Public Celebration for Albert II's 10th Anniversary Free mega-concert and other events on July 20 and 21

BRUSSELS – King Albert II has been on the Belgian throne for ten years, and this will not go unnoticed. A public celebration in Brussels on July 20 and 21, featuring a mega-concert, a garden party, and numerous other free events with Belgian celebrities, aims to attract 300,000 people to the capital. The royal family itself will participate in the festive activities, which are expected to cost a total of 1 million euros. The festivities will kick off on Sunday, July 20, with a classical aperitif concert between 11 AM and 2 PM at the Egmont Palace. At 12:30 PM, a Roller Parade will depart from the Cinquantenaire Park towards the city center, followed fifteen minutes later by a procession of cyclists starting from Hertogsstraat. Motorcyclists will depart at 2 PM from the Heysel, possibly with famous riders like Louis Michel, Prince Laurent, and Princess Claire, and – you never know – the king himself among their ranks. Throughout the afternoon, children can practice circus arts in the Marolles, while adults can visit the Prince Albert Barracks for a Roller Street Park with DJs. These two activities will also take place the following day. Between 4 PM and 6 PM, a garden party will be held on and around Laeken Castle for 880 citizens. They will be selected by the provincial governors, who must ensure that ten-year-old children are among the guests. The traditional concert by the laureates of the Queen Elisabeth Competition at the Centre for Fine Arts and a large public ball with lanterns on the Place du Jeu de Balle, featuring an orchestra and artists like Johan Verminnen and Grand Jojo, will conclude the first day of celebration. 1 million On Monday, July 21, the traditional National Holiday, a special edition of the flea market on the Place du Jeu de Balle in the Marolles will begin at 7 AM. In addition to the usual events such as the military parade, the park festival, and the fireworks, a children's concert will take place from 3 PM to 6 PM in the inner courtyard of the Egmont Palace. Young Belgian rock bands will perform on the Place du Jeu de Balle, each given twenty minutes to play. The highlight will be a grand concert on Poelaertplein in front of the Palace of Justice, where 30,000 music fans can enjoy a lineup of Belgian musical talents from 8 PM to midnight, including Will Tura, Toots Thielemans, Zornik, Sylver, Praga Khan, Ozark Henry, Khadja Nin, Sandra Kim, Luc De Vos, and Zap Mama, who will perform individually or in duos, but always accompanied by a symphonic orchestra. Large video screens will be set up in Regentschapsstraat so that everyone can follow the event. Some surprises are still being kept secret for the two-day event, which has been branded 'Is dit Belgisch? C'est du belge!' (Is this Belgian? It's Belgian!). It is rumored that a certain Kim and Justine will be in Belgium during the festive weekend... The government has allocated a budget of just under one million euros for the public celebration "for and by Belgians" in honor of the king's ten years on the throne. It should be noted that most of the participating artists perform for a friendly fee and/or donate their earnings to a good cause. The organizers expect 200,000 to 300,000 visitors in Brussels city center on July 20 and 21.