Bruges is a city with a rich events culture and strong tourist appeal, where the difference between a good event and an impactful one is increasingly based on experience. In Bruges, every corporate event is a total experience. As a participant, you experience more than just a substantively engaging programme. The city itself often becomes an integral part of the event experience. We are proud to introduce you to the new cultural hotspot BRUSK, a place where you can view, experience and discuss art.

This spring edition of our newsletter takes a closer look.

Warm regards!
Kathy Van Wambeke

The new cultural hotspot BRUSK

BRUSK is the beating heart of a brand-new, two-hectare art site featuring the BRON research centre, the renovated Groeninge Museum (reopening in 2030), Bar Brusk and a green museum park (2030). The building was designed by Robbrecht & Daem and Olivier Salens architects. The new art site is the finishing touch of Bruges' Museum Quarter, similar to cities such as Berlin, Amsterdam and Vienna.

BRUSK is a place where you can view, experience and discuss art. It will be a new cultural venue for exhibitions with international allure. Exhibitions that connect the magnificent, centuries-old collections of Musea Brugge with surprising new stories.

Integral ecological sustainability also plays an important role in BRUSK:

• BRUSK's roofs are clad in electricity-generating glass shingles that supply the building with renewable energy.
• The BTES field beneath BRUSK provides natural heating in winter and cooling in summer.
• The building is more than twice as energy efficient as the current NZE standard and largely meets circular building standards.

Exhibitions

• Inaugural exhibition BIGGER PICTURE - Connected Worlds of Bruges 900–1550: 8 May to 6 September 2026.

Over the course of the Middle Ages, Bruges developed into a major player on the world stage - a hub in global networks of trade, culture and politics. 'Bigger Picture' goes in search of those connections. What mark did traders from Scandinavia, crusaders from Jerusalem or scholars from the Islamic world leave on Bruges, and vice versa?

• Opening exhibition: Refik Anadol – LATENT CITY: 8 May to 8 November 2026. 

The internationally renowned new media artist Refik Anadol brings a groundbreaking exhibition to BRUSK. The Turkish-American pioneer in digital art is known worldwide for his large-scale art installations created in collaboration with artificial intelligence. An impressive total installation, specially developed for Bruges, driven by data from Bruges. From Bruges’ medieval networks, architectural structures and rich art collections. But also from the invisible – latent – rhythms of daily life in the city. 

Discover BRUSK and the other museums in Bruges: Musea Brugge.  

Provincial Palace awarded the M++ label

This Flanders Heritage Venue has become the first location in Flanders to receive the M++ label, the highest accessibility label for meeting and conference venues. Following its recent restoration and refurbishment, strong emphasis was placed from the outset on accessibility for everyone - visitors, organisers, and suppliers alike. As a result, three new lifts, adapted sanitary facilities, and a “changing place” (an accessible care toilet with extra space and assistance equipment) have been installed. Visit Flanders awards the M++ label to meeting and conference venues that excel in accessibility.

Discover the possibilities for seminars, welcome receptions, or dinners at the Provincial Palace.

Put your business in the spotlight with the We’re Smart Future Awards 2026

Following a successful edition at the World Expo in Osaka, We’re Smart World is coming to Bruges this year. On Sunday 25, Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 October, our city will host the Future Awards 2026, an international event focusing on sustainable and plant-based innovation.

The organisation, known for the We’re Smart Green Guide, will bring together innovative entrepreneurs, chefs, projects and pioneers who are making a difference in the pure plant and plant-forward sectors during this three-day event.

The highlight will take place on Sunday evening, 25 October, with a festive awards ceremony during an exclusive gala at Male Castle.

Does your company, product or service contribute to a healthier and more sustainable world? Then this is a unique opportunity to showcase your impact on an international stage and strengthen your network.

Spring 2026 - netwerking events 

Our team was present at:

• PURE International | 12 March, Paris The pinnacle of Parisian event planners.
• Inspiration West Flanders | 20 March, Crowne Plaza Brugge. Meeting planners discovered hidden gems in Bruges and West Flanders.

You can still find us at some upcoming events:

• IMEX Frankfurt | 19-21 May, Messe Frankfurt.

Our colleagues Kathy and Saskia are ready. Together with our partners from the BMCC, Historium, Radisson Blu Bruges, and Event Mosaic, Bruges is well represented.

• ICCA France Benelux Chapter Meeting | 17-19 June, Thessaloniki.

Return of Bruges Beer

International Beer Day is celebrated annually on 7 August. In Bruges, you do not simply drink beer, you experience it. Our beer culture can be felt in the clinking of glasses on a sunlit terrace or in the warm wooden interior of a traditional brown café. It's in the smell of malt you inhale during a brewery visit, and in the stories that naturally unfold when you sit together over a good glass of house-brewed beer.  In 2026, we will celebrate ten years since Belgian beer culture was recognised as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Dive here into beer history, Bruges beer facts, breweries, and cafés here, and you immediately have an engaging theme for your corporate event.

In the spotlight

Hotel NH Brugge****

Once a monastery and today an elegant four-star hotel, located near Concertgebouw Bruges (Concert Hall) and the BMCC. This Green Key-certified hotel has undergone a full transformation, offering 149 stylish rooms, an extensive breakfast buffet, and the Jan Breydel Bar with a cosy fireplace. The largest meeting room accommodates up to 220 people.

Unique venue PORT BLEU in Zeebrugge now under TWICE management

Event planner Twice is the new operator of the major event venue Port Bleu, which overlooks the marina of Zeebrugge. The team brings 30 years of event planning experience and can assist with the organisation of your event if required.

Port Bleu is the ideal venue for corporate events, product launches, brand activations, trade fairs, networking events, and conferences. The seven-metre-high hall covers an area of 1,600 m², and accommodates up to 1,000 standing guests. It can also be divided into smaller spaces on request. Organisers have full freedom at Port Bleu regarding technical setup, design, caterers, and breweries.

With its new and enthusiastic team, Port Bleu is more than ever the perfect place for inspiring projects. 

Velvet-formula, – an unforgettable complete experience with the opera Carmen

Enjoy Bizet’s classic Carmen by Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, combined with culinary indulgence on 23 or 25 June in the Lantern Tower of the Concertgebouw Bruges (Concert Hall), with stunning views over the city centre.

Book the three-course dinner with matching wines and the opera, and treat your clients or employees to highlights both on stage and on the plate. 

A collaboration with TRUE Events & D’s Deldycke caterers.

More information, rates and bookings:

Concertgebouw.be/velvet or via e-mail to velvet@concertgebouw.be

Are you also looking for accommodation or a venue for your pre-seminar? Discover the possibilities here: locations Bruges.

Would you like more information about the content of this newsletter? Contact us via meeting@brugge.be or on +32(0)44 46 66.