Festivals Around Antwerp in 2026
Base yourself in Antwerp and the festival map widens to the whole region, since the biggest events in Ghent, Bruges, and Brussels are all a train ride away. Here are the anchors in Antwerp itself and the ones worth a day trip, all for 2026, with a note to verify exact dates before you travel.
In Antwerp: Zomer van Antwerpen
The city’s flagship program, Zomer van Antwerpen, runs 18 June to 30 August 2026, a city-wide summer of outdoor theatre, circus, music, cinema, and pop-up bars across parks and squares. If your Belgian base trip lands in summer, this is the anchor to plan around.
In Antwerp: the Antwerp Six at MoMu
The MoMu fashion museum runs its “Antwerp Six” 40th-anniversary exhibition from 28 March 2026 to 17 January 2027, the standout cultural event in the city for most of the year. Easy to fold into any Antwerp day, whichever season you visit.
In Antwerp: winter market
The “Winter in Antwerpen” Christmas market takes over the Grote Markt and neighbouring squares each December, with stalls, lights, and an ice rink. The 2025-26 run was 5 December to 4 January; verify the 2026-27 dates, which should fall in a similar window.
Day trip: Ghent’s Gentse Feesten
Ghent, under an hour by direct train, hosts the Gentse Feesten each July, one of Europe’s larger city festivals, ten days of music, street theatre, and outdoor stages taking over the medieval core (verify the exact 2026 dates). It is the single best festival day trip from Antwerp if your timing lines up.
Day trips: Bruges and Brussels
Bruges (1h25 to 1h35) and Brussels (45 minutes) both run their own year-round calendars of markets, concerts, and seasonal events. Brussels in particular hosts large set-piece events in summer; check the city’s listings for what is on during your dates, since several run only in certain years.
Getting to venues
Every festival above is reachable on SNCB trains from Antwerpen-Centraal, bought same-day. Within Antwerp, note that the premetro tunnel under the Scheldt is closed until roughly March 2027, so cross the river on the free Sint-Anna ferry rather than a tram if a venue sits on the left bank.
Read more: our Antwerp, Belgium day trips guide has the train times for every town named here, and the Antwerp events guide stays in the city.