Join the dance

27 January 2026

Looking to experience the diversity of the Brussels scene? Here are some of the festivals that have the capital dancing all year round!  

Bandit ! Bandiet!

Children in Brussels are spoilt! After theatre, music, cinema and animated films, they now have a second dance festival tailored just for them. Launched in 2026 by Les Brigittines, Bandit! Bandiet! has a playful and mischievous name that says a lot about its DNA. Tiny dancers and choreographers aged 2.5 to 12 take centre stage for a variety of shows and dance genres, directed by Belgian and French artists. The programme also includes parent-child workshops and a disco for the youngest visitors!

January – More information

It Takes a City

Unity through dance! For It Takes a City, four Dutch-speaking and four French-speaking organisations are joining forces to showcase Brussels' young generation of artists from across the linguistic divide. Among the line-up, Charleroi Danse sets the tempo to the 160 BPM with hardcore techno, while Le Beurs presents an uplifting, performance with a Germanic twist. In all, 13 dance, theatre and performance events will be blowing a breath of fresh air across the capital. 

In February, every other year - More information

 

On the Edge

Since 2026, Les Brigittines - driven by a new artistic direction project - has been undergoing a real transformation. The On the Edge Festival is part of this subtle shift, seeking new audiences and steeped in pop culture. With a programme that takes us to the outer limits of performance, straddling the boundaries of circus and music, this unique festival questions movement and toys with the margins.

Mach – More information

LEGS Festival!

Run as fast as you can to the LEGS Festival! This annual festival at La Raffinerie focuses on memory. With a mix of young creators and established choreographers, it goes back over the history of dance and questions its legacies. Expect to come across some great myths (such as Swan Lake) and approach folklore and popular traditions in a new light.

March - April -  More information

D Festival and Mini-D Festival

Mixing new creations and revivals, the D Festival programme is dedicated primarily to contemporary dance. Supported by three Brussels institutions, the Marni, the Théâtre des Tanneurs, and the Senghor, its aim is to be generous, unifying, singular and universal. Its little brother, the Mini-D Festival, presents a series of shows for young audiences.

April  - More information 

Trouble / (Pas si) Fragile

Trouble sees a lot more than double with a series of extraordinary artistic proposals. It offers a wonderful selection of original formats, which range from contemporary dance to experimental theatre, spoken word poetry and music. Based in part at Studio Thor, Trouble takes place in all four corners of the commune of Saint-Josse.

Take the same people and... start again! Powered by Studio Thor and its Schaerbeek-based partners Les Halles and Théâtre de la Balsamine, (Pas si) Fragile is a young festival dedicated to performance art. A genuine springboard every two years, it gives a chance to young artists who have just graduated from art schools in Wallonia and Brussels.

In April, every other year – More information

Linguales / Festival Hybrid’

Hybrid stage par excellence, the 140 has always embraced diversity. Since the 1960s, this Mecca of Schaerbeek's cultural life has welcomed countless legends (from Gainsbourg and Barbara to Joël Pommerat and Pierre Desproges), but it has also been adept at unearthing fresh new talent. Biennial festival Linguales explores the furthest corners of the French-speaking world and sketches the shifting contours of this cross-cultural territory. The aptly named Festival Hybrid' will be held on even-numbered years and will be devoted to the mixing of genres and practices, with a focus on puppetry.

In the spring, alternating from one year to the next - More information

Dance Day

Have you ever seen an improvised dance performance in a metro station? Or urban choreography that uses the street as a backdrop? The weeks around International Dance Day will be punctuated by dancers from all walks of life and a host of activities to get you moving! Dances, introductory workshops and other dance performances are on the programme.

To mark International Dance Day on 29 April - More information 

Kunstenfestivaldesarts

Multilingual, nomadic, urban and open to artists from all over the world, the Kunstenfestivaldesarts has been combining audacity and creation for more than 25 years. Dedicated to the performing arts in all their forms (theatre, dance, performance), this pioneering festival offers new creations in more than 25 venues and public spaces in Brussels and its surrounding area.

May – More information 

Brigittines Summer Festival

With a change in leadership come new ambitions! Under the stewardship of Charles Vairet, the new director of Les Brigittines, this flagship summer event for contemporary dance is continuing to evolve. The Brigittines Summer Festival now kicks off the summer season, making the most of the mild June weather to offer an eclectic programme aimed at both dance enthusiasts and newcomers alike. Another new feature is the inclusion of several open-air performances, designed to foster closer connections between the dancers and their audience!

June - More information