert for the first time.

La Fabriek x Biome | Place Jean Rey

La Fabriek is a vibrant Brussels community where music and social connection meet. Partnering with Biome, a young collective creating immersive techno- and trance-inspired events, they will transform Place Jean Rey.

An open call for projects with clear criteria

Each year, the Brussels Open Air Festival is built through a public call for applications open to collectives, clubs, promoters, labels, radio stations, and festivals established in the Brussels-Capital Region.

Projects are evaluated according to publicly announced criteria, including:

• Organizational capacity and professionalism
• Inclusivity and gender balance in programming
• Alignment with the festival's collective format
• Local Brussels roots
• Commitment to harm reduction
• Prevention of sexual, sexist, and discriminatory violence

The selection was carried out by a jury composed of cultural professionals and public administration representatives, based on objective criteria published in the call for applications. Developed in collaboration with the City of Brussels, the 2026 jury included experts from the cultural and nightlife sectors, as well as representatives of the City and the Region.
With 32 applications this year, compared to 19 in 2025 and 22 in 2024, the program continues to grow in popularity and reflects the diversity of participants, from emerging collectives to established organizations. The process actively encourages collaboration between them.

Concrete support for local collectives

While each organizer remains responsible for its own programming, expenses, and revenues, the festival serves as a genuine professional development and coordination platform.
Each selected organization receives:

• Financial support
• Three months of production assistance
• Easier access to public spaces
• Logistical and administrative support
• Enhanced safety and harm-reduction measures
• Shared communication tools
• Coordinated care and wellbeing initiatives
• Common signage
• Ticketing support

In the longer term, the Brussels Open Air Festival aims to expand its presence by involving additional municipalities across the Brussels Region, offering a wider variety of venues and experiences while distributing events more evenly throughout the territory and creating formats that are even more accessible to both audiences and organizers.

Practical information

The Brussels Open Air Festival takes place on Saturday, September 12, 2026.

Hours: 2:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Festival Pass

• Wave 1: €25
• Wave 2: €30
  The Festival Pass grants unlimited access to all open-air events throughout the day.

Individual tickets for each open-air event, at a lower price point, will be released at a later date.