Experience

11 NOVEMBER 2025 | Armistice Day activities and Antwerp museums open

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As Armistice Day approaches, Antwerp will once again mark 11 November with a full programme of remembrance ceremonies across its districts. The commemorations, held in honour of all victims of war, will be accompanied by a series of cultural openings and events, with the city’s museums and heritage institutions remaining accessible to the public throughout the day.

Traditionally, the City and its Districts host numerous remembrance activities to commemorate the end of World War I. The central ceremony will take place at the Schoonselhof Cemetery at 10.00, attended by Mayor Els van Doesburg (N-VA), Governor Cathy Berx, Provincial Commander Johan Lenière, and District Mayor Paul Cordy (N-VA). 

This year’s theme highlights the democratic values of ‘Solidarity, Courage and Resistance‘. 

The ceremony will begin with the national anthems performed by the Royal Music Band of the Antwerp Local Police, followed by presentations from actress Clara Cleymans, who will guide the event, and guest speaker Janiv Stamberger, coordinator of the Peace Centre and Antwerpen Herdenkt. He will reflect on the city’s remembrance policy and introduce the new project ‘Witte raven van ’t verzet‘ (‘White Ravens of the Resistance‘). 

Mayor Van Doesburg will then deliver an address. A wreath-laying at the monument for First World War victims will take place, accompanied by the Waelrant Youth Choir, followed by The Last Post performed by ensemble Brassery, a minute of silence, and eleven cannon salutes. 

At 11.00, tributes will continue at the cemetery’s various memorial sections, including those dedicated to the Commonwealth war graves, Dachau victims, and the civilian and military casualties of the Second World War. The Schoonselhof ceremony will be broadcast live on ATV at 10.00, with replays at 12.30 and 17.30.

In addition to the main commemoration, the Peace Centre will host a participatory event at Antwerp-Central Railway Station. A mobile ‘peace wall’ will invite passers-by to share their thoughts on the question “What does a peaceful city look like to you?” 

Between 10.00 and 17.00, residents can contribute their reflections, turning the installation into a collective expression of remembrance and hope. The initiative, part of Antwerpen Herdenkt, aims to keep the memory of war alive while reaffirming values such as freedom, equality, and peaceful coexistence.

Districts

Commemorative activities will also take place across all districts. In Berchem, the day will begin with a memorial service at St. Willibrordus Church at 10.00, followed by a procession to the monument on Koninklijkelaan and floral tributes at several memorials. 

Berendrecht-Zandvliet-Lillo will hold separate ceremonies in each village between 10.00 and 13.00, all accompanied by local brass bands. 

Borgerhout will gather at 11.00 at the Silsburg cemetery for a speech by District Mayor Mariam El Osri (Groen), with music by students from the local academy.

Borsbeek will hold its remembrance mass at 10.00, followed by a parade, wreath-laying, and address by District Mayor Walter Kiebooms (N-VA). 

Deurne will host a floral tribute procession starting at 10.45, ending with a speech by District Alderman Karen Maes (Groen) and a musical performance by the Deurne Academy. 

Ekeren will commemorate at 10.45 at the Van de Weyngaertplein, followed by a reception at youth centre ’t Velt. 

Hoboken will gather at 10.00 at the Broydenborg Park monument for speeches and tributes, before continuing to the cemetery for a ceremony led by the local veterans’ association AVOG.

Merksem will hold its annual remembrance at 10.45 at the old cemetery in Van Heybeeckstraat, followed by a procession to the district hall and wreath-laying at the resistance memorial. On 12 November, local schoolchildren will take part in an educational ceremony on war and peace, laying their handmade wreaths at the cemetery. 

Wilrijk will begin at 9.15 at the Steytelinck cemetery, followed by a major tribute at 10.00 on the Bist, where flowers will be laid in memory of all Wilrijk residents who lost their lives in war. At 10.30, journalist Evelien Rutten will give a lecture titled ‘Roadtrip naar Auschwitz‘, recounting her journey with her daughter to trace their family’s wartime history, accompanied by music from double bassist Nicolas Rombouts. Attendance is free with registration via http://www.wilrijk.be.

Museums

While remembrance remains the focus of 11 November, culture will also take centre stage as Antwerp’s museums and heritage institutions stay open throughout the public holiday. 

Visitors can explore a wide range of exhibitions across the city. At the Museum At the Stream (Museum Aan de Stroom, MAS), ‘Universal Tongue‘ presents a global overview of dance styles, while the permanent exhibition ‘City at War‘ examines Antwerp’s wartime experiences. 

The Red Star Line Museum welcomes children to the interactive exhibition ‘Goeie Reis‘, devoted to travel and departure. 

At the Museum Plantin-Moretus, the exhibition ‘Women’s business/ Business women‘ tells the stories of often invisible women who played key roles in the historic printing house. 

While the Museum Mayer van den Bergh is closed for renovation, the Maagdenhuis presents ‘Public’s favourites‘, an exhibition featuring favourite artworks chosen by museum visitors. 

Fashion museum ModeMuseum (MoMu) offers ‘Girls‘, which explores what it means to be a girl through fashion and imagery. The city’s libraries, however, will be closed on 1 November.

Monday 10 November

Most museums will be closed on Monday 10 November, except DIVA and the Rubens House, where the Rubens Experience, garden, and library remain open despite renovation works at the artist’s former home. 

Libraries across the city will open only on 10 November, with events tied to November Book Month listed on boekenmaand.antwerpen.be. All libraries will close on Armistice Day itself, and the branches in Merksem and Ekeren remain closed for renovation.

The visitor centre and Antwerp City Shop in Het Steen will open from 10.00 to 18.00 on both 10 and 11 November, while the City Shop in Central Station will open from 9.00 to 17.00. 

City counters and regional offices will close on 11 November but operate normally on 10 November. Public swimming pools and sports halls will be closed on 11 November, and recycling parks will close on both days.

Despite the holiday, household waste collection will continue as usual on 11 November.

Art and museums in Antwerp

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