Antwerp: Festivals and Events Guide
Antwerp keeps a busy calendar without leaning on one blockbuster festival. The events are spread across the year and mostly free to walk into, which suits a city whose squares and waterfront are the real venues. All dates below are worth a final check before you book, since organisers confirm the exact 2026 to 2027 calendar late.
Zomer van Antwerpen, the summer program
The Summer of Antwerp runs 18 June to 30 August 2026 (verified), a city-wide spread of open-air theatre, circus, music, cinema and pop-up “summer bar” events. Some are ticketed and some are free, and the pop-up bars along the Scheldt and in the parks are the easy way to catch the mood without planning ahead. If you visit any time across that window, something is on most evenings.
Winter in Antwerpen, the Christmas market
The winter market, “Winter in Antwerpen,” spreads across the Grote Markt, Suikerrui, Handschoenmarkt, Groenplaats and Steenplein, with newer additions at Hendrik Conscienceplein and Operaplein. The 2025 to 2026 edition ran 5 December to 4 January; the 2026 to 2027 dates were not confirmed at research time, so expect a similar early-December-to-early-January window and verify closer to travel. Entry is free; you pay only for food, drink and rides, typically open noon to 22:00 and later on Friday and Saturday.
The fashion and beer calendar
MoMu, the fashion museum, is open and running its “Antwerp Six” 40th-anniversary exhibition through 17 January 2027, a fixed-run event worth timing a 2026 visit around. On the beer side, De Koninck’s Bollekesfeest is the city festival where the “bolleke” nickname became the beer’s official name in 2019; it is a good excuse to drink the amber Speciale Belge where it is brewed.
A seasonal planning note
One 2026 logistics catch belongs in any events plan: the De Lijn premetro tram tunnel under the Scheldt is closed for renovation from May 2026 until roughly the end of March 2027, so do not count on a tram across the river to reach a left-bank event. Cross on the free Sint-Anna pedestrian tunnel or the free Sint-Anna ferry, both running 24/7 and both carrying bikes.
Best months to catch something
The warm-weather window of May to September stacks the most outdoor programming, with the summer festival at its centre; December brings the market and the lights. Spring and autumn are quieter but still carry a steady run of smaller cultural events.
Read more: build a trip around the calendar with our Antwerp 4-day itinerary , or see the sights in the Antwerp city guide .