Concept of the BANAD Festival

Organisers

The BANAD Festival is organised by Explore.Brussels, a network of associations that organise guided tours: ARAU, Arkadia, Brussels Chatterguides and Pro Velo.

For this event, Explore.Brussels will work together with many different partners on the topic of Art Nouveau and Art Deco in Brussels, Belgium and abroad, in order to offer a programme of guided tours and events that celebrate these two architectural styles. 

Event Concept

The unmissable annual event spanning three weekends, the ninth edition of the Brussels Art Nouveau & Art Deco Festival will take place on March 15 & 16; 22 & 23, and 29 & 30, 2025. The BANAD Festival invites you to discover remarkable locations showcasing the Art Nouveau and Art Deco architecture of the Brussels-Capital Region.

On the agenda: tours of around sixty interiors usually closed to the public (some accessible for the very first time), about twenty thematic guided routes to explore on foot or by bike, original lectures, inclusive and family-friendly activities, and finally the famous Object Fair and the Restorers & Experts Salon.

Following the success of the Art Nouveau Year 2023, its international acclaim, and record attendance, Urban and Visit.Brussels are launching an Art Deco Year 2025 in the Brussels-Capital Region to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1925 Paris Industrial Exhibition of Decorative Arts. The BANAD 2025 program will thus place greater emphasis on this style.

Art nouveau?

The Art Nouveau style emerged at the end of the nineteenth century in opposition to the Eclectic style. It is characterised by its curved lines, rhythmic designs, plays of colour, attention to detail and creativity. Today, it forms a major part of the architectural heritage of Brussels. Learn more in our three-minute capsule video!Presenter: Isabelle Vanderhoeven, guided tour leader
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Art Deco?

Art Deco was an early twentieth-century architectural style which emerged after the First World War. It represented a complete stylistic break from Art Nouveau, using straight, streamlined, geometric forms and emphasising surfaces, volumes, symmetry and contrasts. Brussels contains many heritage buildings that made major contributions to the style's development. Learn more in our three-minute capsule video!

Presenter: Kris Clerckx, guided tour leader

An In2Out Production