Brussels Museums celebrates 30th birthday!
30 years is no small milestone! On September 25, 1995, 46 museums came together to found what would become Brussels Museums. Three decades later, the federation has grown into a key cultural player, uniting over 125 member institutions and welcoming more than 5 million visitors annually, while supporting nearly 9,000 jobs in the Brussels-Capital Region.
From its first president, Guido Vanderhulst, then director of La Fonderie, to today’s newly appointed president, Vanessa Braekevelde, Brussels Museums has evolved through the leadership of six presidents and three directors. Since early 2024, the organization has been led by director Julien Staszewski, who marked this anniversary with a look back and a look forward.
“Our federation, Brussels Museums, together with its network, has achieved so much over the past 30 years, and we look forward to what we can contribute to Brussels’ museums in the future.”
Building Bridges and Sharing Knowledge
At its core, Brussels Museums brings the sector together. Each year it organizes professional meet-ups, training sessions, and large networking events like the Drink van la Rentrée, which recently welcomed over 400 participants. This networking and training moment was co-organised with fellow cultural networks: the Réseau des Arts à Bruxelles/Brussels Kunstenoverleg (RABKO), La Concertation Action Culturelle Bruxelloise ASBL (LAC), and the Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie (VGC).
The federation also co-hosts the annual museum conference with partners including the International Council of Museums (ICOM), Musées et Société en Wallonie (MSW), and the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (FWB), tackling cutting-edge themes, this year focusing on artificial intelligence in museums.
Two flagship support programs shape the federation’s social and environmental commitments: Open Museum (since 2018, on inclusion and accessibility) and the recently launched Green Museum (since 2024, on sustainability).
Major Events for the Public
Over the years, Brussels Museums has launched some of the capital’s best-loved cultural events. The Nocturnes (since 2001) open museums late into the evening with special activities, and will test bold new formats in 2026. The legendary Museum Night Fever, which began in 2008 with 7 museums and 4,500 visitors, now draws tens of thousands — this October, 33 museums will take part in the 18th edition.
Brussels Museums is also behind cultural passes that make museums more accessible: the Brussels Card (launched in 2003), co-founding the nationwide MuseumPassMusées, and more recently the Art Nouveau Pass (2021), celebrating Brussels’ world-renowned heritage. In 2025, this pass will exceptionally expand to include Art Deco houses, marking the centenary of the 1925 Paris International Exhibition of Decorative Arts.
A Collective Effort
Brussels Museums thrives thanks to its community: its 125 member museums, nearly 400 volunteers, dedicated staff, partners, and the thousands of visitors who bring museums to life. Special thanks also go to the City of Brussels, whose most famous resident—Manneken-Pis — will now proudly promote museums with a brand-new costume, financed through a crowdfunding campaign with Prométhéa.
Finally, none of this would be possible without the support of institutional partners including the Brussels-Capital Region, the Flemish Community Commission (VGC), the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (FWB), the City of Brussels, the National Lottery, and many more.
Director Julien Staszewski sums it up nicely:
“Our federation, Brussels Museums, together with its network, has achieved so much over the past 30 years, and we look forward to what we can contribute to Brussels’ museums in the future.”
Here’s to the next 30 years!
From now on, Manneken-pis will wear this costume every year on May 18, in honor of International Museum Day.
- The Brussels Museums team
