BRUSK FEST Saturday

The ambitious cultural‑historical exhibition 'Bigger Picture' sheds new light on Bruges as a medieval metropolis and shows how the city was connected to the rest of the world for centuries: from Jerusalem to Venice, from the North Sea to the Mediterranean and the “new” world.

Refik Anadol’s solo exhibition in Bruges is an absolute first for Belgium. For BRUSK, Anadol created a completely new immersive installation powered by data from the city of Bruges itself.

BRUSQUE is an artistic exploration of the acoustics of the new BRUSK building. In winter, Jelle Vos and Brecht Vanhoutte, together with Gerrit Valckenaers, entered the still empty large exhibition hall. By literally blowing sounds through the space and recording its reactions, they captured the "acoustic DNA" of the large hall. These recordings form the basis for the sound composition BRUSQUE, which can be heard along the path to BRUSK (from main entrance Dijver) during BRUSK FEST.

Natasha Pirard is a Ghent musicologist and composer, signed to DEEWEE, the Ghent label of Soulwax. Dream Cycles (2024), her debut album, is a journey of discovery through sound waves, loops and frequencies, built from eight repetitive song cycles that can play endlessly. Natasha Pirard builds on her own way on the ideas of minimalist composers like Steve Reich and questions the traditional linear nature of music. Her next project, Fernande, Cécile (DEEWEE, 2025), is dedicated by Pirard to her mother and deceased grandmother. The result is deeply personal and tries to communicate with sound where words fall short.

Joanne Robertson lives in Glasgow, where she paints and makes music. At the core of her work is the idea of improvisation and free expression, where both art forms are extensions of each other. Her dreamy songs have a free and linear structure and meandering lyrics, which Joanne Robertson accompanies with her guitar playing drenched in reverb and echo. Rather than perfection, the goal is to capture the emotions and energy of the moment. With its raw and vulnerable character, her experimental and atmospheric folk immediately grabs you by the throat. 

The British synth wizard James Holden and the Polish clarinet guru Waclaw Zimpel are both masters of their instruments and celebrated composers in their field. Holden broke through with trance-like minimal techno, and with his album 'The Animal Spirits' (2017), took a surprising turn towards psychedelic modular synth compositions. Zimpel, under the influence of contemporary free jazz, became increasingly caught up in the web of musical experimentation. Their music is best experienced in intimate live settings, where Zimpel and Holden — sitting cross-legged on the ground and bathed in a veil of incense — pour a warm rainbow of electro-acoustic sounds over their audience. Step into the hypnotic trance space of Holden & Zimpel.

Discover Bar Brusk, the newest location of De Republiek, inside BRUSK. We’re opening with a festive twist — slightly different from how you’ll experience us later, but perfect for a first taste of what Bar Brusk stands for. A warm introduction that will make you want to return.

Belgian artist Lindert Steegen brings art to the people. He transforms gray areas into vibrant settings with a playful, positive impact on passersby. His recognizable, colorful style is the common thread throughout BRUSK FEST: his interventions appear unexpectedly in the festival zone and transform the surroundings into a cheerful canvas.

Ready to kick off the first urban day? Grab your board and drop in during the Free Skate at the brand-new skatepark on the Dijver. Be the first to ride the new spots at this iconic location at BRUSK. Be there, skate hard!

On top of three large spheres, a new world slowly emerges — a dreamscape of rolling hills, jagged mountains, bubbling springs, safe harbours and wild forests. Anyone who wants to join can sculpt with yellow, black, white and red clay to build a world full of surprises and beautiful moments.

The action continues! On Saturday, the instructors of the Push Skateboard Academy take over the park at the Dijver. Watch as the coaches — who normally teach the next generation the tricks of the trade — showcase their coolest tricks. A demo full of technical precision and pure passion for the sport. Get inspired by the masters of the Academy and see what's possible with the right technique: Jasper Tijtgat, Daniel De Nolf, Ikka Deceuster, Wout Neirinck, Bas Vanhoute, Jorre Claeys, Barend Mortelmans, Mael Debie. MC Tristan Savels sets the Dijver ablaze and DJ Kibri blends tunes you've forgotten or simply haven't discovered yet.

No walls this time, but a gigantic canvas where everyone can leave their mark. Learn the art of tags and throw-ups under the wings of street art pros Sakrez and Zirmes. Whether you're an experienced writer or holding a marker for the first time: come by and help us fill this collective artwork in urban style.

Be Flat collaborates with 15 young Bruges performers from Exception Movement, the local parkour association. Inspired by BRUSK’s motto “Cut Through Art”, they explore the paths future visitors will take. With surprising movements and audience interaction, the freerunners guide you along the Dijver through the Museum Quarter toward BRUSK’s entrance — each time a unique acrobatic journey celebrating the new art gallery.

Cups, pots, plates, bowls everywhere — light, heavy, straight or crooked… Fragility is all that matters. The “Geluksmakers” of Ghentlemen have everything ready to give luck a little push. Make a wish, throw, and take home your personal piece of good fortune.

Welcome to the mobile PrintLab of Het Entrepot / Het Lab. Here you can learn screen printing and RISO printing.

Suddenly, a large loom appears on the Dijver. Together with neighbours and festival visitors, you weave a unique collective artwork. The result? A colourful woven piece that will remain in the neighbourhood — a tangible trace of new encounters, stories and conversations.

Eyes lock onto you. Researchers of this planet, explorers of our time, moving as one collective mind. They are searching… and they find you. Strange, funny, maybe even unsettling — explorers of the now.

Join the Graffiti Walk-in & Walk-out and learn the basics from two absolute legends of the scene: Sakrez (Djeneral Purpose) and Zirmez (DJ Bullet). No registration needed, just drop by, shake the bottle, and create your own tag or piece under professional guidance.

Domein Aan De Plas organizes an evening SUP tour on the canals of Bruges, along the Dijver. More info and registration coming soon.

As the sun sets, the volume goes up. Starting at 19:30, we transform the Dijver into a real arena. Not just an ordinary session, but a hardcore Best Trick & Skate Jam. Show your coolest tricks on the obstacles and battle it out with the rest. DJ Kibri provides the beats, and MC Tristan Savels excites the crowd. And there are big prizes waiting for those who manage to amaze the jury (and the crowd). 

As the skaters ride the jam, Bruges urban legend Jamez Jamezon brings art to life. From 19:30 to 20:30, watch him live in action during an exclusive graffiti demonstration on skateboard decks. Don't miss this chance to see an icon at work and who knows... you might go home with one of these unique, hand-sprayed collector's items!

Enjoy the flavours and atmosphere of Bar Brusk outside the building as well. At our pop‑up bars in the Arentshof and on the Dijver, you’ll find the same vibe, taste and hospitality as in our new home.

Arentshof Resident Erykah is a DJ from Ghent with a focus on bass and breaks. In addition to regular sets at the Ghent club Funke, you can find her on line-ups of Horst Festival, ABRUPT, and Listen Festival. Especially for BRUSK FEST, Erykah digs extra deep into her record collection. 

Producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Dijf Sanders has worked in recent years with Warhaus, Sylvie Kreusch, MDC III and Wim Vandekeybus, and has simultaneously released a series of fascinating solo records. Through his process, in which he immerses himself in the culture and collaborates with local communities, Dijf opens the door to sounds that are often exotic to the Western ear. His music is captivating and hypnotic and challenges the European and Anglo-Saxon frames of reference of pop. Dijf plays in a duo with drummer Simon Segers.

Susobrino, born in Bolivia and now based in Brussels, is driven by rhythm, emotion, curiosity, and discovery. His sound is an unpredictable mix of acoustic and electronic elements, blending the music of his South American roots with contemporary electronics. On stage, Susobrino works with loop stations and a collection of flutes, percussion instruments, and small guitars. 

Together, Lander Gyselinck (STUFF., Beraadgeslagen) and Adriaan Van de Velde (Pomrad) form the drum & keys duo Lander & Adriaan. Their shared love for glossy digital synths and underground dance from the '90s brought them together during the very first lockdown in 2020 to jam. Since then, they have grown into an unmissable live act, and the wild scenes they unleashed at festivals like Lowlands, Pukkelpop, and Down The Rabbit Hole have become legendary. Their crazy mash-up of cheesy jazz with Chicago juke, Detroit techno, UK funky, and classic rave is inimitable, virtuosic, and above all, fun. From the middle of the dance floor, Lander & Adriaan drag you along all corners of the dance floor — until you are bounced completely black and blue.

The French collective Acid Arab was formed in the multicultural melting pot of the Parisian suburbs, aiming to create space for Arabic culture within contemporary dance music. To achieve this, the collective combines elements of Algerian gasba, trance music from Anatolia, raï, and dabke with Western electronic music and dance. For their cross-border and exhilarating sound, Acid Arab collaborates with musicians from North Africa and the Levant.

Enjoy the flavours and atmosphere of Bar Brusk outside the building as well. At our pop‑up bars in the Arentshof and on the Dijver, you’ll find the same vibe, taste and hospitality as in our new home.