The Nocturnes: every Thursday from 13/04 to 18/05, an exceptional evening in Brussels’ museums
From 13 April to 18 May 2023, every Thursday from 5 to 10 pm, six Brussels museums are open to the public. For a special fee of €5, visitors can enjoy exclusive guided tours, art workshops and privileged access to the reserves, in addition to discovering the exhibitions and collections. The Nocturnes are definitely a must for your Thursday spring outings!
Art Nouveau as a red thread in the programme
In 2023, Brussels is celebrating Art Nouveau. The Nocturnes are joining in this initiative and every Thursday offer a visit to an Art Nouveau house or an exhibition on the theme. The Cauchie House, the Van Eetvelde Hotel, the Autrique House… These magnificent buildings can be discovered in addition to the exhibitions at the Horta Museum and the Maison du Roi. The Wittockiana will also be presenting its precious collection of Art Nouveau documents just for the occasion. You can use your Art Nouveau Pass during the Nocturnes, how convenient!
Evenings organised by district
The 37 participating museums have gathered by district to allow you to combine several places in the same evening. Guided walks in the neighbourhood or between museums complete the offer and make you understand the place of these institutions in the city. From the Fashion and Lace Museum to Choco-Story, for example, there are many lace and chocolate shops. This is an opportunity to learn about the crafts of yesteryear and the handmade in Belgium while taking a new look at the city.
An opening along the canal
The season gets off to a great start with a vernissage on 13 April at 5pm in Molenbeek and Anderlecht, with, in addition to the rich programme in the museums, a number of extra-mural visits planned. Walking tours with a guide take us to discover the water distribution network between the Sewer museum and La Fonderie, or on the traces of the Resistance and the Shoah in Cureghem. A bicycle tour allows you to discover the museums near the canal, the district and its inhabitants. And to celebrate this opening in style, the MIMA will host a bar and a concert in its courtyard.
Sustainability and well-being for International Museum Day
The last Thursday of the Nocturnes falls on 18 May, International Museum Day. This is an opportunity to close the season in style and to focus the programme on the themes of this world day: sustainability and well-being. The House of European History is tackling the history of waste in its exhibition Throwaway, and is offering a textile upcycling workshop. BELexpo is also taking up this theme to focus on teenagers and their families. As for the museums around the Cinquantenaire park, they are doing their utmost to showcase their unique collections and to open up places that are usually closed to the public, such as the Pavilion of Human Passions. All this contributes to the well-being of visitors. At a time when doctors are prescribing museum visits, the Nocturnes are certainly a good remedy.
Going off track
The Nocturnes programme also stands out for the great diversity of the places, themes and activities on offer. You can stay in the green by walking through the gardens: for example in the Paul Moens medicinal plant garden, where you can discover and cook edible plants. Or you can choose from the most unusual museums: admire the huge collection of earthenware clocks in the Clockarium or attend a reading of erotic poems at the MEM. Finally, these Thursdays are also the time to get to know the daily life of artists, for example by listening to a musical setting of the poet’s works at the Maurice Carême Museum, or by making your own basket at the FelixArt museum.
Accessibility at the heart of the project
Thanks to the single rate of €5/museum (€2.5 for under-26s), the Nocturnes make exceptional places and collections accessible to all. A Nocturnes pass (3 tickets + 1 free) is also available for 15€. New this year, holders of a museum pass can use it to gain free access to the partner museums of museumPASSmusées. 19 institutions accept the museum pass among the 37 museums participating in the Nocturnes. Admission to some museums is free for all, such as Geopolis and the Massart Garden.
In addition to these advantageous rates, the Nocturnes emphasise a multilingual programme adapted to as many people as possible, thanks to the many unusual visits and practical workshops. An extra effort is also made in communication, with a contrasting version of the website for the visually impaired, and the use of a series of pictograms providing information on the accessibility of the site for people with disabilities.
The Nocturnes are organised by Brussels Museums, the association that brings together more than 120 museums in Brussels. In collaboration with its member museums and numerous partners, Brussels Museums develops collective projects that enhance the value of Brussels’ museums and increase access to these places of culture and heritage for all audiences.
Practical information
From 13 April to 18 May, every Thursday evening from 5 to 10 pm, six museums are open.
Prices per museum:
- 5€ (standard) - 2,5€ (- 26 years) – gratuit (-13 years)
- Nocturnes Pass (3 tickets + 1 free): 15€ (standard) - 7,5€ (- 26 yearss)
- Article 27 : 1,25€, Paspartoe (kansentarief) : 2€
- Free with the museum pass at the museumPASSmusées-partners
- Free with Art Nouveau Pass at the partner museums.
The full programme and ticket sales are available at www.nocturnes.brussels.