Brussels will host the international LGBTQIA+ choral festival Various Voices from 24 to 28 June 2026, bringing nearly 400 concerts, shows and community events to venues across the Belgian capital. The five-day festival will transform the historic Royal Quarter into a major meeting point for queer choirs and audiences from across Europe and beyond.
The programme combines large-scale evening productions, afternoon choir concerts and free events across the city. Participating choirs will each perform a 30-minute concert on Thursday, Friday or Saturday afternoon, forming the core of the festival programme.
Performances will take place in venues including Bozar, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, La Madeleine and the Cirque Royal, while additional concerts and musical activities will appear in public spaces throughout Brussels.
The festival opens on Wednesday 24 June with the launch of the Various Voices Village at the BIP building in the Royal Quarter. Street concerts under the banner ‘Various Voices & the City‘ will bring choirs into public spaces across Brussels during the afternoon. The official opening ceremony will take place at Bozar in the evening, followed by a welcome party at the C12 club.
Throughout the following days, dozens of choirs will perform afternoon concerts in multiple venues, while free lunchtime concerts will also take place at Brussels City Hall.
Visitors will also be able to join singing-guided tours through the historic building, punctuated by short musical performances in several rooms. Outdoor concerts are scheduled in Brussels Park as part of the Vaux Hall Summer programme, alongside additional street performances across the city.
Evening shows will provide the festival’s large-scale productions. On Thursday 25 June, Cirque Royal will host ‘The Treachery of Images‘, a performance inspired by Belgium’s surrealist artistic heritage that explores the’mes of visibility and identity. On Friday 26 June, the show ‘Royalties‘ will transform the venue into a celebration of queer culture, ballroom traditions and influential musical icons.
The festival culminates on Saturday 27 June with the major production ‘Let Your Heart Be Heard‘ at the ING Arena near the Atomium. Thousands of singers are expected to join together to perform the festival anthem, creating what organisers describe as the largest choir ever assembled in Brussels. The evening performance will also reflect on the past and future of LGBTQIA+ communities in Europe.
Choir members and visitors will be able to participate in rehearsals for the anthem in the months leading up to the festival. These community rehearsals will take place at Bozar on selected Sundays in April, May and June and are open to participants with a ticket for the arena show, or for a small participation fee.
The festival concludes on Sunday 28 June with closing ceremonies at Bozar, marking the end of the Brussels edition and the symbolic passing of the festival to its next host city in 2030.
Most festival venues are located within walking distance of each other in the Royal Quarter, including Bozar, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, La Madeleine and Cirque Royal.
Nightly festival parties will take place at C12, while the main arena concert will be staged at the ING Arena. Organisers are also preparing an accessibility charter to ensure the event is inclusive and welcoming for all participants.
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