Tapis de Fleurs / Bloementapijt
Biennial flower carpet on the Grand-Place: 500,000 dahlias forming Hokusai's Great Wave for the 160th anniversary of Belgium-Japan relations, with nightly sound-and-light show.
Leverage a rare biennial spectacle of 500,000 dahlias and cultural fusion to drive tourism, hospitality bookings, and experiential content around a landmark Brussels event.
- Behind-the-scenes: How 500,000 dahlias are arranged into Hokusai's masterpiece
- Belgium-Japan cultural bridge: 160 years of relations celebrated in flowers
- Nightly light show transforms Grand-Place into immersive art installation
- Plan your pilgrimage: Travel guides and hotel packages for Tapis de Fleurs season
Every two years during summer, a flower carpet of 70 m × 24 m takes place on the Grand-Place . This 2026 edition celebrates 160 years of Belgium-Japan diplomatic relations, featuring "La Grande Vague de Kanagawa" d'Hokusai, reinterpreted in over 500,000 dahlias by Japanese artist Hiro Sugiyama and his collective Enlightenment . For the first time, a second flower carpet will be installed at the Bourse, inspired by hops—a symbol of Belgium's brewing heritage . The main carpet is assembled by nearly 120 volunteers placing nearly one million flowers in less than 4 hours .
Thursday 13 Aug
Flower carpet installation by ~120 volunteers in morning hours; Town Hall balcony visits 14:00–18:00
Fri 14 – Sun 16 Aug
Flower carpet on display; Town Hall balcony visits 10:00–22:00; Sound & light show 21:00–23:00 (every 30 mins)
All days 13–16 Aug
Grand-Place freely accessible 24 hours; live webcam broadcast available; Bourse second carpet on display
- Sound and light spectacle: 13–16 August, 21:00–23:00 (every 30 minutes)
- Over 500,000 dahlias reinterpreting Hokusai's iconic Great Wave by Japanese artist Hiro Sugiyama
- Inaugural second flower carpet at the Bourse celebrating Belgian brewing heritage
- Free public viewing on the Grand-Place
- live webcam available for construction and final result
- Town Hall balcony viewings: 14:00–18:00 on 13 August
- 10:00–22:00 from 14–16 August
- Biennial UNESCO World Heritage Grand-Place transformed into ephemeral floral art installation
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