What's on this week: 2-8 December

Cars come in all shapes and sizes, and while most automobile enthusiasts have an eye for the outsized luxury sedans of old, there’s a growing demand for compact, affordable rides. The Micro, Bubble and Popular Cars exhibition surveys the history of small cars from the German Messerschmitt bubble car to the three-wheeled British Bond Minicar to the iconic Italian Isetta, built with the door in the front. The 1950s and ’60s were a particularly propitious time for these unconventional models. Not only were bold, new design principles gaining currency, but the first oil crisis created a demand for fuel-efficient vehicles.
Until 11 December, Autoworld, Brussels

The Brussels Chamber Choir, accompanied by 50 musical and vocal artists and the cathedral's magnificent Grenzing organ, will be presenting the traditional Cathedral of Brussels Christmas Concert on Saint Nicolas Day in the form of an English Christmas carol concert with spoken texts, songs and musical performances. The music will include German Baroque (Praetorius, Scheidt), English repertoire (Ralph Vaughan Williams, Benjamin Britten, John Tavener, Alan Charlton, Bob Chilcott, Will Todd), Belgian repertoire (Jan Moeyaert, Xavier Deprez) and French (Louis-Claude d'Aquin & Olivier Messiaen).
6 December 20.00, Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula, Brussels

Close off a year of festivities marking the 800-year anniversary of the founding of Saint-Gilles with a giant party featuring a sound- and-light show with images projected on the town hall’s facade. Plus concerts, food and drinks and a market.
5 December 18.00-22.00, Place Maurice van Meenen 39, Saint-Gilles; free

To launch the non-profit Brussels Art Deco Society, an art deco weekend will take place in the 13th-century Pink Farm in Uccle, recently reopened after a five-year restoration. There will be an exhibition/sale, a show of the Marcy Collection of Belgian art deco posters, a free expert appraisal of objects or photos by Maison Tajan of Paris, a guided tour by Arkadia, reduced rate access to the Van Buuren Museum and the Villa Empain and an opportunity to discover the art deco beauty of a Rolls Royce and a Bugatti.
3-4 December, La Ferme Rose, Avenue De Fré 44, Uccle

The inaugural edition of the Photo18 Festival, with the theme Loving Earth, an exploration of the link between humankind and the Earth, through the lenses of landscape photographers.
Until 18 January, Hangar H18, Place du Châtelain 18, Brussels

The annual Mediterranean Film Festival, known as “The Med”, features about 70 new and recent films from Mediterranean countries, in addition to concerts, exhibitions, lectures, debates and a Mediterranean market.
2-9 December, across Brussels

Leuven’s Short Film Festival is a major showcase of movies under the 60-minute mark. Now in its 22nd edition, the event traditionally marks the end of Flanders’ film festival year and boasts hundreds of new shorts in all styles. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll marvel at cutting-edge animation. There is an emphasis on young talent, with dozens of up-and-coming local and international filmmakers in the running for awards in various categories. There’s plenty of film and festivity off programme too, including a networking brunch for industry professionals and a spotlight on New Zealand’s short film scene.
3-10 December, STUK, Leuven