On Friday 31 May, Saturday 1 June and shopping Sunday 2 June 2024, gigantic balloon animals will adorn the Meir, Antwerp‘s main shopping street with the big brands. The event is called Antwerp on Air. 

The Antwerp On Air festival wants to put the architecture of the Meir in the spotlight in an original way. Various inflatable installations from X-treme Creations will be available to discover.

During Antwerp on Air, the Meir is decorated with eight impressive inflatable animals.

Which flying monsters will take over Antwerp is still a surprise and you will have to discover it yourself. In the press, organisers Phil Blondé and beroebsbelg (professional Belgian) Tanguy Ottomer tease with a pink elephant, a giant squid and King Kong on the Boerentoren. 

Organisation

It is the first year that this free festival will take place. Phil Blondé came up with the idea and joined forces with the City of Antwerp, Beleef Antwerpen (Experience Antwerp), Grand Bazar Shopping, Shopping Stadsfeestzaal, Beroepsbelg, City Smiles, Katoen Natie, Indaver and The Phoebus Foundation SON.

“I sat with the traders of the Meir and they really wanted to highlight their street and Antwerp. Many cities do that with a light festival, but I wanted something original”, Phil Blondé says in the press. 

The organisation would like to put the creativity of Antwerp in the spotlight. In addition, everyone enjoys the beautiful architecture that the Meir has to offer. Not only the air will be filled, but also the buildings and the ground. X-treme Creations is a Belgian company that makes inflatables and is responsible for the installation.

“We had to sit together with a lot of people, but everyone was immediately enthusiastic”, says co-organiser Tanguy Ottomer of Beroepsbelg.