Brussels welcomes Ommegang folklore festival

From Wednesday to Saturday, the Ommegang folklore festival will take over the streets of Brussels. With a grand spectacle on the Grand Place, the traditional Ommegang procession and the Renaissance village in the Sablon district, the city will again highlight its medieval history.

The Ommegang was originally a religious procession. The festival commemorates the reception of the Habsburg Emperor Charles V in Brussels in 1549, who came to introduce his son, Philip II. Since 1930, the religious procession has been completely revamped and every year about 1,000 participants parade through the streets of Brussels. Since 2019, the festival has been recognised as Unesco World Heritage.

This year, the parade will take place on Wednesday 3 July and Friday 5 July, starting at the Warende park and ending at the Grand Place.

The grand spectacle of the Ommegang will also be organised again, this time with actor and director Josiane Balasko as herald. The ceremony on 3 and 5 July will start at 21.00 on the Grand Place. Tickets for a place in the stands cost between 55 and 85 euros.

From Wednesday to Saturday, there will also be a Renaissance Village in the Sablon district, where medieval jousting and knights' fights are organised and medieval crafts are on show. As is the custom every year, there is also a crossbow competition.

^{© BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS}