Enjoying culture in Bruges

Cultuurcentrum Brugge (Cultural Centre) welcomes all culture enthusiasts and pushes the boundaries every season with an impressive and unique programme of the latest (inter)national circus, dance and theatre performances and concerts, for young (+3) to older (65+). The Bruges cultural house has its permanent home in the Koninklijke Stadsschouwburg Brugge (Bruges Royal Municipal Theatre), one of the best preserved city theatres in Europe, right in the heart of the city. For certain performances, the culture house uses the smaller Biekorf theatre next to the Biekorf Main Library or the black box architecture of the MaZ.

The international music and arts centre on ’t Zand Square is one of the '1001 buildings you must see before you die'. This is where you can see and hear the best of contemporary dance and classical music. The imposing Concert Hall (1289 seats) and intimate Chamber Music Hall (322 seats) are known for their exceptional acoustics. In the Concert Hall, you can also admire a range of contemporary (acoustic) artworks and regularly updated photo exhibitions. Take a look behind the scenes during the day, via the Concertgebouw Circuit.

Cactus Music Centre is a professional venue where the focus is a wide variety of non-classical music. From roots, rock and indie to dub, jazz and hip-hop to singer-song, pop and electronica. And everything in between. The artist is central to its agenda, always within broader social evolutions and themes such as globalisation and migration, technological innovation, changing social relations, ecology and sustainability. 

The brand new music club on the Kanaaleiland in the city's south end is Cactus Music Centre's permanent base. With a concert hall (700 people), a café that lets young talent take the floor during café concerts, and an open rehearsal space, every music lover will find something up their street. But it's more than that. Above all, the Music Centre aims to be an open house and creative hub where musicians feel at home.  
 
Cactus Music Centre also organises the annual Cactus Festival in the Minnewaterpark, which traditionally takes place on the second weekend in July.

With intensive collaborations and a programme based on word, image and music, KAAP aims to play an important role in social debate and to reach out to, amaze, inspire and bring people together. The centre for contemporary art operates at two locations in Bruges. At De Groenplaats, artists and young performers work and build their creations above all in complete tranquillity. At De Werf, you're in for scintillating theatre and swinging jazz from all corners of the world.

Het Entrepot is a creative sanctuary and cultural house for young people with space to create, party, rehearse, experiment and take the initiative. Its headquarters are in the Bruges inner port. With the youth radio Villa Bota, workshop De Tank, the print, video and producer studio Het Lab and the party and concert halls Factor Club and Cachot, Het Entrepot is woven throughout the city's cultural DNA. The organisation is also the driving force behind the festivals Dorp, Konvooi and Signaal.

Anima Eterna Brugge, set up in 1987 by Jos van Immerseel, is an international project orchestra. The line-up can be anything from 7 to 80 musicians, depending on the programme, which ranges from Monteverdi to Gershwin. Since 2021, the orchestra has worked with various guest conductors, who have each forged an artistic path: Giovanni Antonini, Pablo Heras-Casado, Midori Seiler and Bart Van Reyn. Anima Eterna Brugge performs music at the Concertgebouw Brugge (Concert Hall), which opened its doors in 2002. Behind the scenes, they work from their office in the Ezelpoort, one of Bruges' 4 preserved city gates.

Brugge Plus helps make Bruges a vibrant, lively and liveable cultural city where everyone feels good and involved. With a focus on quality and on behalf of the City of Bruges, Brugge Plus brings culture to all residents and visitors, in a welcoming atmosphere and with an eye for sustainability.
 
Throughout the year, Brugge Plus brings life to the city and neighbourhoods with unique events and projects. Most of Brugge Plus's events are free and outdoors: Cirque Plus, Film op het Strand, Party at the Park, Festival of Light Lissewege, Iedereen Klassiek ,Winter Glow and House of Time. And then there are the triennial highlights Triennial Bruges, the Reiefestival and the Golden Tree Procession.

De Republiek is the meeting place for movers and shakers in Bruges. With a unique mix of creators, thinkers, makers and entrepreneurs, this community is for everyone who lives and works in Bruges. De Republiek is housed in a grand café in a unique historic building right in the city centre. It is the meeting place par excellence for countless Bruges residents and visitors. It's all about positive rebellion in this creative hub, with room for experimentation, trial and error, and of course ... coming together.

Art house lovers will feel at home in the intimate screening rooms  of Cinema Lumière, right in the heart of the city. Lumière Brugge is a cozy city cinema with 4 screening rooms, under the umbrella of the Lumière Group. An ecosystem where production, film funding, distribution, 4 in-house cinemas in different cities and an animation studio work in close cooperation to bring the best stories to a wide audience in the Benelux. 

Cinema Lumière is tucked away down the medieval-looking cobblestoned Boterhuis street in Bruges. Bona fide film lovers who fancy a drink after seeing the latest Pedro Almodóvar or David Fincher film don't have to look far. You go straight from the cinema into the grand café of De Republiek. Every year, Cinema Lumière Bruges is the setting for the annual MOOOV Film festival. 

Useful to know: all films are shown in their original language and, if necessary, have Dutch and/or French subtitles. 

Check the film programme on the website. Tickets can be purchased online.  

Musea Brugge's 13 venues are a treasure trove where the city's history comes to life. The combination of historic locations, the multi-faceted collections and how interwoven they are with Bruges' rich history speak to everyone's imagination. 

So many squares, so many different vibes. They are regularly the backdrop for an unforgettable concert or a lively event. From the spectacular to intimate and cozy: 

• As the largest square in Bruges, 't Zand Square is the event venue par excellence in the historic centre. 

• Market Square and Burg Square stand shoulder to shoulder in the heart of Bruges, and stand out with their majestic character. 

• The courtyard of the Gruuthuse Museum is more intimate, but at the same time makes an impression with the 15th-century Gruuthuse Palace and the 115.5-meter tower of the Church of Our Lady as a breath-taking backdrop. 

• For those looking to put their dancing shoes on, the Fish Market is the place to be in the summer.

In nice weather, nothing beats the nice vibe of a park. The calming greenery, the tweeting birds and the sound of music: in Bruges' city parks you will often stumble across a stage, a tent or something similar. Festivals, concerts and get-togethers with friends, family or colleagues are even more fun in the park: 

• The Cactus Festival descends on the Minnewaterpark every summer. 

• Every spring, Koning-Albert-I park is filled with funfair attractions. 

• Koningin Astridpark, a stone's throw from Burg Square, is also a familiar presence in the local event landscape. 

It's not just in streets, squares and parks that the sound of music floats on the air. Various churches also regularly open their doors for concerts. For example, St Saviour's Cathedral has for decades been inviting Belgian and foreign organists to dazzle with their talents on the centuries-old organ at the cathedral concerts. Soloists find themselves on a unique concert stage in the Beguinage Church and St James’s Church. Concerts are also regularly organised in the baroque St Walburga's Church, the neo-Gothic St Magdalene's Church, the Ryelandt Hall in a former Theresian convent and the classical chapel of Hof Bladelin. It's a feast for your ears, but also for your eyes.

It's impossible to imagine Bruges without Carillons. Their harmonious chimes set the rhythm of the city and the carillonneurs are veritable musical wizards. Every week, they play the at least 23 bronze bells with the keyboard. A carillon concert is unforgettable, and enchanting. The instrument and the Belgian tradition have been granted special recognition from UNESCO. Don't miss this unique experience.

From white beach to picturesque polder village, Bruges has it all. These unique settings are also the ideal backdrop to special events. Bomboclat, WeCanDance and Film op het Strand take up Zeebrugge's beach every summer, the largest beach on the Belgian coast. Elsewhere, charming Lissewege lends its nostalgic vibe to an artistic Beeldenroute and the enchanting Festival of Light, every summer. Enjoy culture outside the city centre.