WINTER IN ANTWERP 2024-2025 | 1.3M visitors, 120K for New Year’s fireworks, 64.4% hotel occupancy

Today, the 2024- 2025 edition of Winter in Antwerp was officially closed with ‘t Stad trakteert, The City treats. For four weeks, visitors were able to immerse themselves in the Christmas atmosphere at seven magical locations in the Antwerp.

This year, the Christmas market attracted approximately 1,300,000 visitors. A similar number compared to last Christmas season. The fireworks attracted approximately 120,000 spectators.

Opening weekend

The opening weekend was a bull’s eye, the City of Antwerp says in its press release.

Almost 140,000 visitors came to enjoy the festively decorated city centre and the various activities.

There were acrobatic and ballet performances on Hendrik Conscienceplein and Operaplein, while the ice rink on Groenplaats was transformed into a Disney show. Creative people let themselves go at the craft tables in DIVA and there were also winter stories in the Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library. But the highlight of the opening weekend was the Flemish iconic band Clouseau who had everyone on the Grote Markt singing along from the JOE Christmas House.

Seven magical locations

This year, there were no fewer than seven magical locations where visitors could go during Winter in Antwerp. Classic attractions were the Ferris wheel on the Koningin Astridplein, the ice rink on the Groenplaats and the Christmas wish tree and traditional Christmas market on the Grote Markt.

As always, there were also choir performances at the foot of the cathedral and the light tunnel on the Suikerrui was the ideal photo spot. At the JOE Christmas House on the Grote Markt, music lovers enjoyed live radio and various performances and in the winter bar Den Après on the Groenplaats, everyone had a great time during the karaoke evening and DJ sets.

At the romantic Hendrik Conscienceplein, everyone could admire the enchanting light installation on the fountain or kiss each other under the mistletoe tree. Dimitri Leue managed to captivate the youngest visitors with children’s stories in the fairytale Nottebohmzaal of the Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library.

On the Operaplein, passers-by marveled at impressive acrobatic performances or rode along on the nostalgic merry-go-round.

New Year

On 31 December, Antwerp traditionally kicked off the new year with a cracking fireworks show above the Scheldt. More than 120,000 visitors came to admire the beautiful spectacle and wished each other a happy new year.

‘t Stad trakteert

Today, as every year, the city treated its residents to a festive start to the new year. Visitors were able to enjoy Winter in Antwerp one last time and exchange their free tokens for a snack, a drink or an attraction at the Christmas market.

Afterwards, the city council spoke their New Year’s wishrs on the Grote Markt, followed by the Antwerp folk song ‘Antwaarpe‘ by De Strangers, which everyone sang along to at the top of their lungs.

Foreign visitors

76% of all visitors came from Belgium, but many foreign tourists also visited Winter in Antwerp.

The majority came from the Netherlands, followed by Germany and Spain. These included day tourists as well as visitors who stayed in the Scheldt City for a longer period.

During the Christmas holidays, Antwerp hotels had a high occupancy rate of 64.5%, which is an increase of 2.6% compared to the same period last winter.

New Year’s Eve even had an occupancy rate of 90%.

(No) trouble in paradise

The press release omits traders at Hendrik Conscienceplein and Operaplein complained of the lack of customers. While Operaplein due to its location saw many passers-by, few spent money at the shops and stalls.

The Conscienceplein is a bit hidden and even didn’t welcome that many passer-by. It was also an issue during the 2023-2024 edition.

Though Gazet van Antwerpen reports the last week of the Christmas holidays seems to have made up for a lot.

Happy traders

“The city has been very busy during the entire Christmas holiday”, Nico Volckeryck, Antwerp regional director of the Neutral Union for the Self-Employed (NSZ), tells the newspaper.

“A striking number of tourists came to Antwerp specifically for the rich variety of fashion stores and new, original shops. So not only on the Meir, but also in the Kammenstraat, the Nationalestraat and the Steenhouwersvest it was sometimes overflowing with people.”

That marks a shift in trends, as customers typically wait for the sales period. This year, however, things have been different, Volckeryck explains.

He attributes this change to the impressive campaign launched by the city to promote Antwerp as a shopping destination through local and social media.

“It appears that the perception of the city being difficult to access has been dispelled”, Volckeryck says.

The start of the sales season was also remarkably strong, with shopkeepers reporting 40% more customers than on the first sales day last year. Additionally, sales over the weekend were 20% higher than during the same weekend in 2024.

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