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What's on this week: 29 December-4 January

21:38 28/12/2017
From New Year's Eve parties to Baby Macbeth, here's our pick for the week

Everywhere in Belgium has something to offer you on New Year’s Eve, whether it’s the local pub pouring champagne at midnight or a massive fireworks display. The capital has much on, starting with the FCKNYE Festival at Palais 12, with 40 DJs spread over six stages. The Hard Rock Cafe has a special menu and DJ party, while Viage celebrates with a Great Gatsby themed party. Don’t forget the fireworks display at the Atomium at midnight. Antwerp’s fireworks explode over the river, while Ghent’s take place at Portus Ganda.

If you’re planning to really make a night of it on New Year’s Eve, you could consider getting Brussels’s Happy Pass which will get you into ten major NYE parties in such places as Fuse, Quay01, Horta Gallery, Bloody Louis, Sunset, Bonnefooi, Madame Moustache etc for rock, electro, jazz, hip hop and of course, Brussels’ speciality, techno. You also receive a list of bars and other unusual cafés open for New Year’s - and free admission to the Atomium and admission to the screening of your choice at Cinéma Galeries.

End the year with a very British comedy (of the Noises Off genre) in French. In Les Faux British, seven amateur actors put on a 19th century thriller (supposedly a lost Conan Doyle manuscript) of an engagement party in a stately manor house upended by murder. But what gets upended is the entire production: the plot, the corpse, the sets, the costumes - it’s to die for.
Thèatre Le Public until 31 December

For children (and their elders) who understand French it’s the 36th edition of the Festival Noël au Théatre with 22 shows in nine theatres and cultural location in Brussels. Every production has an indicated audience age level (6+, 10+, 15+ etc) and there’s even a Baby Macbeth for 1+.
Until 30 December, various venues

Bozar’s Winter Bar is open until 7 January. It’s the Christmas edition of Bozar Open Air which takes place outdoors on the pedestrian Rue Baron Horta. Admire Farm Prod’s fresco homage to Fernand Léger and, warmed by the crackling fire baskets, enjoy a grog, glühwein or some bubbly along with a hot bowl of soup with cheese and croutons or an Italian chocolate pancake with peanuts, local and organic. Food and drink provided by La Guinguette du Parc de Forest.
Daily 15.00-22.00

The Jacques Franck Cultural Centre in Saint-Gilles is hosting the second edition of With or Without Balloons? (that’s speech balloons/bubbles) and it consists of the work of various artists specialising in illustration, comic books, fanzines, press drawings, and cartoons. Everyone is drawing, but the results differ wildly.
Until 30 December, free

Out in Evere for Friday lunch Transforma BXL invites you to enjoy the Peruvian specialties of Los Cubas foodtruck. There's lomo saltado as a burger or a wrap, fries made from manioc or sweet potato, stuffed potatoes, quinoa as soup or burger, Peruvian spaghetti, a non-alcoholic Christmas wine-style infusion of purple maize (chicha morada), Inca Kola, and yam cookies.
10.30-14.30, Avenue Jules Bordet 13

Advance notice: Enjoy a delicious couscous and help social projects at the same time. A Couscous Party takes place at Brass’Art Digitaal Café once a month; €10 per peson (not including drinks), reservation essential as each meal is limited to 40 participants. Adib ASBL, which is organising these fundraisers, is currently working on social projects in the Moroccan town of Hassi Berkan. The next one on 14 January will also feature a live concert after the meal to celebrate the Berber New Year.
14 January, Brass'Art Digitaal Café, Molenbeek

Written by Richard Harris and Flanders Today