In the aftermath of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool I wrote an op-ed for Songfestival.be, a Flemish fan medium. This is a translation and slight adaptation, as the original was written fit for the Songfestival.be audience. Belgium won the ESC only once, in 1986 with Sandra Kim singing ‘J’aime la vie’.
Tag: Wallonia
Brussels Pride – The Belgian & European Pride 2023 programme and schedule, parade route and itinerary
The Belgian Pride is dead. Long live the Brussels Pride – The Belgian & European Pride. The Brussels Pride is now run by Visit.Brussels, the tourism agency of the Brussels-Capital Region. Brussels Pride launched a new website with a programme and a schedule.
WALLONIA | Rochefort
The 21st of July is Belgium‘s National Day. This date was chosen as on July the 21st, 1831, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha took the Constitutional Oat to become King of the Belgians. Being a public holiday with many shops and catering options closed, Oriol and I decided to go to Sedan just across…
Brussels Pride Week 2023 from 10 to 20 May, Belgian Pride 2023 parade on Saturday 20 May
The Belgian Pride in Brussels is set to take place on Saturday 20 May. While organising committee The Belgian Pride (with article ‘the’) has been silent on Facebook since May 2022 (!) RainbowHouse Brussels just launched a call for activities for the pride accompanying Brussels Pride Week which lasts ten days and is set for…
BEHIND THE SCENES | Gustaph and ‘Because Of You’ to represent Belgium at 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool
Gustaph, né Stef Caers (42), will represent Belgium in Liverpool in England for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. Gustaph and his song ‘Because of You‘ won the finale of Eurosong, which is Flanders‘ selection contest for the ESC. Dennis and I went to see the finale live, in the audience, at Brussels‘ Heysel‘s Palace 12.
Belgians make 4.5 million day trips to Antwerp every year
Day trips remain an important pillar of tourism in Antwerp, research by Westtoer shows. It mapped out day tourism in Belgium between 2021 and 2022. During that period, Antwerp received 4.5 million day trips by compatriots, representing a turnover of 195 million euros in the Antwerp economy.
ANTWERP | 2 million day tourists and 337K overnight stays in the summer of 2022
Antwerp welcomed two million day tourists and counted some 337,000 overnight stays in the summer of 2022, according to Alderman for Tourism Koen Kennis (N-VA). The Tall Ships Races, Tomorrowland in Boom, the Museum Night and Antwerp Pride are responsible for most of these visitors.
Monkeypox vaccine, an excuse to visit Valenciennes
September 2022. Just over a month after Maarten and I went to Lille for our first jab of the monkeypox vaccine, we went to Valenciennes for the second jab.
Legoland Belgium in Gosselies, Charleroi by 2027
Belgium is set to host the fourth Legoland amusement park in Europe. In 2027, the town of Gosselies near Charleroi in the province of Hainaut in Wallonia. The site used to host the Caterpillar machinery factory. The Walloon Government foresees 1,000 new jobs.
Borgerhout flies intersex inclusive Rainbow Progress Pride Flag for IDAHOT
The 17th of May is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexphobia and Transphobia. IDAHOBIT, or more commonly in Belgium, IDAHOT. Since a few years cities, communes (municipalities) and districts in Flanders fly the rainbow flag on this occasion. This year, the District of Borgerhout in Antwerp is also flying the latest version: the Progress…
Trip By Trip 