Concept of the BANAD Festival

Event Concept

Taking place over three weekends, the BANAD Festival lets you (re)discover remarkable venues which showcase the Art Nouveau and Art Deco heritage of the Brussels-Capital Region.

The programme comprises visits of interiors normally closed to the public, several guided tours (on foot or by bike), original lectures, inclusive and family activities, and also the unmissable Art Nouveau and Art Deco Collectors' and Valuation Fair.

New in 2024 is the "half and half" (50-50) split between Art Nouveau and Art Deco/Modernism with the following categories: #Essential (unmissable venues you have to see at least once in your life), #Classic (including certain public buildings that may occasionally be accessible, but rarely presented from the point of view of architectural heritage), #New (venues never before opened in the framework of the BANAD Festival), and #Previously New (venues that were new in previous years and are now being reopened for the benefit of visitors who might have missed them earlier).

The event concept is unique in Europe!

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.

Ticket sales

There are several ways to reserve places on the guided tours of interiors:

- Groups can make bookings by clicking on the menu item GROUPS

- Individuals can book one or more packages of pre-booked guided tours at specific times by clicking on the menu item PACKAGES. Please note that the packages cannot be changed after purchase.

How does it work?

In the online booking system you are required to identify yourself (or to create an account), then to specify the number of people for whom you wish to book places, then the applicable price (full price, reduced price or child under 12). Then you can add the guided tours to your basket. You no longer need to choose the number of guided tours in advance! You will then be asked to confirm your booking and you will receive your tickets by email.

This process, which may appear complicated at first sight, allows you to move more easily from tour to tour and to avoid having to queue at the entrance. When bookings first open, a lot of people try to connect to the system at the same time, which slows it down. We suggest you avoid the first four hours that bookings are available. We always hold back some places for tours of each building that are released a few days after booking opens, so please don't lose heart if you can't find places on the tours you want, just try again a few days later.

Should you experience difficulties with the system, please contact us.

The most important dates for the different types of bookings will be announced in the "News" section on our homepage, in our newsletters and on social media.

If you choose to create your own "à la carte" programme, you have to specify when you would like to join a guided tour. If you prefer not to do this, you can simply turn up at the entrance of the building on that day and join the queue. If there are any spots left for a guided tour, they will be offered for €13 per person (with some exceptions). So, with a little bit of planning in advance, buying a pass and creating your own programme, you can avoid waiting in a queue on the day of your tour!