The ninth edition of the Brussels Art Nouveau & Art Deco (BANAD) Festival will reveal architectural wonders during its 2025 event spanning from March 15 through March 30. The 2025 edition signifies a historic milestone by commemorating Art Deco’s century of existence since its establishment in Belgium. For three consecutive weekends, visitors can enter over 60 buildings to discover Brussels through its major architectural perspectives, thanks to this annual opening.
A Centennial Tribute to Art Deco
The 2025 BANAD event focuses on the Art Deco architectural style, which emerged from the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris. Brussels accepted the Art Deco initiative totally while joining regional artistic crafts with geometrical aesthetic beauty.
Art Deco sites make up the majority of the festival events at 60%, while the program also features Art Nouveau elements at 25% and modernist buildings at 15%. The major attractions of the event include private residences, artists’ studios, and public buildings, including the Forest Town Hall and the Villa Empain, where visitors can see how the era harmoniously combined form with function and ornamentation.
The Averbouch House stands as the festival’s newest addition this year because architect Joseph Diongre constructed this 1929 building whose distinctive angular structure pairs with stained-glass elements. The Van Eycken Corner House stands as an exceptional Art Deco circular building located in Schaerbeek, which was built in 1933, and the Slagmolder House stands as a perfectly preserved bourgeois interwar-era residence in Laeken. The BANAD now includes these previously unavailable spaces alongside Victor Horta’s Hôtel Tassel and the Saint-Cyr House, which make their return.
Three Weekends, Three Zones
The festival extends over three different geographic areas that receive unique attention on individual weekend dates. On March 15–16, the focus turns to Brussels’ northwest districts: Anderlecht, Jette, Koekelberg, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, and Laeken. Tourists visiting Laeken can examine the Church of Saint-Sacrament and Vandenhaegen Studio as examples of Gothic architecture redone in Deco style and a 1930s artist studio, respectively.
The following weekend, March 22–23, shifts attention to the northeast: Etterbeek, Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Schaerbeek, and the Woluwe municipalities. The area showcases the historic buildings of the Van Eycken Corner House and Hôtel Hollebecke, which once belonged to a textile magnate and contains many geometric designs and wooden lacquer decorations.
The final weekend, March 29–30, spotlights the southern districts of Forest, Ixelles, Saint-Gilles, and Uccle. The essential attractions of this area consist of the modernist former radio studio at Flagey Building alongside the UNESCO-listed Art Nouveau townhouse Hôtel Solvay, designed by Victor Horta.
Immersive Experiences for All
Local visitors can enrol in guided tours led by professional architects and historians who share detailed information about the structures at BANAD. The tours provide information about Art Deco sunburst patterns and Art Nouveau ironwork organic curves through multiple language options. The festival makes special accommodations through adapted tours which cater to people who have hearing or mobility impairments along with visual impairments. Multiple accessibility features, such as signed language interpretation alongside tactile models and step-free entry, make the event welcoming to all guests.
Beyond building tours, the festival hosts themed walks exploring topics like “Art Deco Commerce” and “Women in Architecture” alongside family-friendly workshops where children create stained glass art or design miniature skyscrapers. The Object Fair showcases vintage furniture collections for collectors, and the Salon of Restorers and Experts demonstrates architectural preservation methods to defend Brussels’ historical buildings from redevelopment risks.
A Festival with Purpose
BANAD represents an initiative that operates beyond aesthetic appreciation because it challenges citizens to become active defenders of architectural heritage. The festival uses private residences and abandoned industrial zones to demonstrate the critical need to protect Brussels’ architectural heritage. The Slagmolder House, together with other surviving structures, demonstrates the enduring cultural essence of the city during its period of urban development.
“These spaces are living histories,”
Says festival guide Marie-Claire Dubois.
“When you step into a 1920s artist’s studio or a Deco-era chapel, you’re not just admiring a style—you’re connecting with the people who shaped Brussels’ identity.”
Practical Details for Visitors
To secure entrance at both the Hotel Solvay and Villa Empain, buyers should reserve their tickets early on BANAD’s online platform. Strolling through Brussels requires comfortable footwear since some attractions feature staircases with cobblestone streets. Through expert-guided tours, visitors receive more detailed information, which includes historical facts about architects, while also sharing information about patrons and social politics from the interwar era.
The Art Deco era hotels The Hotel Brussels and NH Collection Grand Sablon provide extended stays with vintage charm.
