Brussels is about to get its first real open-air moment of the season. On Friday 1 May, Ginette Open Air returns to the city, this time taking over Place du Congrès from 14:00 to 22:00 with a daylight-to-evening dancefloor built around the familiar Chez Ginette spirit.
The event marks a new chapter for a concept that has been growing in Brussels since 2015 and has become a recognizable part of the city’s party landscape. According to the City of Brussels, this edition brings Ginette back to a place where the team had already staged its first open air, now reimagined as a central gathering point where the DJs are placed “in the middle of the slab” so people can dance around them.
A Brussels ritual
Ginette is no longer just a party brand; it is part of the city’s seasonal rhythm. The project has developed into a recognizable open-air format with large crowds, a festive identity and a strong local following, while the afterparty continues Chez Ginette later in the evening.
That gives the event a double life: outdoor daylight energy at Place du Congrès, then a clubby continuation inside. It is exactly the kind of structure Brussels nightlife does well, mixing public-space celebration with the intimacy of a venue after dark.
Why it matters
The appeal of Ginette Open Air is not only the music, but the way it turns a square into a temporary social space. The City of Brussels positions it squarely as a music event, but the project also functions as a city ritual, pulling together regulars, curious newcomers and people looking for a soft start to the season.
There is also a broader cultural value in seeing Place du Congrès used this way. Open airs like this help reshape how Brussels is experienced, especially when weather finally allows the city to spill back outdoors and claim its public spaces again.
Useful links
Ginette Open Air – City of Brussels
Ginette Open Air – Dutch version
Ginette Open Air – Think Pink page
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