Pride Week at Grands-Carmes: Events for Everybody’s Tastes!
- grandscarmes
- 3 days ago
- 10 min read
Wednesday, May 7
Brussels Pride Opening (from 6:00 PM to 11:30 PM)
Pride Week will kick off this Wednesday, May 7, with a militant march highlighting the past, present, and future of our struggles. It will begin at 6:00 PM in front of the Ihsane Jarfi mural, a tribute to victims of homophobic violence. The mural is located on Riches Claires Street in Brussels. This event will offer a moment of activist solidarity to commemorate this tragic murder and others like it, while also standing firm in the face of violence. Sadness and anger will not be the only themes of the evening — the event will also feature artistic performances and speeches by various associations who work daily to improve the lives of LGBTQIA+ individuals.
The march will continue through key locations of Brussels’ LGBTQIA+ community, eventually ending in the welcoming courtyard of Grands Carmes, which is a center hosting shared spaces for community events, a café, and an inclusive medical center known as MACS. This medical center will be the highlight of the evening. It offers general consultations, referrals to LGBTQIA+ friendly professionals, psycho- and sex-therapy services, STI screenings, and more. It is now the 52nd community medical center in the Brussels region. The festivities are expected to continue until around 11:00 PM.
You’ll find all practical info on how to attend the event here.
African LGBTQIA+ art and film festival - Massimadi Brussels (from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM)
The Massimadi Festival is a flagship event organized by the non-profit Identités du Baobab. The organization was founded in 2008 and has been highlighting Black LGBTQIA+ issues in Brussels since 2013. Its goal is to explore the cultural, social, and sexual identities of individuals through the creation and dissemination of artistic works, while also shedding light on their place and visibility within the societies in which they live.
The event will open with a screening of Madame Satã, a landmark Brazilian film that addresses themes of precarity and identity exploration in terms of gender and sexuality. The film is loosely based on the real life of João Francisco dos Santos, a Black man who was at once an outlaw, drag performer, fighter, cook, heroic figure, former inmate, and adoptive father of seven children. A debate will then take place at Palaba Corna, a space set up by the organization to foster open discussions.
It is all the more important today for members of this collective to increase their visibility during Pride Week, at a time when LGBTQIA+ rights are increasingly under threat worldwide. Indeed, the festival offers a respectful space for dialogue where strategies of resilience can be discussed to empower Black LGBTQIA+ individuals in the face of the many challenges they endure, all that in a safe and supportive environment.
You’ll find all practical info on how to attend the event here.
Thursday, May 8
LesBIan BBQ (from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM)
Come enjoy some delicious food and spend a pleasant time together! The LesBIen BBQ invites you to kick off Pride Week in a joyful atmosphere, with a friendly barbecue gathering. This event is primarily designed for FLINTA* individuals, offering them a space for relaxation, connection, and enjoyment in a safe environment. For one evening, the courtyard of Grands Carmes will be transformed into a warm, welcoming gathering place where people can come together in a laid-back setting. Grands Carmes and RainbowHouse will provide the BBQ kit and fresh veggies — all you need to do is bring whatever you’d like to grill, whether it's vegetarian, vegan, or meat-based!
*FLINTA: individuals who identify as women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, transgender, or agender.
You’ll find all practical info on how to attend the event here.
Friday, May 9
Conference – The “I” in LGBTQIA+: Understanding Intersex Identities (from 6 PM to 10 PM)
Each year, Pride Week celebrates the diversity of queer identities and struggles, yet one letter far too often remains invisible: the “I.” Intersex people, who face the same systemic oppressions as others in the community, continue to suffer from a severe lack of visibility — even within our own spaces. This conference/workshop is an awareness-raising initiative focused on intersex issues, aimed at an audience already somewhat familiar with queer topics.
The goal? To go beyond the basics and offer a deeper understanding of intersex realities. With an approach that is both educational and interactive, this event will challenge common misconceptions and explore the place of intersex people within our communities.
You’ll find all practical info on how to attend the event here.
Saturday, May 10
Performances – SuccuBi Fair (from 2 PM to 11 PM)
Clémence en flammes, also known as Clémence Dawagne, is a Belgian artist recently settled in Brussels who began performing slam poetry in 2022. Her slam is said to be monstrously feminist, cynically surreal, and unapologetically burlesque. It travels from gut to gut, delivering a catharsis as brutal as it is healing. Her art resonates across radio waves, TV sets, Brussels stages, in the music video Être une femme m’a tué (Being a woman killed me), and in the collective anthology On ne s’excuse de rien, Vol. 2.
You’ll find all practical info on how to attend the event here.
Sunday, May 11
Love is Love... and Food by EGB (from 12 PM to 2 PM)
A warm and friendly picnic will be hosted by E.G.B – Entre Gays Belgique in the bar and courtyard at Grands Carmes. This initiative aims to create a healthy, welcoming environment that encourages genuine connection among community members. The main mission of the organization is to foster real-life encounters — away from screens — by organizing a variety of monthly events. Friendship and the building of sincere connections within the community are always at the heart of their work. This event is open to everyone looking for a fun, relaxed moment with the community, free of fuss or pressure. The picnic offers a laid-back alternative to traditional Pride festivities — a chance to reconnect with friends and make new ones.
You’ll find all practical info on how to attend the event here.
Monday, May 12
Premiere of the film Famille choisie with the film team in attendance (from 7:00 PM to 12:30 AM)
This powerful, identity-driven film will be screened at Cinema Palace (sold out), followed by a Q&A with the film team. The feature-length documentary follows the journey of four non-binary artists from the Brussels drag scene. Through increasingly spectacular performances, a deep quest for both identity and artistic recognition emerges. They express a fundamental need: to fully embrace who they are — and, above all, to be accepted just as they are. A festive drink will follow at Grands Carmes, in the presence of the film team.
You'll find all the practical information you need to attend this event here.
Several movie premieres are scheduled throughout the month in case you didn’t manage to get a ticket in time. :)
Beyond the Screen: lesbian visibility and voice in film (from 8:00PM to 10.45PM)
The documentary Lesvia is a powerful film that retraces the gathering of lesbians in Eressos, on the island of Lesbos. The birthplace of the poet Sappho, the island welcomed lesbians from around the world in the 1970s. This gave rise to a community rooted in values of freedom, connection to nature, sisterhood — as well as resistance and solidarity. Through moving interviews and archival footage, the feature-length film offers an intimate look at the lives of those who helped make Eressos a symbol of refuge for lesbians.
Director Tzeli Hadjidimitriou will join online afterward for a Q&A session. Audience members will have the opportunity to engage with the filmmaker about the making of the documentary, current issues around lesbian visibility, the challenges faced by this community, and the importance of inclusivity in LGBTQIA+ struggles.
This event is organized by Égalité, the LGBTQIA+ association for staff of the European Union institutions, with the aim of combating discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics. The event is also supported by EL*C (EuroCentralAsian Lesbian Community) — an intersectional feminist lesbian network that was born from a self-organized space six years ago. EL*C recognizes the wide range of needs surrounding the rights, visibility, and well-being of lesbians across Europe and Central Asia.
Their conferences are key moments that build connections, share knowledge, foster a shared language, and deepen understanding of the diversity within lesbian identity — creating bridges that extend far beyond the specific time and place in which they occur.
In addition to the screening and discussion, representatives from this second organization and a Member of the European Parliament will speak about the efforts underway to promote lesbian rights across Europe and Central Asia, as well as the importance of international solidarity in the fight for equality. This is a unique opportunity to take part in a collective reflection on international lesbian visibility — in culture, human rights, and society as a whole.
You will gain greater insight into both the challenges lesbians face and the progress made in recent decades.
You'll find all the practical information you need to attend this event here.
Tuesday, May 13
Screening & Discussion – No more Ihsanes, no more Zaks, no more hate! (from 7:00PM to 10:00PM)
At 7 PM, a film and discussion event on homophobic violence and the construction of a Europe free from hate and discrimination will take place. A short film will be screened, followed by a discussion focusing on the emblematic cases of Ihsane Jarfi in Belgium and Zak Kostopoulos in Greece — two young gay men who were victims of brutal homophobic crimes. This event will provide a safe space to discuss our collective traumas and the fight against hate crimes targeting our communities. Together, we will reflect on activist and political strategies to end this scourge across Europe.
All practical information to attend this event can be found here.
Wednesday, May 14
Job Day (from 1:00PM to 4:00PM)
RainbowHouse invites you to this inclusive job fair, designed to connect job seekers with employers committed to implementing workplace policies that respect and value diversity. The event will offer the opportunity to engage with a variety of professionals. RainbowHouse brings together several French- and Dutch-speaking LGBTQIA+ associations active in the Brussels region (including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual individuals, and more). These organizations work tirelessly to guide you toward appropriate support — whether legal, social, psychological, or medical.
All practical information to attend this event can be found here.
Conference – The history of LGBTQIA+ fights, how to apply yesterday’s lessons to what’s happening today (from 7:00PM to 9:00PM)
How can we learn from the past to confront today’s threats to LGBTQIA+ rights? While countries like the United States and Bulgaria have seen notable progress in minority rights, they are now facing alarming setbacks: the exclusion of transgender people from the military and sports in the U.S., and the banning of so-called “LGBTQIA+ propaganda” in Bulgaria since 2024.
Why are we witnessing these rollbacks? What lessons from the past have we failed to learn or pass on? And most importantly, how can we remain vigilant in the face of rising reactionary rhetoric that threatens hard-won rights? An international LGBTQIA+ rights expert and a historian will join us to shed light on these questions and share their insights.
All practical information to attend this event can be found here.
Talk from Homografía – Radio Live & Public (from 7:00PM to 11:45PM)
The radio show Talk From Homografía will take place at Grands Carmes for a special live and public episode during Pride Week. This monthly talk show is created by co-hosts Prinzessin & King Baxter, with suzyQ as director. The show explores themes linked to nightlife, art, and stories from LGBTQIA+ communities. For its third season, Prinzessin, King Baxter, and their guests promise a vibrant lineup: debates, cultural agenda, LGBTQIA+ stories, radio concerts, reports, DJ sets, and a segment dedicated to cult dancefloor tracks.
Born out of a shared desire to respond to an urgent political and cultural moment, this talk show is a continuation of the Homografía Festival, carrying its spirit forward and weaving an ongoing connection with the community month after month. Through discussion and creation, TFH gives voice to the players of nightlife, performance and music scenes, as well as cinema, literature, activism, and the personal stories that shape us.
What kinds of representation should we highlight, and which grassroots voices deserve to be heard during Pride? What are our artistic and activist favorites to celebrate the event? These are just some of the questions we’ll explore with our guests — all set to a fiery musical backdrop… and a few surprises!
All practical information to attend this event can be found here.
Exhibition – Nobody's Son by Fritz Albas (from 8:00PM to 12:00AM)
This exhibition presents a series of pop art and street art paintings created from drawings accumulated over the past three years — from the artist’s first testosterone injection to today. The works trace Fritz’s personal and emotional journey, offering a deep exploration of his transition process and the acceptance (and non-acceptance) he experienced within his family. The figures depicted are abstract, raw, and spontaneous, rooted in the worlds of graffiti, stickers, pop culture, and urban art. Painted on canvases, clothing, chairs, and other mediums, they are accompanied by words and symbols that powerfully express the emotions, struggles, and affirmations of identity that have shaped this journey.
All practical information to attend this event can be found here.
Screening & Discussion – Nothing to Cure: Conversion Therapies, an Overlooked Reality (from 9:00 PM to 11:50 PM)
Still largely unknown, conversion therapies continue to exist today. The documentary Nothing to Cure by Axel Falguieres gives voice to those who have been subjected to these harmful practices, while dismantling the narratives used to justify them. The screening will be followed by an interactive discussion bringing together experts, activists, and organizations to address not only the impact of these practices, but also another often-overlooked reality: the exclusion of LGBTQIA+ youth by their own families. A powerful and necessary moment to raise awareness and mobilize action.
All practical information to attend this event can be found here.
Sing Out Brussels! – The Fabulous Queer Choir (from 07:00PM to 09:45PM)
Join Sing Out Brussels! – The Fabulous Queer Choir and our choir director Emily Allison, jazz singer and composer, for a warm, welcoming evening dedicated to the joy of singing together. No experience needed — just come as you are to share a musical moment open to all LGBTQIA+ people and allies. Sing Out Brussels! celebrates the joy of singing in harmony within a caring, inclusive space. This year, we want to let that joy resonate through the heart of Brussels — with everyone!
We’re hosting a pop-up group singing workshop, open to everyone — regardless of identity, orientation, vocal level, or language. Whether you’re a seasoned singer, karaoke enthusiast, or just someone who loves belting out solos in the shower, this workshop is for you! Is your voice changing as part of your transition? No worries! Through vocal games and creative exercises, you’ll get to explore your voice gently and experience the magic of collective singing — when your voice blends in harmony with others.
Goals of the session: create an inclusive space where LGBTQIA+ folks can explore choral singing freely and safely, use our collective energy and musical creativity to support the values and mission of Brussels Pride, highlight and promote our sister organization Various Voices 2026, and build connections with future singers and volunteers for the choir and festival. This event is open to all, but priority is given to LGBTQIA+ communities.
You’ll find all the practical information to attend this event here.
If you’d like more information about Pride Week, check out this link here.
We can't wait to see you during Pride Week!
-- Grands Carmes team
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