Brussels Bright Festival is about to light up the end of a long northern European winter and remind us that light is returning. With schools on winter break and carnival season just beginning, it’s the perfect time to start emerging from hibernation – and the four upcoming evenings of the Bright Festival, from 15 to 18 February 2024, present just the programme to tempt you out and about.
Two major exploration routes through the light installations and attractions have been created: “Royal” in the Belgian capital’s Royal Quarter, housing major museums and showcase parks; and “European” in the European Quarter, helping to mark Belgium’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2024. That last may sound a bit dry, but this year’s selection of artworks and installations is truly extraordinary.
From the monumental to the intimate, and from interactive gamification to vintage markets, there is no shortage of ways to enjoy this festival, with the light shining down upon cyclists, runners, children, clubbers, wanderers and flaneurs alike. Below are a few of the most impressive artworks that will be on display, all of which are accessible for free.
Colosses, Léopold Park, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences
Colosses is a jawdropping light mural that will take you on a narrative journey through time to witness the “giants of old” who in turn stand witness to their legacy. Created by the Liege-based “400 coups” studio, whose founders are obsessed with bringing culture, video installation and stagecraft to new audiences.
Aquatics, Place du Musée
A generative waterverse in which animated sea creatures swim and life emerges. Design your own organisms on a tablet and add them to the virtual ecosystem. Is this a utopia of imagination, or a nightmarish AI replacement for nature? You decide in this playful multidisciplinary artwork by Berlin-based artist Philipp Artus.
Kids Educational Zone, Place d’Espagne
In collaboration with the Industrial Design studio at La Cambre, visit.brussels and the Bright Festival invite you to bring your children and your young-at-heart to Place d’Espagne play with the possibilities of light. Here you can create your own Northern Lights, control lit objects with joysticks, play Thunderball with light, and navigate an illuminated labyrinthine obstacle course.
Vintage light market, Cinquantenaire Park
Over 300m² of beautiful vintage lighting makes this nocturnal market in Cinquantenaire Park worth the visit, between 18:30 and 23:00, over each and every night of the Festival. As well as browsing a joyous selection of lamps from bygone days to light up your home, you can bring along lamps that need repair and have them seen to free-of-charge.
Bright Disco Night, Galerie Ravenstein, 16 February
Bright Disco Night, a wild evening of the best disco hits in the heart of Galerie Ravenstein. On 16 February, from midnight to 3 in the morning, the Bright Festival invites you to dance the night away with DJ Lola from 23:59-01:00 and Shaft Crew taking over the decks from 01:00 – 03:00 am.
And, for the sporty, why not try the Festival’s paid-for guided runs and cycling discovery options. Check out the whole Bright Festival programme here.
