This is not (just) a Christmas tree! It’s a sparkling winter wonderland in the heart of Brussels.
Until 5 January 2025, the centre of Brussels will be lit up for the 24th edition of Plaisirs d’Hiver, an event that combines tradition, creativity and solidarity. This year, 261 Christmas stands, including 35 with the ‘’craft-producer‘’ label, will be welcoming visitors from all over the world every day.
A 20-metre-high Christmas tree and a 3D show on City Hall
This year, the 2024 Christmas tree does not come from a faraway forest. The search resulted in a 20-metre-high Nordmann from a private garden in Rixensart (Walloon Brabant). The tree, which had become a little too big, was donated to the City of Brussels by its owners, providing it with a setting worthy of its splendour. The lighting is magnificent, and the nativity scene is the main attraction of Christmas in the Grand-Place, except when the 3D video mapping is shown on the façade of the Town Hall, attracting the amazed gazes of spectators.
An Unforgettable Experience
‘Plaisirs d’Hiver is above all an experience to be lived and shared. With its Christmas market, iconic attractions and rich cultural programme, it will continue to be the must-see event at the end of the year. Our aim is to consolidate this event to make it even more sustainable, and to involve as many people as possible from our neighbourhoods,’ says Philippe Close, Mayor of the City of Brussels.
Unmissable new features and the Var as guest of honour
This edition of Plaisirs d’Hiver also includes some exciting new features:
- The Village dedicated to the Var, the essence of Provence and the Côte d’Azur, with its 18 partners, a Provencal nativity scene with 300 santons, and themed events every weekend.
- An extension of the Christmas market: 11 additional stands on rue de la Madeleine and a Creators Factory market in the Galerie Bortier.
- Unique artistic installations:
- Lucia, an immersive multimedia creation from Quebec in the courtyard of the Hôtel de Ville.
- Echinodermus, a giant 11-metre luminary on the Mont des Arts, glittering as night falls.
A variety of events and performances (circus, dance, music, etc.) are organised throughout the Plaisirs d’Hiver. Through an economic, tourism and cultural partnership with the Var department, the City of Brussels is offering visitors to Plaisirs d’Hiver a unique opportunity to discover this popular destination for Europeans all year round. Expertise from the Var will be showcased in around ten Christmas market chalets, featuring a Provencal cot and a chalet dedicated to tourism promotion.
Come to the Place de la Bourse for olive oils, artisanal biscuits, black truffles, jams, beers, wines and the emblematic perfumes of the Var, all treasures that will awaken your senses and offer you an unforgettable encounter with the art of living in the Var, combining Provencal and Côte d’Azur traditions.
