---
title: "Brussels Press Review — Wednesday 6 May 2026" date: 2026-05-06 tags: [news, brussels, press-review] lang: en image: "/news/covers/2026/05/2026-05-06-cover.png" summary: "The Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition opens at Flagey, the Federal Planning Bureau warns of a pivot index overshoot in June with inflation at 3.5%, Brussels businesses feel the pinch of misaligned school holidays, and Europe Day festivities will stretch from the Berlaymont to the Grand-Place this Saturday."
Brussels Press Review — Wednesday 6 May 2026
A daily roundup of Brussels news from BX1, RTBF, and the Brussels Times.
🎵 Culture
Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition Kicks Off at Flagey
The Queen Elisabeth Competition devoted to the cello officially launched on Monday at Flagey in Ixelles, where the first public rounds will run from 4 to 9 May. This edition marks a triple anniversary: the 75th year of the Competition, the 150th anniversary of Queen Elisabeth's birth, and the birth of Catalan cellist Pablo Casals, a close friend of the queen. As a special honour, the Pau Casals Foundation will lend the winner the maestro's historic Goffriller "Casals" cello from 1733 for four years. Sixty-four young cellists from around the world will compete — but no Belgian made the cut this time, with Germany, South Korea, and the United States fielding the largest contingents. — BX1
Hangar Festival Adds Royal Palace Open-Air Date on 15 August
The Hangar Festival has announced a major bonus date: an open-air event at the Royal Palace on 15 August 2026, running from 3pm to midnight and expected to draw 13,000 revellers. The headline attraction is a back-to-back set between German "high-tech minimal" pioneer Boris Brejcha and Swedish melodic-techno heavyweight Eric Prydz — a first for both artists in Brussels. The announcement follows a successful festival weekend and further cements Hangar's status as one of Brussels' most dynamic electronic music brands. The following evening, 16 August, South African deep-house icon Black Coffee will perform on the Place des Palais. — BX1
Senzanome Loses Its Michelin Star After 21 Years
The Italian restaurant Senzanome in Brussels has lost the Michelin star it had held for 21 years, a decision unveiled during Monday's Michelin Guide ceremony in Antwerp. Chef Giovanni Bruno received the news with emotion but defiance. "We must keep going. We probably made mistakes, but we have to hold our heads high. Twenty-one years is a whole story," he said, vowing to continue working as the team always has. Among the other Brussels establishments to lose their star were Le Pigeon Noir in Uccle and the Villa Lorraine. For many regulars at Senzanome, however, the distinction matters little — they come for the reputation, not the rating. — BX1
🏛️ Society & Governance
Misaligned School Holidays Put the Brakes on Brussels Business
Brussels is grinding into low gear as the gap between French-speaking and Dutch-speaking school holidays stretches the capital's rhythm across several weeks. The Delhaize Reyers store near the media district reports a 20% drop in custom during this period, with remote working and family holidays compounding the effect. BECI director-general Thierry Geerts warns the economic impact should not be underestimated: board meetings, working committees, and daily collaboration grind to a halt as the two communities' calendars drift apart. Brussels Mobility notes that traffic volumes also ease, with some normally choked junctions noticeably quieter — though the benefit to drivers hardly compensates for the broader hit to the city's economic fabric. — BX1
Europe Day 2026: From the Berlaymont to the Grand-Place
This year's Europe Day on Saturday 9 May will stretch well beyond the EU quarter. The Berlaymont building will open its doors to the public as usual, with guided tours, tastings, and the free interactive "Experience Europe" exhibition. At 4:45pm a "festive march" will set off from the European district towards the city centre, where a giant European flag will be unfurled on the Grand-Place ahead of a ceremony with musical performances and street artists. The date also coincides with the Iris Festival, marking the 37th anniversary of the Brussels-Capital Region — making 9 May a double celebration this year. — BX1
Bomb Threat at Etterbeek International School Proves Unfounded
The British Junior Academy of Brussels, an international school on Boulevard Louis Schmidt in Etterbeek, was evacuated for around two-and-a-half hours on Tuesday afternoon following an anonymous bomb threat. The Montgomery police zone confirmed that federal police dog units were deployed to sweep the premises. No anomalies were found, and the alert was lifted, allowing pupils to return safely. "Everything then returned to normal," a police spokesperson confirmed. — BX1
💰 Economy
Pivot Index Overshoot Expected in June, Inflation to Hit 3.5% in 2026
The Federal Planning Bureau now expects the pivot index — the trigger for automatic wage and benefit indexation in Belgium — to be exceeded in June 2026, a month earlier than its previous forecast. As a result, social benefits and public-sector salaries will be adjusted upward in September under the "index centime" mechanism. The Bureau has also revised its annual inflation forecast from 3.2% to 3.5%, citing the Middle East conflict and associated energy price increases. Inflation is expected to remain above 4% for most of the next 12 months, peaking at 4.57% in January 2027 before gradually declining — but staying above 2% for a full year after that. — BX1
Belgium's Human Rights Record Under UN Scrutiny
Belgium's human rights performance is being examined by the United Nations this week as part of the Universal Periodic Review process, which assesses the record of every UN member state. The review comes at a sensitive moment, with Belgian authorities facing questions on issues ranging from prison overcrowding and the treatment of asylum seekers to racial discrimination and police violence. Civil society organisations have submitted detailed reports ahead of the session, and the UN's recommendations — expected later this week — are likely to put political pressure on federal and regional governments alike. — Brussels Times
🚔 Security & Justice
Fatal Incident at Schaerbeek Station
A serious incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon at Schaerbeek railway station near platform 12, reportedly resulting in one fatality. The train involved was running the Saint-Ghislain–Tongeren service and was not scheduled to stop at Schaerbeek. Around 30 passengers were evacuated by the SNCB and the remainder of the journey was halted. Platforms 11 to 13 remain temporarily unavailable, though the rail operator says alternative routing keeps disruption to a minimum. Early indications point to an act of despair, though official confirmation from the railway police is still pending. — BX1
Body Found in Drainage Channel in Auderghem
A lifeless body was discovered overnight from Monday to Tuesday in a drainage channel along the Chaussée de Watermael in Auderghem, the Brussels prosecutor's office confirmed. An investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances of the death, but the prosecution declined further comment for the time being, citing the interest of the ongoing inquiry. — BX1
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Effigy Leaves Brussels Courthouse
The striking effigy of the late US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg that had adorned the Brussels Courthouse has been acquired by a Belgian private collector, ending a chapter in the building's unusual recent history. The sculpture was part of a broader artistic intervention in the vast, perpetually renovated Palais de Justice, and its departure has stirred some nostalgia among regular visitors, who had grown used to seeing Ginsburg's likeness presiding over the corridors. — Brussels Times
Molenbeek Honours 40 Young People for Response to Racist Rampage
One year after Club Brugge hooligans carried out racist violence in Molenbeek on the eve of the Belgian Cup final, the commune has awarded honorary citizenship to 40 young people who led the community's response. The ceremony at Molenbeek town hall also honoured the collective "Je suis la Belgique", which organised a symbolic reconciliation march from Molenbeek to Bruges. At the judicial level, the investigation is now closed, with three individuals facing criminal court charges for assault and battery aggravated by racist motive. — Brussels Times
✈️ Mobility & Transport
Brussels Residents Lose More Sleep Over Zaventem Than Flemish Neighbours
A new study on aircraft noise around Brussels Airport paints a stark picture of regional inequality: Brussels residents are significantly more sleep-deprived by flights to and from Zaventem than their Flemish neighbours. More than 104,000 people suffer severely disrupted sleep, with nearly 60% of those affected living in the Brussels-Capital Region. The findings are reigniting long-standing disputes between the regions over flight-path distribution and night-flight policy, with Brussels politicians calling for a fairer sharing of the noise burden. — Brussels Times
All Charleroi Flights Cancelled on 12 May as Strike Grounds Airports
Every flight to and from Brussels South Charleroi Airport will be cancelled on Monday 12 May due to the national trade union demonstration against federal pension and labour reforms. The announcement follows confirmation that Brussels Airport will also see just over half of its departing flights scrapped. Public transport across the capital — metro, tram, and bus — will be affected, and bin collections may be postponed with catch-up rounds planned. Unions are targeting the so-called "work more, earn less" reforms that have been at the centre of escalating social tensions. — Brussels Times
European Sleeper Trains Eyes Routes to Stockholm and Barcelona
The Brussels-based night-train operator European Sleeper is setting its sights on two ambitious new routes: Stockholm and Barcelona. The company, which already runs services to Berlin and Prague, sees growing demand for climate-friendly alternatives to short-haul flights, and both Nordic and Iberian corridors are underserved by existing rail options. While the plans remain at an early stage and hinge on negotiating track access across multiple countries, European Sleeper's expansion would turn Brussels into a genuine hub for overnight rail travel across the continent. — Brussels Times
⚽ Sports
Fifty Years Ago Today: Anderlecht's First European Crown
On 5 May 1976, Anderlecht became the first Belgian club ever to win a European football trophy, beating West Ham United 4-2 in the Cup Winners' Cup final at the Heysel Stadium. Rob Rensenbrink and François Van der Elst each scored twice in front of a delirious home crowd. The triumph launched a golden period: Anderlecht went on to win the 1976 European Super Cup against Bayern Munich, another Cup Winners' Cup in 1978, and the UEFA Cup in 1983. The club marked the 50th anniversary on Monday with a nostalgic tribute to the generation that put Belgian football on the European map. — BX1