From 8 to 10 May 2026, the Abbaye de la Cambre in Ixelles will host Matrimiel, a festival dedicated to the transmission of knowledge, crafts and traditions passed on by older women. The event, created by Elya Verdal, places matrimony, memory and handmade practices at the centre of a three-day gathering in one of Brussels’ most emblematic heritage sites. For the official event listing, see the Ixelles agenda.
Mon corps sait – Assia El Kasmi
A festival rooted in transmission
Matrimiel is presented as an artisanal and intergenerational festival focused on the skills, stories and practices carried by grandmothers and women artisans. The project highlights the importance of passing on knowledge across generations and cultures through workshops, encounters and shared experiences.
Three days at the Abbaye de la Cambre
The festival will take place over three days, from 8 to 10 May 2026, with the Abbaye de la Cambre listed as the main venue in Ixelles. Public communications around the event also mention daytime activities, with the festival running between 9am and 5pm, and refer to an additional venue, the Hôtel de Wouters on Boulevard Général Jacques.
Sensibles – Zoe Pauwels
Heritage, memory and women’s histories
The choice of the Abbaye de la Cambre gives the festival a strong symbolic dimension. The site, one of Ixelles’ best-known heritage landmarks, reinforces the connection between memory, cultural transmission and creation.
Matrimiel is also explicitly framed around matrimoine, with the festival’s public materials presenting it as a celebration of women’s heritage, traditional skills and the living transmission of know-how.
Practical information
Theme: intergenerational transmission, women’s know-how, matrimoine.
Festival: Matrimiel.
Dates: 8–10 May 2026.
Location: Abbaye de la Cambre, Ixelles.
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