September opens on the water. The triennial Reiefestival returns from Friday, turning the canals and their banks into a living stage — eight performances, five of them world premieres, in atmospheric spots across the historic centre, from a theatrical boat trip along the Langerei to an after-dark show in the Gezellehuis garden. There's plenty more besides: the warm-hearted Sint-Michielsfoor in the suburbs, the very last days of BRUSK's headline exhibitions, a brand-new VR flight over the city at Fly Over Bruges, and — for the diary — the Bruges Beer Festival next weekend. Book your visit now!

In this last week of August in Bruges, there’s the final weekend of the Cactus Café rooftop dinners, free open-water swimming at the Sasplein, and a perfect moment to discover the hidden Bruges Beer Garden courtyard tucked off the Wollestraat. BRUSK's headline exhibitions also enter their final days, KAAP's lovely Transitional Dance marks the turn of the month on the Burg, and the diary is already filling up — the Bruges Beer Festival lands in a fortnight. Fresh, breezy, bright: a happy close to summer, and a bright new season just ahead. Book your visit now!

On Sunday evening, Club Brugge and Cercle Brugge meet at their shared Jan Breydel home for the 184th Bruges derby. Elsewhere, the summer is gently winding down: the Cactus Café rooftop has one of its final street-food weekends, the summer bars are starting to close, and BRUSK's headline exhibitions enter their last fortnight. One for the diary: the Bruges Beer Festival returns on 12–13 September. Book your visit now!

The big summer festivals have wound down, and Bruges eases back into its own gentle late-summer rhythm — a quieter week, made for slow wandering and canal-side terraces. Alfa Mist closes Brugge Centraal with a beautiful open-air jazz set in the Gruuthuse courtyard, and rooftop street food returns to Cactus Café at the weekend. The week starts hot — 33°C or so on Thursday and Friday — before a fresher, more changeable spell arrives, so plan the outdoor moments early. And for the diary: the much-loved Brugs Bierfestival returns on 12–13 September. Book your visit now!

The city's brand-new summer festival hits its stride this weekend — and the best of it is free. Tonight, Brugge Centraal Open Air brings Kraantje Pappie, S10 and 't Hof Van Commerce to a floodlit Burg, and on Saturday the much-loved Benenwerk dance festival takes over thirteen stages across the centre. The football's back too, with Club Brugge opening their league season at home tonight, while MA Festival plays its closing early-music concerts across the city. Add rooftop street food, ten summer bars and a warm, sunny week reaching 30°C by Wednesday — and it's a glorious time to be in Bruges. Book your visit now!

Two festivals bookend the week, and the football is back. MA Festival — Bruges' internationally celebrated early music festival — opens tonight with the baroque orchestra Il Pomo d'Oro, running for ten days in churches, gardens and the Concertgebouw across the city. Meanwhile the Volkswagen Supercup kicks off the new season at Jan Breydel tonight, champions Club Brugge against cup winners Union. Add the Zandfeesten antique fair on Sunday, rooftop street food at Cactus Café, and the launch of the brand-new Brugge Centraal festival on Wednesday — and this is a full, warm, summery week. Book your visit now!

Cirque Plus takes over the Grootseminarie garden over this weekend — three days, 18 companies, 56 performances, and most of it free. The Sasplein swimming zone reopened on Thursday after three weeks closed for blue-green algae, so free open-water swimming in the Langerei is back, daily 11:00 to 19:00. Add rooftop street food at Cactus Café on Saturday, a free sunset dance ritual on the Burg on Monday night, ten summer bars open across the city, and a warm spell building midweek. Book your visit to the city now!

This week: Uitwijken Circus tours the city neighbourhoods from Saturday with two free contemporary circus shows — acrobatics, clowning and a bar, in a park near you. The Cactus Café rooftop starts its run of street-food weekends on Saturday, ten summer bars are open across the city, and the World Cup final lands on Sunday night (without Belgium, sadly — a narrow quarter-final exit to Spain). NB: the Sasplein swimming zone is closed under a swimming ban after blue-green algae were found. Everything you need to plan your visit is a click away. Book your city break now!

Two fab gigs in Bruges this week. Cactusfestival rolls into the Minnewaterpark from Friday — Madness, GOOSE, Aldous Harding and Dry Cleaning among them — and the Rode Duivels' World Cup quarter-final against Spain kicks off at 21:00 on the opening night. The festival has moved every band earlier and will show the match on three big screens. Elsewhere, the summer bars are all open, the free Sasplein swimming zone is the coolest spot in the city, and the mercury hits 29°C by Sunday. Suncream, sunglasses, and a very good week to be here. Book your visit now|!

Summer has properly arrived in Bruges, and this week the city takes a breath before the storm — Cactusfestival is just days away. In the meantime there's plenty to savour: the Brugse Zandfeesten antique fair sprawls across 't Zand this Sunday, the free Sasplein swimming zone is the loveliest way to cool off in the city centre, and free open-air brass-band concerts drift across the Burg on weekend afternoons. Add long, light evenings on the terraces and the museums standing cool and calm against the heat, and it's a wonderfully easy week to enjoy the city. Whether you're here with family, visiting for the first time, or a Bruges local, there's something for everyone!

It's hot — properly, historically hot. Belgium is in an extreme heatwave, with Thursday and Friday possibly breaking the all-time June record. So this week leans in: where to swim, where to find shade, and what's worth braving the heat for. Saturday 27 June is the big day — the free Feest in 't Park world festival fills the Minnewaterpark, a new free open-air swimming zone opens nearby at the Sasplein, and the Urban Swim Brugge sends swimmers through the city canals. Plus Carmen in the cool of the Concertgebouw. Stay hydrated and read on. Book your visit now!

Summer really has arrived in the city — it's perfect timing for the big event: the 22nd Triatlon door Brugge on Saturday, when athletes swim the Langerei canal, cycle the polders and run through the Sint-Anna quarter, all free to watch. The Concertgebouw stages one of its grandest productions of the year — Opera Ballet Vlaanderen's Carmen, directed by Wim Vandekeybus. With long warm evenings and the city in full bloom, this is a glorious week to be in Bruges. Book your visit now!

Three days of queer joy, music and community unfold across the medieval centre this weekend — with the Pride parade winding through the Markt, the Dijver and the Burg on Saturday afternoon. The weather is playing ball: Saturday turns sunny after today's drizzle, and temperatures reach 21°C by Sunday, building towards a glorious 28°C by Tuesday. The Brussels Philharmonic brings the Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition to a close at the Concertgebouw on Saturday evening, and the W.E.R.F. Records Invites series continues at KAAP | De Werf. A big, colourful, musical week. Book your visit now!

A week that starts with an art fair in the Belfort and builds to one of the finest classical music evenings of the year. The Flanders Art Festival brings international galleries and emerging artists to the foot of Bruges' medieval tower this weekend, while the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra delivers the Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition laureates at the Concertgebouw on Saturday evening. Comedy fills the Concertgebouw mid-week, the Cactus Café celebrates its second birthday on Saturday night. Long June evenings, and the canals are at their best. Book your visit now!

Canals glittering in the early-summer warmth, terraces full, and a cultural programme that quietly delivers some of the finest music you'll hear anywhere in Belgium this week. The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra plays Berlioz at the Concertgebouw on Saturday, a rare Rameau opera fills the same hall on Sunday, and a W.E.R.F. Records album release at KAAP | De Werf brings the world of Indian classical music and Belgian jazz together on Friday evening. Ata Kak brings his irresistible joy to Cactus Café on Wednesday. Suncream still required. Book your visit now!

Bruges is in a celebratory mood this week — and not just for the football. Club Brugge have sealed their 20th Belgian title in a breathless finish in Mechelen and this Sunday's home match is the trophy party. But there's plenty for everyone: the Budapest Festival Orchestra tonight and tomorrow at the Concertgebouw, the Mirage Festival closing in the spiegeltent, a free organ concert in the cathedral on Saturday afternoon, and — perfect timing — Bob Dylan turns 85 on Sunday with Bruges' own tribute collective on hand to mark it. Glorious sunshine, long evenings and a city with a genuine spring in its step. Book your visit now!

This week: Heilige Bloedprocessie on Thursday (weather-dependent), GOLD polyphony festival at the Concertgebouw, Mirage opens at the Kruisvest, and Club Brugge in a potential football league title decider. Your essential weekly guide to events in Bruges. Book your visit now!

This is one of those weeks you'll be telling people about for years. BRUSK, Bruges' spectacular new art gallery on the Dijver, throws open its doors for a three-day opening festival this weekend — and it's free. Add a sold-out Rotterdam Philharmonic at the Concertgebouw, the Dwars door Brugge city run on Sunday, and a heavyweight Club Brugge home match on Saturday evening, and you have one of the busiest, most exciting weekends of the Bruges calendar. Book your visit now!

The Meifoor funfair opens its gates, Brugotta Blues & Roots Weekend fills MaZ with live music, Apollo Brown brings hip-hop to Cactus, and Atelier Matinée returns on Sunday morning — your essential weekly guide to the best of Bruges. Book your visit now!

The Meifoor funfair opens its gates, Brugotta Blues & Roots Weekend fills MaZ with live music, Apollo Brown brings hip-hop to Cactus, and Atelier Matinée returns on Sunday morning — your essential weekly guide to the best of Bruges. Book your visit to the city now!