Antwerp will open the doors of 31 museums and cultural institutions on Saturday 1 August 2026 for the 20th edition of Museumnacht or Museum Night, with the anniversary edition expanding to 13 guest venues and welcoming 11 new participants.

Between 19:00 and 01:00, visitors will be able to move from venue to venue with a single ticket, with organisers promising a specially curated programme of performances, exhibitions, tastings, demonstrations, workshops and theatre for the anniversary edition. Advance ticket sales begin on 25 June via museumnacht.be.

“Poetic performances, interactive exhibitions, tastings, concerts, hands-on activities, demonstrations and theatre performances… the list is endless! For twenty summers, Museumnacht has been a highlight for Antwerp’s museums and arts venues, and the ideal moment to discover new places. This anniversary edition will be bigger than ever: 31 museums and arts institutions are taking part, including 11 new participants across 13 surprising guest venues. Once again, it promises to be a night buzzing with wonder and encounters. With Vélo‘s free day pass and one ticket for all locations, there is no excuse left. Come along, be surprised. You won’t want to miss this!”, Lien Van de Kelder (Vooruit), Alderwoman for Culture, says.

Eleven new participants

Among the new additions is ADVN, the archive for national movements, offering flashlight tours behind the scenes, a poetic performance by Matthijs De Ridder featuring work by Paul van Ostaijen, a caricature station and a cartoon photo booth.

Brouwerij De Koninck will extend its interactive brewery tour with an additional tasting, an extra room, acoustic music and a platform for young artists and DJs.

The Bunkermuseum in Park Den Brandt will open four bunkers from the bunker village and stage a pop-up exhibition on resistance in Antwerp during the

World War II. Related material will also appear at the Museum Aan de Stroom (MAS) and the FelixArchief.

DIVE, the centre for digital and immersive art, is planning tours of the new exhibition Treasures of Tutankhamun and an interactive activation.

The FelixArchief will display selected archival documents, screen silent and black-and-white films about Antwerp, and host swing-jazz band Cream Coloured Pony’s.

At Kunsthal Extra City, visitors can expect tours of exhibitions by Sammy Baloji and the Antwerp Queer Arts Festival, a performance by city poet Esohe Weyden, a “no-choice bar” by Dennis Tyfus, and a VJ set in the monastery garden.

The Middelheimmuseum will keep the exhibition zone of Monster Chetwynd open until 21:30, with activatable “zorbs”, an outdoor film programme organised with De Cinema and De Kern, a zine-making workshop, and ‘Beulingfeesten‘ in De Nor.

For the first time, the St. Charles Borromeo Church will move its internationally known painting exchange from the Night of Churches programme into Museumnacht.

The recently reopened St. James’ Church will present performances by young artists, a dance production by the Modern Barock Ensemble, an experimental transcendent soundscape, and additional tours of the newly restored church.

The Phoebus Foundation joins with three locations that are normally accessible only by guided group reservation: HeadquARTers, with contemporary art and a museum presentation of 3,500 years of textiles; the CoBrA Depot, housing what the foundation describes as the world’s largest private CoBrA collection; and Den Argentin, focused on maritime and logistics heritage.

University of Antwerp will organise meetings with artists from Museum to Scale, featuring 1:7 scale museum galleries on the R Campus, alongside live illustration by Ziebel and poetry readings by campus poet Vince Noens.

Highlights from the 20 regular venues

Returning Museumnacht institutions are also planning special anniversary programming.

At AMUZ, KLANG Collective will perform a programme weaving Renaissance music and folk influences into what organisers describe as a dreamy, melancholic atmosphere.

Visitors to the Heritage Library Hendrik Conscience can make zines and leporello booklets, stencil and stamp, while La Sonora Amberina brings music to Conscienceplein.

The Bos Parade will move through Antwerp North as a festive sculptural parade for walkers, cyclists and dancers, created by Orphea Aerts and produced by Het Bos with Museum Vleeshuis.

Letterenhuis is planning a drag show by DWAAS Collectief, concerts by Emma Hessels and TRANEN, creative-literary workshops, a Queer Writing Group session, a typeface showcase by the Plantin Academy, and a late-night radio project by JK Stand-In, actress Mona Mina Leon and theatre-maker Zoë Heyninck.

At the MAS, the programme will revolve around the exhibition ‘Martial Arts‘, with dance and combat-sport demonstrations, a live-action wrestling show on the museum square, a silent-disco playlist in ‘Art from America‘, a family assignment trail in ‘Someone Home?‘, and introductory tours.

Museum Mayer Van den Bergh will adopt a ‘Bridgerton‘ theme, offering Regency-inspired hairstyling, teacup decoration and classical-pop music in the courtyard.

At the Snijders & Rockox House, writer Jeroen Olyslaegers will discuss his planned grand tour and read from his work, while Mil Sinaeve presents a theatre piece on Peter Paul Rubens. Early visitors will receive Antwerp Handjes biscuits as a teaser for the upcoming exhibition ‘Van Hemessen and Father‘.

Young artistic talent gets a dedicated platform

Alumni of the Bosacademie residency programme will create and present work across multiple participating venues, including AMUZ, the Heritage Library, FOMU, Het Steen, Letterenhuis, the MAS, Museum De Reede and the Rubenshuis.

Afterparty until 4:00 AM

The official Museumnacht afterparty returns to Het Bos from 01:00 to 04:00. Tickets cost €12, are sold only in combination with a Museumnacht ticket, and capacity is limited.

Getting around: free Vélo pass and route-planning app

Every Museumnacht ticket includes a free 24-hour Vélo Antwerpen day pass, which must be registered in advance.

From 25 June, visitors can also download the free Museumnacht Antwerpen app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store to plan routes, save favourites, consult the interactive map and check the crowd indicator.

For those who cannot see everything in one night, the return-visit promotion allows holders of a clipped Museumnacht wristband to claim one free revisit to a participating venue or receive partner discounts until 31 August 2026.

Participating institutions

The 2026 edition includes ADVN, AMUZ, Brouwerij De Koninck, Bunkermuseum, Cinema Lumière, DIVA, DIVE, Heritage Library Hendrik Conscience, FelixArchief, FOMU, Het Bos, Het Steen, Kunsthal Extra City, KMSKA, Letterenhuis, M HKA, MAS, Middelheimmuseum, MoMu, Museum De Reede, Museum Mayer Van den Bergh, Museum Plantin-Moretus, Museum Vleeshuis, Red Star Line Museum, Rubenshuis, St. Andrew’s Church, St. Charles Borromeo Church, St. James’ Church, The Phoebus Foundation (Argentin, CoBrA Depot and HeadquARTers), Snijders & Rockox House, and UAntwerpen – Museum to Scale.

Practical information

Museumnacht takes place on Saturday 1 August 2026, from 19:00 until 01:00 (AM), across 33 locations throughout Antwerp. Tickets go on sale from 25 June via museumnacht.be and will also be available from 20 July at Het Steen. Advance tickets cost €15 for visitors aged 12 to 26 and €20 for those aged over 26. On the day itself, prices rise to €18 and €23 respectively, provided the event has not sold out. Children under 12 and holders of an A-kaart with a social tariff can attend for €4.

The celebrations continue after the museums close, with the official Museumnacht afterparty taking place at Het Bos from 1:00 until 4:00, with last entry at 3:30. Afterparty tickets cost €12 and can only be purchased in combination with a Museumnacht ticket. Capacity is limited.

Every Museumnacht ticket also includes a free 24-hour pass for a Vélo Antwerpen shared bicycle, making it easy for visitors to travel between venues throughout the evening. Those eager to continue their museum discoveries after the event will receive a discount code worth €5 off the purchase of a new Museumpas during the month of August.

Visitors seeking information on the night itself can visit dedicated information points at the MAS, Operaplein and KMSKA from 17:00 onwards.

Art and museums in Antwerp

• Medieval Antwerp comes to life with archaeological exhibition at Het Steen.
• ANTWERP | ‘Antony Gormley. Geestgrond’ opens at KMSKA as the most comprehensive solo exhibition of the artist in Europe.
• Opera Ballet Vlaanderen unveils ‘À la flamande’ 2026–2027 season.
• ANTWERP | What if colours could sing? Masterpieces by Ensor, Wouters and Schmalzigaugnsor, Wouters and Schmalzigaug’, from 11 April to 30 August 2026.
• RED STAR LINE MUSEUM | ‘Drifting Belgians’, the incredible journey of the ghost walkers, until 30 August 2026.
• ANTWERP | ‘Martial Arts’: MAS exhibition explores the rich world of combat sports and martial traditions.
• REVIEW | ‘The Antwerp Six’ exhibition at the Antwerp fashion museum MoMu.
• ANTWERP | Museum Plantin-Moretus’ ‘Plantin’s Plants’ exhibition until 2 August 2026.
• FOMU 2026 | Carrie Mae Weems, Diane Severin Nguyen, Families, and Tenderly There by Tashattot.
• ANTWERP | M HKA opens new season with exhibition on censorship and artistic resistance.
• ANTWERP | Climb the Cathedral of Our Lady tower.
• ANTWERP | Rubens House appoints two design teams.
• Antwerp’s municipal museums surpass 2 million visitors in 2025.
• ANTWERP | KMSKA schedules ambitious exhibition programme for 2026, featuring international masters such as Antony Gormley, Philip Aguirre y Otegui and Ossip Zadkine.
• Museums of the City of Antwerp look ahead to 2026.
• REVIEW | ‘La ligne de vie’ René Magritte exhibition at Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA).
• 2028 to be Music Year in Antwerp.
• ANTWERP | Museum Mayer van den Bergh opens exhibition ‘Public Favourites’, from Mad Meg to Delft Blue, look at art through other people’s eyes.
• ANTWERP | Graphics Museum De Reede ft. Francisco Goya, Edvard Munch, Félicien Rops and Albrecht Dürer.
• ANTWERP | Rubens Experience and Rubens Garden at Rubenshuis.
• ANTWERP | Innovations in the Middelheim Museum provide a completely new visitor experience.
• A visit of the Flemish Tram and Bus Museum – Vlaams Tram- en Autobusmuseum (VlaTAM) in Antwerp.
• ANTWERP | Discovering queer(ed) art with the Queer Tour at the KMSKA fine arts museum.
• REVIEW | Illusion Antwerpen, an active and photogenic museum.
• Antwerp museums and sports facilities team up with European Disability Card for accessible leisure activities.
• Museum Mayer van den Bergh.
• ANTWERP | Inside Rubens House.
• Museum Plantin-Moretus in Antwerp.
• ANTWERP | Museum Vleeshuis up for restoration.
• BOOK | ‘Antwerp. An Archaeological View on the Origin of the City’ by Tim Bellens.
• Red Star Line Museum.
• Paleis op de Meir. 
• DIVA, Antwerp Home of Diamonds.
• ANTWERP | Red Star Line Museum of (e)migration.