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Experience Brussels' LGBTQI scene!
Outside the social activities included in the AMC programme, we warmly encourage you to explore Brussels' social scene and nightlife by yourselves to unwind after a day full of inspiring discussions. Brussels is a vibrant city with a lot of varied activities going on in the LGBTQI community. Below is a selection of recommended LGBTQI events, cabarets, bars and parties happening on 13-17 October 2022. Some might require pre-booking, so make sure to check in advance! We will add to the list below if more LGBTQI activities come up closer to the AMC.
Please note that these social activities are optional recommendations and are completely independent of the AMC. IGLYO is therefore not responsible for booking, and cannot cover expenses related to your social activities.
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LGBTQI/Youth Events & Exhibitions
Queer Mais Trash — Short Film Festival (13-15 October)
Cinéma Aventure, Rue des Fripiers 15, 1000 Bruxelles
Queer Mais Trash (which is a pun with the French word for shortfilm 'court métrage') is a popular LGBTQIA+ short film festival with a wide and well-curated selection of international short films, spread over three nights (13-15 October). You can book your tickets on the website of Cinéma Aventure, where the festival will be held. There are 7 short film sessions (or categories), which sometimes include Q&A sessions — you can read about each category by clicking on them in the "What's on" section down this page. Tickets usually sell very fast so, if you are interested, we highly recommended you book your tickets as soon as possible as all screenings will most likely be sold out by the time of the AMC.
Price: 8€ for 1 session and 24€ for a pass of 5 sessions | Booking: Here (don't delay!) | Dates: Thursday 13 to Saturday 15 October
If you have questions about the festival or booking procedure, please contact Cinéma Aventure directly on +32 (0)2 219 92 02 or info@cinema-aventure.be.
Queering Brussels — Exhibition
Halles de Saint-Géry, Place Saint-Géry 1, 1000 Bruxelles (big warehouse at the centre of the square)
Queering Brussels by l'Architecture qui Dégenre describes itself as a small 'exhibition that puts forward a critique and a possible future of the city of Brussels through queer prisms. The exhibition presents several queer architectural projects and [...] has been thought in an intersectional way by articulating architecture, urbanism, gender, and queer/LGBTQIA+ dimensions. This project demonstrates the importance of gendered and sexual orientation experiences in the design and conceptualisation of space.' The exhibition is free and can be achieved in half an hour, so feel free to pass by if you happen to be in the city centre.
Price: Free | Opening hours: Monday-Sunday 10am-6pm | Booking: None
Youth through the Lens — Exhibition (not LGBTQI but youth-centred)
Place du Nouveaux Marché aux Grains 10, 1000 Bruxelles
This exhibition is not an LGBTQI exhibition, but it is centred on youth and identities. 'Youth through the Lens - Young Fashion Photography is an exhibition that explores Generation Z's view of the contemporary fashion world. At the center of the exhibition is a series of photographs by seven photographers who are fully in line with the MAD Brussels gallery's core values: sustainability and inclusiveness.' We highly recommend!
Price: Free | Opening hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm | Booking: None
The Price of Pleasure — Breaking the Stigma of Sex Work (15 October)
Recyclart, 13-15 Rue de Manchester, 1080 Molenbeek
The Price of Pleasure is a festival organised by Sophia and Utsopi: 'The festival seeks to raise awareness and nuance the social debate around sex work in times of decriminalisation. We're breaking away at existing stigmas by creating a space for exchange and reflection – focusing both on facilitating discussions with and for the community, and on providing a larger platform for information sharing and sensitisation'. The afternoon includes workshops for sex workers only, and the evening includes parallel workshops for all on several topics. These will be followed by a panel talk and performances. You can see the full programme here.
Price: Free | Opening hours: Saturday 15 October 6:30pm-11:30pm — Full agenda here | Registration: Here for the parallel workshops open for all
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LGBTQI Cabarets
Rue du Marché au Charbon 53, 1000 Brussels
Cabaret Mademoiselle is a multidisciplinary queer cabaret where you will find amazing performers from various disciplines, from drag to burlesque artists, all the way to circus performers and stand-up comedians. Performances happen throughout the night in several rounds. There is no reservation but we recommend going there early to save yourself a spot, as the place usually gets full quickly. Please also note that the venue is rather small so you should not expect to enter with a group of more than 10 people.
Price: €10 | Opening hours: Thursday 9pm-2am, Friday & Saturday 9pm-3am | Booking: None (Arrive early!)
Rue des Grands Carmes 7, 1000 Bruxelles
Chez Maman is Brussels' flagship drag bar, named after Maman, the so-called 'mother' of Brussels' drag queens. Unlike Cabaret Mademoiselle, the performances there are mainly drag queen performances interspersed with dancing interludes. There is no reservation but we recommend going there early to save yourself a spot, as the place usually gets full quickly. Please also note that the venue is rather small so you should not expect to enter with a group of more than 10 people.
Price: €10 (includes a €5 drink) | Opening hours: Friday 9:30pm-3am, Saturday midnight-3am (Agenda) | Booking: None (Arrive early!)
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LGBTQI Bars
Rue du Prince Royal 11, 1050 Ixelles
Formerly a rum bar, this place was taken over in 2019 by a couple of women with the project of making it a lesbian bar open to the entire LGBTQI+ Community and their allies. The flagship lesbian bar in Brussels, the Crazy Circle is a 'small friendly bar to have a drink at reasonable price, and a place to meet people and express yourself for people who identify as women and for queer people'.
Price: Free | Opening hours: Thursday 6pm–midnight, Friday 6pm-1am and Saturday 9pm–1am (Agenda) | Booking: None
Plattesteen 18/20, 1000 Bruxelles
One of our team's favourites, The Agenda is a recent bar at the heart of Brussels' LGBTQI neighbourhood, and probably the most queer diverse and inclusive of Brussels' LGBTQI scene. The Agenda is a dancing queer safespace where you'll meet other young people and shake your hips on good pop music until early hours. There is no reservation but we highly recommend going there early (before 21:30) to save yourself a spot and avoid queueing, as the place usually gets full quickly once the sound level rises!
Price: Free | Opening hours: Thursday 6pm–1am, Friday & Saturday 4pm–4am, Sunday 4pm–2am | Booking: None (Arrive early!)
Rue Marché au Charbon 42, 1000 Bruxelles
Amidst the gay bars of Rue Marché au Charbon (see below), you will find the RainbowHouse, which is home to various LGBTQIA+ associations in the Brussels area. Member associations often meet there and organise meetings at the bar. The RainbowHouse is also a café open in the evening, where LGBTQIA+ people and their friends can receive information, enjoy a warm welcome or simply meet each other. We recommend calling them beforehand if you wish to pass by, just to make sure they are open that night, as their schedule varies.
Price: Free | Opening hours: Thursday 6–11pm, Friday 5pm–1am, Saturday 5pm–1am, Sunday 5pm–1am | Booking: None
Gay bars of Rue Marché au Charbon
Rue Marché au Charbon, whole street from number 32 to 44, 1000 Bruxelles
Rue Marché au Charbon (literally Coal Market Street) is usually considered as the heart of the gay neighbourhood, where most gay bars are found, each with their different vibes and crowds. The whole street often gets crowded in the evenings on Fridays and Saturdays so it's easy to go from one bar to the other. Our team's favourite bar on the street is the Belgica (number 32), where you will usually find good live DJ sets and drinks at reasonable price. You can also see a list and short description of the other gay bars of the street and its surroundings here.
Price: Free | Opening hours: Depends on the bars but they usually are all open from 6pm to 3am on Fridays and Saturdays | Booking: None
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LGBTQI Parties
HAUS of Beyonce - The Renaissance Celebration (Saturday 15 October)
Rue des Chartreux 52, Brussels, Belgium
HAUS is a new bimonthly funhouse party in Brussels, and a place where 'you can be your unapologetic self'. HAUS usually plays good pop, hip hop, dance and latin music, and, on Saturday 15 October, the focus will be on Beyonce and her new fabulous album Renaissance. We've never been — but we heard it's good!
Price: Usually around €15 | Opening hours: Saturday 15 October from 11:30pm | Booking: Tickets will be available soon here
Saty tuned — we will keep adding LGBTQI parties if more pop up on the agenda on 14-16 October 2022!