SUNDAY 26 APRIL | Heritage Day 2026 (Erfgoeddag) brings a touch of humour to Antwerp

On Sunday 26 April, more than 80 organisations, museums and heritage institutions across Antwerp will join forces for Heritage Day (Erfgoeddag), offering a free journey of discovery through tangible and intangible heritage. This 25th edition revolves around humour.

On Sunday 26 April, Heritage Day returns with more than 70 free activities across the city. This year’s theme, ‘HAHA Humour‘, explores how laughter brings people together, while also recognising that jokes can cross boundaries, hurt or exclude. Humour evolves over time and reveals something about who we are, and who we once were.

Visitors can expect both laughter and discovery. Highlights include encounters with the traditional poesjenellen puppets, which use Antwerp dialect and sharp wit to reflect on contemporary themes and frustrations. 

The programme also pays tribute to comedian Gaston Berghmans, who would have turned 100 this year, offers a look into the costume collection of Huis Baeyens, and celebrates the 20th anniversary of comedy café The Joker. Humour will also appear in unexpected places, from observatories to arts venues, and from historic neighbourhoods to burlesque performances.

Alderman for Culture Lien Van de Kelder (Vooruit) said: “Quirky culture, that’s exactly what independent-minded Antwerp loves. How about a tirade of insults delivered by a Poesjenel puppet? Humour helps us put things into perspective, offers a sense of relativity, and can give voice to what often goes unspoken. On Heritage Day, you’ll see just how rich that tradition is: from comedy to magic and improvisational theatre enjoyed by young and old alike, to the poesjenellen — that rebellious form of folk theatre which once had to perform in cellars because it was too loud and too sharp for those in power. And the great thing is: our libraries, such as Permeke, are also embracing this approach, providing a warm, accessible and surprising programme for everyone!”

Across the districts, a wide range of activities is planned. In Hoboken, visitors can head to the Gravenhof, the summer bar and Fort 8. The Gravenhof will host comedy ranging from improvisation to stand-up, while the Red Star Line Museum presents ‘Passport Comedy Night‘ featuring performers including Serine Ayari. At the fort, visitors can watch Belgium’s oldest magic club alongside actors from the Belgian Improvisation League, while exhibitions on political satire and historical re-enactments bring the site to life.

Comedy café The Joker will mark its 20th anniversary with a live podcast featuring Alex Agnew, Fokke Vandermeulen and Yasmine Van Suetendael.

Puppet theatre also plays a prominent role in this year’s programme. A unique storytelling session by renowned puppeteer Guy Van de Casteele is scheduled at the VolXmuseum in Deurne, while Theatre FroeFroe and Lejo will perform at the Deurne district hall. Stories from the rhetoricians and a private puppet collection will be presented at Sint-Nicolaasplaats, and the Heritage Library Hendrik Conscience will host an exhibition accompanied live by Antwerp puppet theatre groups.

Comics, satire and the legacy of Jef Nys are also featured. The comic strip centre in Wilrijk will showcase heritage editions, archive tours, an exhibition on Nys, comic walks and a large-scale comic sale. Elsewhere in the city, cartoons, memes and satire are central to programmes at institutions including ADVN, the National Museum of Customs and Excise, the University of Antwerp, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA), and the Mayer van den Bergh Museum.

Permeke Library and FMDO (Federation of Mondial and Democratic Organisations) are collaborating on a programme celebrating global traditions. With contributions from organisations from countries such as Burundi and Peru, activities range from laughter sessions to tarot, animal fables and mask-making workshops.

From creative workshops to guided tours, treasure hunts and storytelling, visitors of all ages — especially families — will find activities that bring heritage to life. The full programme and practical information are available online.

Heritage Day will take place on Sunday 26 April 2026 from 10:00 to 18:00 across multiple locations in eight Antwerp districts. All activities are free, although some require advance booking. Despite coinciding with the Antwerp 10 Miles, all participating locations remain accessible, with up-to-date travel information available online.

Art and museums in Antwerp

• 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.
• ROYAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS ANTWERP | ‘The Fall of Alba’s Citadel. Image and Memory in Turbulent Times’, from 6 February to 17 May 2026.
• 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).
• REVIEW | ‘Universal Tongue’, on dance, at Museum Aan de Stroom (MAS) until 4 January 2026.
• 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.