Pride Museum pop-up draws 4,000 visitors and strengthens case for permanent queer space in Brussels

From 15 June to 15 July 2025, the former Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art (MIMA) building on the Quai de Hainaut / Henegouwkaai in St. John’s Molenbeek (Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Sint-Jans-Molenbeek) in Brussels served as the temporary home of the Pride Museum, a new cultural initiative dedicated to queer history and expression. 

The pop-up attracted around 4,000 visitors in just four weeks, despite the fact that organisers had only three weeks to prepare the site before opening, BRUZZ reports.

Preview of a future queer museum

The Pride Museum pop-up offered a multidisciplinary programme featuring performances, talks, workshops, DJ sets, and the exhibition ‘What About Queer?’. 

Some thirty artists and collectives from Brussels and beyond took part. The event provided a first public look at the organisers’ long-term ambition: to create a permanent queer museum in the Belgian capital. The museum would focus on the richness and diversity of queer history, activism, and cultural production in Belgium and internationally.

Public response confirms demand

According to co-founder Giorgi Tabagari, the large turnout and positive feedback from both visitors and participants confirmed the need for a dedicated queer museum in Brussels. 

The audience included local residents, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, tourists, and visiting groups. The organisers see this level of engagement as evidence that such a museum would be both culturally relevant and publicly supported.

Permanent location still under discussion

Although the Pride Museum currently lacks a permanent home, the former MIMA building is seen as a strong candidate. 

Discussions with the building’s owners are ongoing, while other possible sites in Brussels are also being considered. 

The team is now compiling the results of the pop-up edition to present to potential partners and funders.

Broader European context

The Brussels Pride Museum initiative follows in the footsteps of similar efforts elsewhere in Europe, such as the Schwules Museum in Berlin and the Queer Britain Museum / British National LGBTQ+ Museum in London. 

In Belgium, the project has received support from a range of queer activists, cultural professionals, and grassroots organisations. It aims not only to preserve queer history but also to provide space for contemporary queer voices and cultural engagement.

Events planned for autumn 2025

The Pride Museum will resume programming in autumn 2025, with several new events already in development. While the search for a permanent venue continues, the organisers remain committed to keeping the project alive and visible through temporary events and collaborations.

Exploring Brussels

The latest on LGBTQIA+ events such as prides in Belgium

131 Comments Add yours

  1. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  2. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  3. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    “We’ve been doing this for 13 years”, Antwerp Queer Arts Festival says. Since 2013, AQAF organises a queer, more edgy, more ‘alternative’, less polished, less…

  4. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  5. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  6. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  7. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  8. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  9. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  10. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    Leuven Pride will return for its third edition on Saturday 26 September 2026, with organisers placing a renewed emphasis on safety following revelations about a…

  11. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    Leuven Pride will return for its third edition on Saturday 26 September 2026, with organisers placing a renewed emphasis on safety following revelations about a…

  12. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  13. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  14. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  15. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over by rainbow vibes. Prides are a mix of celebration – parties – and activism and advocacy.…

  16. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over by rainbow vibes. Prides are a mix of celebration – parties – and activism and advocacy.…

  17. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  18. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  19. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  20. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  21. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  22. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  23. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  24. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  25. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  26. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  27. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over…

  28. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    Charleroi‘s annual LGBTQIA+ celebration, Les Fiertés Carolos, will return on 29 August 2026 for its second edition under its current name, bringing a day of…

  29. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    Belgian deejay Hannelore Hooyberghs, better known as DJ Dr. T, says she received a death threat after announcing that she will perform at Love Out…

  30. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    The first Pride festival in the Kempen (Campine) region has left its organisers facing a financial loss of almost €10,000, Gazet van Antwerpen reports. Love…

  31. Unknown's avatar Timothy says:

    Belgian LGBTQIA+ umbrella organisation çavaria will join the criminal proceedings as a civil party in the case concerning a possible planned attack on Leuven Pride…

Leave a Reply

Your post must include a link to this post.

How does this work?
Write a response on your own website and include a link to this post. Then submit your response’s URL here. Your response may appear here after moderation. To update or remove it, edit or delete your original post and submit the same URL again. Learn more about Webmentions.