What’s on in Europe
April/May/June
A high-energy spring is in store in the French capital, starting with the Paris marathon, when 35,000 runners take to the streets (15 April). Bob Dylan fans will love The Rock Explosion, a multi-media exhibition covering the first five years of the singer’s career at Cité de la Musique (until 15 July). If you have a short attention span, the International Festival of Very Short Films (4-13 May) could be for you, with each submission lasting less then three minutes. You can also see culture in a new light during Nuit des Musées, when you can explore some of the city’s major museums free of charge from 6pm-1am (19 May).
The Lille Art Fair, which attracted 15,000 visitors last year, is bigger than ever with over 100 galleries from around Europe showcasing contemporary works. Browse paintings, sculptures, videos, engravings and ceramics, and maybe even start your own art collection (12-15 April). More great shopping opportunities are presented by the Foire Commerciale de Lille (21-29 April), when the Grand Palais is filled with crafts, fashion, beauty products, food, wine and much more. For something out of the ordinary, why not visit La Louche d’Or, a celebration of soup. More than 100 broths can be sampled in the bistros and stalls of Wazemmes market in a lively, festival atmosphere (8-10 June).
Brussels is brimming with fascinating events, from an exhibition of filmmaker Stanley Kubrick’s early creative efforts at the Museum of Brussels (until 1 July), to a display of Fashion in the 18th-century at the Museum of Costume and Lace (1 April-30 December). The annual Brussels Jazz Marathon offers a chance to tap along to over 700 famous and up-and-coming musicians playing in the city’s main squares, clubs and arts venues (25-27 May). Every two years, the Summer of Photography comes along, involving Brussels’ major galleries and museums in exhibitions that explore new techniques, are specifically themed or showcase the work of great and new photographers (14 June-16 September).
