What’s on 8-14 May 2025
⭐ This Week's Top Picks
Pete Doherty. Enjoy the indie rock star songwriter of The Libertines, Babyshambles and Puta Madre fame perform live!
Desert of the Real. A multi-sensory performance that is something between a concert, virtual reality and installation art: a total experience that makes us think about our place in a changing ecosystem.
City run. Explore the sights of historic Bruges … and its cobbles … in your trainers running around the city!
🎨 🎻 🧺 Art, Music & Markets
Ben Van Gelder X Reinier Baas, Ninja Episkopat. “Saxophonist Ben van Gelder and guitarist Reinier Baas are proud to announce the release of their third collaborative album, 'This Is Water'. This album is a testament to their unique artistic synergy, building on a shared musical vocabulary developed over a 15-year collaboration. Baas' energetic approach to the guitar, characterized by unexpected rhythmic and dynamic twists, seamlessly complements Van Gelder's mix of transparent lyricism and explosive virtuosity.”
Meet Ninja Episkopat, “the Slipknot of Polish jazz”, born out of the pandemic, social media and boredom of 2021. Their sound is a raw mix of electronic, rock, contemporary and improvised music. The band consists of Patrycja Wybrańczyk (drums), Igor Wiśniewski (guitar) and Alex Clov (saxophone, electronics). Their music unites subtlety and primitivism – a tension they see as the essence of jazz. After their debut EP God Save The Queer in 2022, the conceptual album All Thoughts Are Bad Thoughts was released on Audio Cave in 2023. Ninja Episkopat is quickly gaining popularity on the European jazz scene, offering dynamic live performances full of energy and improvisation.”
This event is organised by KAAP, a Bruges/Ostend cultural exchange centre. Tickets: €14-17. 8 May, 20:00. Snuffel, Ezelstraat 42, Brugge. https://www.kaap.be/toont/snuffel-sessies-2-ninja-episkopat-ben-van-gelder-reinier-baas
Achtduust : Ryelandt Trio plays Armenian Rhapsody. “At this concert, the Bruges Ryelandt Trio brings together two extraordinary works: Johannes Brahms' first piano trio and Arno Babadjanian's trio in f-sharp minor. Two composers from different times and worlds meet in expressive melodies, rich timbres and a deeply rooted musical tradition. Get carried away by Brahms' romantic lyricism and Babadjanian's vibrant Armenian influences in a captivating musical dialogue. After the concert, we will gladly treat you to a drink, offered by Brugse Zot!” Tickets: €10-30. 11 May, 11:00. Historische Turnzaal HoWest, Klaverstraat 52. https://ryelandttrio.com/
Music/VR experience. Desert of the Real. “Our bond with nature is fading. Large parts of the natural world – our habitat – are being destroyed. The virtual world colonises our perception of reality and gradually becomes our new environment. Through virtual reality glasses, Studio Radiaal lets us experience that duality. We enter a multi-sensory performance that is something between a concert, virtual reality and installation art: a total experience that makes us think about our place in a changing ecosystem.” Tickets (now available on a waiting list): €11-22. 14 May, 18:00, 21:00 (also on 15 May, 18:00, 21:00). https://www.concertgebouw.be/en/the-desert-of-the-real
Monster Hit. Liesa Naert is the resident artist this season at the Bruges Cultural Centre. “The monster you never, ever want to encounter. What does that look like? … Inspired by her children's monster drawings, resident artist Liesa Naert is organizing an exhibition in our Biekorf exhibition space. In the theme "Praise of Playfulness" she is investigating, together with the people of Bruges, how impactful the imagination can be and she also wants to immerse adults in that world.” Until 20 Jun. FREE. Exporuimte Biekorf - Sint-Jakobsstraat 8.
https://www.ccbrugge.be/agenda/4370//monsterhit
Weekly markets. Due to the annual May fair, a buzzing centre of fairground attractions on ‘t Zand, Saturday markets this month, and the market on Wednesday will both be on the Grote Markt/Burg.
🎬 🎭 Stage, Screen, and Scene
Cinema. Cinema Lumière (Sint-Jakobsstraat 36) will show a variety of films over the coming week. From 12-15 May, a selection chosen by local language school students in Bruges will feature, including: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, Upon Entry, and The Old Oak. Other films screened will include The Surfer, Conclave, The Outrun, and Flow. For the full list of showings, see https://lumiere-brugge.be/agenda-lumiere-brugge/. Ticket prices are up to €12, with a family film option before 16:30 costing €9.
Kinepolis (Koning Albert l-laan 200) will offer films and showings over the coming week including A Minecraft Movie, The Amateur, Thunderbolts, The Accountant2, and Ocean with David Attenborough. A standard ticket costs €14,10. Visit https://kinepolis.be/nl/nl/movies/overview/ for more information and bookings.
⚽ Game On: Sports & Recreation
Football fans visiting Bruges can watch the city’s two world famous clubs, Brugge KSV (“Club Brugge”) and Cercle Brugge KSV (“Cercle Brugge”) play during the season at the city’s Jan Breydel stadium (Koning Leopold III-laan 50). Result! **Club Brugge won the Belgian Cup Final last weekend, played at the King Baudoin stadium in Brussels, beating RSC Anderlecht 2-1.**
City Run. Energy vision Dwars door Brugge. “An atmospheric city run through the historic heart of beautiful Bruges. As is tradition, we offer two challenging distances: 5 km and 15 km. For the youngest runners, between 4 and 12 years, there is the Persil Kids Run of 1 km.
The starting gun sounds in the morning, after which participants can enjoy a unique course. Run over the iconic cobblestones, along the picturesque Vesten and experience an atmospheric passage on ‘t Zand and the Markt.” 11 May, 10:15-14:00. Ter Groene Poorte Spoorwegstraat 14. Contact: info@golazo.com.
🍻🎶 Bruges After Dark: Nightlife
Peter (Pete) Doherty. “Peter 'Pete' Doherty left a famous mark on the Nillies as an actor, writer, artist and above all musician. First as a songwriter for The Libertines, later with his Babyshambles, The Puta Madres and as a solo artist. The British tabloids and music press also feasted on his escapades. As a true enfant terrible of British pop music, he was never far from the front pages.
The wildest years are now in the past, which makes room to talk about the artistic qualities of Peter Doherty. You could call him a key figure in indie rock. A songwriter who can measure up to the greats and who strives for absolute authenticity in his lived-in and turbulent indie rock. With The Libertines he has been playing bigger stages than ever since the reunion with Carl Barât and in the meantime Doherty is also working on solo work again. The man who, according to himself, is happiest with a guitar or pen in his hand is still a challenging and endlessly fascinating artist.
After The Libertines toured sold-out arenas in the UK and Europe with their latest album 'All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade' last year, 2025 will be all about Doherty 's solo work. In February, his exhibition 'Felt Better Alive' opens in Berlin, and later in the spring he will tour a select group of smaller venues. Cactus Club could not be missed!
Joining Pete Doherty on the concert bill are Purrses, “a female fronted glam wave/art rock band. A keen ear for both pop style and raw guitar sounds. It's a reverse time machine: 70's glam grooves, razor sharp riffs and a pop sensibility that has been distorted by the Brussels underground scene . Unique compositions of songs with a modern twist, combined with songwriting that exudes a certain naive cynicism.”
Tickets (now available on a waiting list): 13 May, 19:00. Cactusmuziekcentrum, Bargeweg 10.
https://www.cactusmusic.be/NL/Concerten/Kalender/peter-doherty
🌈 Family Fun: Events & Adventures
Travelling exhibition: Bump in sight! Medieval motte & bailey castles in the landscape. “With "Bult in Zich!" we go back in time almost 1000 years. To the Middle Ages, when strange bumps appeared in the landscape all over Europe. Discover the fascinating world of motte castles! These medieval fortifications made of earth and wood were the status symbol of the nobility and often had an important military significance. FREE. Until 11 May. O.L.V. Bezoekingskerk, Onder de Toren, 8380 Lissewege. https://www.west-vlaanderen.be/bult-in-zicht
Atelier Matinée, Concertgebouw (Concert hall). The entrance hall of the Concertgebouw transforms into a play, craft, and discovery zone on (almost) every Sunday morning. FREE, next on 11 May, 09:30. https://www.concertgebouw.be/nl/atelier-matinee-en-workshops
Concertgebouw tours. The concert hall offers tours of its architecture and (sound) art exhibition. https://www.concertgebouw.be/nl/concertgebouw-circuit Guided tours are available on some days, including on 11 May. Tickets: €6-12, FREE for children under 6. Concertgebouw ('t Zand 34.) https://ticketshop.ticketmatic.com/concertgebouw/shop
🌤️🌧️ Weather
Mostly sunny weather is forecast, with daytime temperatures expected to range between 16°C-23°C.
Find latest forecasts covering Bruges at: https://www.meteo.be/en/belgium