Opening
Weekend
19 > 21.09.2025
LA MONNAIE / DE MUNT
The new opera season is about to kick off, and this year, we‘re inviting you to throw yourself into it con brio! Enjoy an entire weekend brimming with countless free activities in and around La Monnaie: opera on a giant screen, workshops for the entire family, tours during the Heritage Days, concerts in partnership with BRUZZ, picnics, or simply a visit to our theatre. Come join us!
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FR 19 Sept
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Vocal Stand-UpI Hate New Music
20:00 • Malibran Room • 11/22€InfoTicketsToo serious! Too complex! Just noise! These are just some of the cliches people reel off about contemporary composers — and soprano Sarah Defrise expertly torpedoes every one of them in this one-woman stand-up show. With playful joy and a hefty dash of irony, she guides us through the wonderful works of John Cage, Cathy Berberian, Luciano Berio and many more. An accessible and hilarious introduction to contemporary music for the entire family!
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SA 20 Sept
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EventOpen day: explore La Monnaie!
10:00-18:00 • La Monnaie • FreeAlways wanted to have a peek behind the scenes at La Monnaie? Today, we‘re swinging the doors of our theatre wide open, so that you can explore at your own pace with your entire family. Make an entrance on the red carpet, discover the stunning architecture of our public spaces, and delight in a pop-up performance by De Genoten or the MM Academy. Keen to find out more about our season programme or the ‘hows‘ and ‘whats‘ of opera? Ask away at our information desk!
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TourHeritage Days
10:00-18:00 • La Monnaie Workshops • Free (sign-up required)TicketsThis year, the Heritage Days are all about the wealth of Art Deco in Brussels. And that works out nicely, because La Monnaie has plenty on offer! Our workshops are located in the former Vanderborght department store, an iconic Art Deco building dating back to 1935. During the opening weekend, you‘re welcome to take a look around free of charge, as one of our guides takes you on a tour of our stage design, sculpture and painting workshops. A unique opportunity to discover the craftsmanship happening behind the scenes and a hidden treasure of Brussels Art Deco all at the same time! Book your free tickets from 11 September!
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Kids, Teens & FamiliesOpera trail for children (+6)
10:30 & 14:30 • La Monnaie Workshops • Free (sign-up required)InfoTicketsA healthy dose of irresistible music, a handful of astonishing stage props and a dash of drama: opera is all about experimenting with the right ingredients! On an interactive trail in and around the La Monnaie Workshops, children get to explore the secret recipe of opera, using the season opener Falstaff as an example. From sheet music to costumes, from acting to vocals: nothing will escape their curiosity and creativity!
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EventA picnic with the neighbours
10:00-18:00 • Place de la Monnaie • FreeJoin us at the table! We‘re hosting a wonderful all-day picnic on Place de la Monnaie for all of our neighbours. In partnership with Muntpunt, De Buren and Cultureghem, we‘re treating you to a scrumptious selection of pancakes and soups. But the party will only really get going if everyone brings something along: bake a cake, make a salad, or bring your favourite dish to share! That way, we can fill the table with flavours from all over the neighbourhood.
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Kids, Teens & FamiliesRead aloud operaaaah! (6+)
14:00-14:45 • Muntpunt • FreeInfoTime for a Pa-pa-pa-pa-genius family outing! Introduce your children to the world of opera during an interactive reading session for the entire family, in which we‘re bringing the story of The Magic Flute to life with song and sound! And by the way, did you know that the characters of this Mozart opera have found places to hide all around our theatre? Once you‘ve heard the story, head out together on a treasure hunt around our Grand Foyer… and don‘t forget to look up!
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EventOpera on a giant screen
11:00–17:00 • Place de la Monnaie • FreeSit back and relax in one of our beach chairs, and enjoy one of three sensational opera productions on our giant screen, all within easy reach of our outdoor bars: The Magic Flute (Mozart), Macbeth (Verdi) and The Time of Our Singing (Kris Defoort). Not got the time to watch them all, as there‘s so much else to do today? No worries: they‘ll be available in full on the VRT Max streaming platform from 19 September!
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Stand-Up
I Hate New Music
20:00 • Place de la Monnaie • 11/22€InfoTicketsToo serious! Too complex! Just noise! These are just some of the cliches people reel off about contemporary composers — and soprano Sarah Defrise expertly torpedoes every one of them in this one-woman stand-up show. With playful joy and a hefty dash of irony, she guides us through the wonderful works of John Cage, Cathy Berberian, Luciano Berio and many more. An accessible and hilarious introduction for the entire family!
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EventYour new muntpunt
10:00-22:22 • Muntpunt • FreeInfoOn 20 September, Muntpunt is reopening its newly refreshed spaces. Discover a new version of the Brussels library during a day full of language, stories, dialogue, encounters, and a table filled with treats.
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SU 21 Sept
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Workshop / ConcertCircle Songs
10:00–12:30 • Fiocco Room • Free (sign-up required)InfoTicketsGive free rein to your voice and creativity during this unique collective singing event! After a light-hearted warm-up for your body and voice, you get to bring to life your own inner Pavarotti or Callas through a set of rhythmic and vocal exercises. Afterwards, we‘ll improvise new songs together, inspired by the libretti of our 2025-26 opera season.
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EventBook Sale
10:00-18:00 • Muntpunt LibraryLike every other year, you can‘t say ‘Car-free Sunday‘ without saying ‘book sale at Muntpunt‘! Browse boxes upon boxes full of bargain literary gems to find your treasure. The items on offer include both historic and recent books, comics, DVDs and sheet music for all ages, all priced either €2 or €5 each.
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Tour
Heritage Days
10:00-18:00 • La Monnaie Workshops • FreeTicketsThis year, the Heritage Days are all about the wealth of Art Deco in Brussels. And that works out nicely, because La Monnaie has plenty on offer! Our workshops are located in the former Vanderborght department store, an iconic Art Deco building dating back to 1935. During the opening weekend, you‘re welcome to take a look around free of charge, as one of our guides takes you on a tour of our costume, stage design, sculpture and painting workshops. A unique opportunity to discover the craftsmanship happening behind the scenes and a hidden treasure of Brussels Art Deco all at the same time! Book your free tickets from 11 September!
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EventBRUZZ-BUS
11:00-14:15 • Place de la Monnaie • FreeLa Monnaie is generating the buzz, from aboard the Bruzz bus! From 11:00 onward, this double decker will bring the fun to Place de la Monnaie, reporting live on the launch of the new opera season, all in the company of artists and representatives from Brussels cultural institutions. Christina Scheppelmann, La Monnaie‘s new artistic director, will be boarding the bus too to take a look ahead at the coming year. Around 2pm, the young talent of the MM Academy will be performing a mini gig on the roof of the bus, while you enjoy a drink from the Aper‘Opera bar, have a go on the wheel of fortune, or discover a few surprises among all the musical and cultural things Brussels has to offer.
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DrinkAper’Opera
10:00-16:00 • Place de la MonnaieNow that your thirst to find out more about the new season has been quenched, it‘s time to head to Aper‘Opera for some real refreshment. Find yourself a spot on the outdoor seating near the Bruzz and Muntpunt bar for a cup of coffee or an aperitif. We‘ll take care of the music!
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