The Belgian Beer Weekend on Brussels’s historic market square, the Grote Markt, attracted 73,000 visitors this year, according to an initial estimate by the Belgian Brewers’ Association. Foreign tourists in particular came to sample over 500 beers from around 50 breweries, boosting attendance numbers by 3 per cent in comparison with last year.
This year, the event also celebrates the 10th anniversary of the recognition of Belgian beer culture as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO, the United Nations’ education and culture organisation. To mark the occasion, the traditional beer weekend has been extended to include an entire week of events with a pop-up bar on the Beursplein. Click here to see the upcoming events of the Belgian Beer Weekend, which should not be confused with the Belgian Beer Week that takes place in August every year or here to learn more about the cultural programme of the Belgian Beer Weekend.
The Belgian Beer Culture Bar serving 40 beers, which was set up on the Beursplein outside the old stock exchange building on Friday, will remain in business for a whole week. Beer is also flowing on the Vismarkt, Brussels’s historic fish market, next weekend during the Wanderlust beer festival .