culture
Brussels Parks Draw Crowds to Summer Film Series Screenings
Locals are flocking to temporary screens set up in two central parks for a month-long program of restored classics and recent releases.
How we reported this
More than 4,200 tickets were sold in the first five days for the Brussels Summer Screens program that opened on 8 July in Parc du Cinquantenaire and Square du Grand Sablon.
The program runs through 5 August and features nightly showings of 35mm prints and new digital restorations, a response to the unusually warm evenings that have kept residents outdoors after dark. City data from last year showed indoor cinema visits dropped 18 percent in July compared with May, prompting organisers to move events outside.
Venues drawing steady crowds
At Parc du Cinquantenaire the screen is positioned near the arches of the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces, where screenings of “The Conformist” and “Blow-Up” drew 1,100 viewers across three nights. Square du Grand Sablon hosts a smaller 200-seat setup run by the non-profit Cinévidéo, which projects films such as the 2025 Belgian title “La Mécanique des ombres” every Tuesday and Thursday. Both sites accept the same 9-euro ticket sold through the Flagey box office on Place Flagey.
Attendance figures released by the City of Brussels culture department show a 27 percent increase over the same period in 2025, with 62 percent of buyers under 35. The program is funded partly through a 45,000-euro grant from the Région de Bruxelles-Capitale and ticket revenue that reached 37,800 euros by 11 July.
How to attend remaining screenings
Remaining dates include a double bill of “Chungking Express” and “Fallen Angels” on 18 July at Parc du Cinquantenaire and a 35mm print of “The Third Man” on 25 July at Square du Grand Sablon. Tickets go on sale each morning at 10 a.m. via the Flagey website or at the venue gate one hour before showtime; cash only at the gate. Viewers are advised to bring a cushion and arrive by 20:45 as films start at 21:30.