Belgium is getting ready to host the incredible Ommegang Festival 2025. This is an annual, historical and cultural celebration that takes place in the fascinating city of Brussels.
With incredible music, dance, performance arts and much more, this festival is essentially a melting pot of the Belgium traditions. Visitors get a wonderful chance to dive into the fascinating history of the Belgium.
In addition to this, there are the colourful costumes, detailed floats and the shining armoured knights to watch out for. Want to know all about this incredible festival?
Read on and by the end of it, you will love to get a Belgium Schengen Visa from UK and experience this festival yourself!
The Ommegang Festival is essentially a historical festival that reenacts an important event. What is it?
The festival recreates the grand medieval pageant the originally dates back to the 1459. The festival also commemorates the Joyous Entry of the Emperor Charles V and his son Philip II into Brussels. How do they do this?
By engaging more than 1,400 performers wearing the Renaissance dresses. These include the horses, folk groups, knights, giants, puppet theatre and the flag bearers.
In fact, when you witness all of this in motion, you will feel as if you are stepping back in time!
Knowing when the Ommegang Festival takes place in 2025 will ensure that you secure your visa in advance.
This incredible festival in the Brussels will be held from 2nd July & 4th July 2025. The gates will be open for the public from 8 pm onwards.
However, the main historic show and parade will start at around 8.45 pm. The parade will feature close to 1,400 performers and you will love the vibrant show that they put up!
Another thing that you must know about is the venue of the Ommegang Festival.
This will enable you to plan your visit to the festival in advance for a hassle-free experience. The wonderful Ommegang Festival in 2025 will take place at the Grand Place. Locally, people call it as the Grote Markt. It is essentially the central square of the Brussels!
The gates to this venue will be open on 8 pm during the festival. So, make sure to reach the venue as soon as possible to secure the best spots for your near ones. All you need is Schengen visa from UK for the ultimate Ommegang experience!
This is one of the biggest reasons why holidaymakers visit Belgium for the Ommegang Festival.
This process will take place on the 2nd and 4th of July. The procession will start around 8.45 pm at the Grote Markt (Grand-Place).
One of the most interesting things about this parade is the number of performances. Close to 1,400 participants will wear the vibrant Renaissance costumes. You will get the chance to see people wearing costumes of knights, flag bearers, giant figures, folk groups, and puppet theatre artists.
The main goal of this parade is as follows:
“To recrate the procession of the joyful entry of Emperor Charles V and his son Philip II into Brussels in 1549”.
This helps showcase a vivid tableau of the history of Brussels and its Renaissance splendour. The parade will start the historic Sablon/Zavel district. It eventually culminates into a large theatrical spectacle at the Grand-Place.
The entire performance combines the folklore, music and the dance to bring rich history to life. Simply book a Belgium Schengen Visa Appointment from UK to get started on your Ommegang Festival visit preparations!
Another interesting thing at the Ommegang Festival 2025 is the Renaissance Village. This attraction runs parallelly to the main Ommegang event. You will come across this place near the Sablon area.
When you step into this place, you will feel as if you are back in the 15th century!
Visitors can grab the chance to explore the recreated village featuring:
The village ambience further enhances the overall experience of the festival. It does this by immersing the attendees in the daily life and the culture of the Renaissance era.
One thing that you may notice in the festival is the vibrant celebration of the cultural heritage of Belgium. The organizers achieve this through three things:
These are the artistical elements which are interwoven throughout the parade and the village activities. This allows the visitors to experience the authentic folk rituals. In addition to this, you can learn more about the festive customs that have been preserved. In fact, they have been passed down over the many centuries!
The gives a feeling of the deep cultural immersion for the visitors. It also adds depth to the historical re-enactment and further highlights the rich intangible heritage of Belgium.
The festival traditionally starts with the Crossbow Competition. In addition to this, there is the ceremonial event at the Sablon Church. Both these events symbolize the martial and the religious heritage of the city.
During the event, many of the groups gather together to form the procession. This emphasizes the communal and the participatory nature of the festival.
In addition to this, the event connects the festival to its medieval origins. What is it? The religious and the civic celebrations of the earlier times. So, when are you applying for Belgium Schengen Visa UK? Brussels awaits your arrival!
If you are thinking that the festival is just for the adults, then prepare to be surprised!
The Ommegang festival in Brussels also offers the incredible family-friendly events like the theme workshops. In this, children and the adults can wear dresses as the knights or ladies of the court. Apart from this, you can learn to shoot the crossbows or wield swords!
These are the interactive experiences which make the festival accessible and enjoyable for everyone. In addition to this, the events foster a hands-on understanding of the Renaissance history and culture!
In the year 2019, the Ommegang Festival received an incredible recognition from the UNESCO.
From the 2019, the Ommegang Fest has been inscribed on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
This recognition underscores that the festival is quite important as a living tradition. This is thanks to it involving:
It further adds prestige and highlights the role of the festival in safeguarding the heritage of Europe.
To reach the venue of the Ommegang Festival, you need to head over to the Grand-Place (Grote Markt). You can do this through multiple public transport options:
Pro Tip – Avoid private transport and always choose public transport. This will help you to avoid the difficulties of parking and the traffic congestion during the festival!
Read more: Apply Stress Free Switzerland Visa from UK
Well, you may not need the tickets, if you just want to enjoy the procession. However, there are some viewing areas in the venue for which you will need to get a ticket. This will usually depend on the seating location that you choose to book.
If you are reserving a seat in the front of the City Hall (Tribune B), the ticket is around €55. However, if you are booking seats in front of the Maison des Ducs de Brabant (Tribune H), then the ticket will range from €55 to €65.
You may also find some tickets priced slightly higher. But, these will most likely be on the resale platforms – around €80-€89.
However, if you do not want this, you can still see the Ommegang procession. This does not require a ticket, but, you may get only the limited views.
You can head over to the official website of the festival to book the tickets online. Other authorized ticket platforms include the Ticketmaster and StubHub.
Pro Tip – Try to book your tickets in advance because of the popularity of the festival. The tickets do sell out soon if you delay!
While attending the Ommegang Festival, you must pack smartly. This will allow you to enjoy the event comfortably considering the summer weather of the Brussels.
While packing clothes, make sure to add some light layers. This is because the temperatures in the July have average highs of about 22°C (72°F). The lows are about 13°C (55°F). So pack some t-shirts and shirts for day time. Also have a sweater or a light jacket for the cooler evenings.
July ranks amongst the wetter months of the Brussels. Half of the days in the month may experience some form of rain. So, bring a compact raincoat or a waterproof jacket and a small umbrella. This will help you to stay dry during any of the possible showers.
Wear the comfortable shoes as you will need to walk around and stand outdoors. You may also have to walk on the cobblestone street. So, packing sturdy, comfortable walking shoes is a must.
Many of the attendees tend to wear the Renaissance or the medieval costumes. If you want, you can pack or rent one. This way, you can have an immersive experience.
As for the accessories, try to pack a camera, small backpack and a water bottle. Also, carry the sunglasses and the sunscreen. Make sure to carry cash as well as cards, as some vendors accept cards while some prefer cash.
Step into the history of the Belgium at the Ommegang Festival 2025 in Brussels. With more than 1,000 performances wearing the dazzling Renaissance costumes and the thrilling parades, you are bound to have a great time with your near and dear.
Then, there is the authentic medieval pageantry that will put a smile on your face. In addition to this, the event offers a once-in-a-lifetime cultural immersion.
Apart from this, you can check other incredible cultural attractions or munch on some tasty delights during your visit. So, what are you waiting for? Book a Belgium Schengen Visa Appointment London now. Go on an incredible cultural journey of the Belgium at the Ommegang Festival, Brussels.
Ommegang is recognized by the UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. It helps preserve centuries-old traditions and the Renaissance history of Brussels. It also showcases the medieval pageantry, traditional music, crafts and dance which helps connect the locals and visitors to the cultural roots of Belgium!
Visitors get the chance to see the vibrant parade with the knights, giant puppets, flag bearers, folk groups and the horses. The festival also features the Renaissance village with the knights; tournaments. Then, there are the artisan markets and the live demonstrations of the 15th century crafts. These help offer an immersive historical and the cultural spectacle.
You can easily purchase the tickets for the main show at the Grand-Place online via the official website of the Ommegang festival. Price can range anywhere between €55 to €85 depending on the seats that you select. Try to book the tickets early as the tickets will be high demand because of the popularity of the festival.
The festival’s main attraction is the parade. However, there are some other incredible attractions such as the Renaissance village at the Sablon. Here, you will also come across the medieval markets. Apart from this, there are the knights’ combat demonstrations, family-friendly events like the crossbow shooting and the swordplay workshops.
There is no formal dress code for the visitors. However, many of the attendees which include locals and the holidaymakers wear the Renaissance or the medieval costumes. These will help you to enjoy an even better immersive experience. In addition to this, try to wear the comfortable shoes and the weather-appropriate clothes for a delightful experience!
