Every two years, for just four days in August, one of Europe’s most beautiful historic squares is transformed by hundreds of thousands of flowers. The Brussels Flower Carpet returns to the Grand-Place from Thursday 13th to Sunday 16th August 2026, covering the centre of the square with an enormous floral design measuring 70 metres long and 24 metres wide.
It is a remarkably short-lived work of art. The flowers are arranged on Thursday and by Sunday evening it is over, which is part of what makes the Flower Carpet so special. We visited the previous editions in 2022 and 2024 and returned in 2026 to photograph and film this year’s creation.
The 2026 Brussels Flower Carpet takes place from Thursday 13th August until Sunday 16th August on the Grand-Place in the historic centre of Brussels. It is free to see from the square, although one of the best ways to appreciate the complete design is from above.
For 2026, visitors can climb the tower of Brussels City Hall for a panoramic view over the Grand-Place and the carpet. Tower access is available from 2pm to 6pm on Thursday and from 10am to 10pm from Friday to Sunday. Tickets cost €9, and the climb involves steps, so this option will not suit everyone.
The 2026 design has a particularly interesting connection with Japan. This year marks the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations and friendship between Belgium and Japan, and the centre of the Grand-Place will feature a floral interpretation of one of the world’s most recognisable works of Japanese art.
The Great Wave off Kanagawa, originally created by Katsushika Hokusai, has been reimagined by contemporary Japanese artist Hiro Sugiyama and his creative collective Enlightenment. The enormous design covers 1,680 square metres and will contain more than 700,000 flowers, with dahlias playing a particularly important role.
It is not the first Japanese connection to the Flower Carpet. Japan was also the partner for the 2016 edition, marking 150 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Ten years later, it returns for the 160th anniversary with a design that combines one of Japan’s best-known historic artworks with contemporary floral art.
There is something particularly fitting about using Hokusai’s Great Wave for an artwork that exists for only a few days. The original captures a moment of movement in a huge wave, while the Brussels version recreates that movement in flowers before disappearing almost as quickly as it appeared.
Seeing the finished carpet is impressive, but watching it being created gives you a much better appreciation of the work involved. We were able to photograph and film the construction of the 2024 carpet as volunteers gradually transformed an empty section of the Grand-Place into the finished design.
A full-sized version of the design is laid across the square to guide the team before more than 100 volunteers begin placing the flowers and other natural materials. Despite covering 1,680 square metres, the entire carpet is assembled in only a few hours.
From ground level, the individual colours and sections can initially seem quite abstract. As the work progresses, thousands of individual flowers gradually become one enormous picture, which is why seeing the carpet from above gives such a different perspective.
The temporary nature of the Flower Carpet is part of its charm, but it also presents a challenge. These are real flowers lying outdoors in the middle of August, exposed to sunshine, heat and, this being Belgium, potentially heavy rain as well.
The flowers will naturally change during their four days on the square, particularly in very warm weather. Visitors towards the end of the weekend should therefore not necessarily expect every flower to look exactly as it did when the carpet was completed on Thursday. That fragility is part of what makes the event unusual: months of planning and hundreds of thousands of flowers are brought together to create something deliberately temporary.
There is also something completely new to look out for this year. For the first time, Brussels will have a second Flower Carpet, located at the Bourse.
While the Grand-Place celebrates the relationship between Belgium and Japan, the second carpet takes its inspiration from hops and Belgium’s famous brewing heritage. The Bourse is only a short walk from the Grand-Place, so visitors can easily see both during the same trip.
. The Flower Carpet is also worth seeing in the evening. From 9.45pm until 11pm each night from 13th to 16th August, a sound and light show takes place on the Grand-Place every 15 minutes.
The illuminated historic buildings already make the Grand-Place particularly impressive after dark, and the Flower Carpet adds something very different. If you are staying in Brussels, it is worth considering seeing it during daylight and returning later in the evening.
The Grand-Place is in the historic centre of Brussels and is easy to reach by public transport. De Brouckère metro station is around 600 metres away, while Brussels Central railway station is also within comfortable walking distance. If you are travelling from elsewhere in Belgium, the train is generally much easier than trying to drive into central Brussels.
Expect the square to be busy, particularly during the middle of the day and over the weekend. If photography is important to you, Thursday gives you the opportunity to see the carpet when it has only just been completed. Close up, you can appreciate the individual flowers and the extraordinary amount of work involved, while the City Hall tower offers the best opportunity to see the complete design.
The Flower Carpet may be the reason for visiting Brussels this weekend, but it certainly does not need to be the only one. The Grand-Place sits at the heart of the historic city, surrounded by centuries of architecture and within easy walking distance of many of Brussels’ best-known sights.
It can also be a good opportunity to discover more of Belgium. Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp and other historic cities are all within relatively easy reach and each has a very different character. At Amsterdam Experiences, we offer private tours and excursions in Belgium as well as the Netherlands, so the Flower Carpet can easily become part of a wider visit.
The Brussels Flower Carpet appears only once every two years and lasts for just four days. Thousands of flowers, hundreds of volunteers and months of planning come together to create something that will have disappeared again by Monday morning. For 2026, with Hokusai’s Great Wave flowing across the Grand-Place in flowers, it promises to be a particularly memorable edition.
The Flower Carpet takes place from Thursday 13 to Sunday 16 August 2026.
The main Flower Carpet is on the Grand-Place in the historic centre of Brussels.
Yes, you can see the carpet from the Grand-Place for free. Tickets are required for the panoramic view from the City Hall tower.
The 2026 design recreates Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa and celebrates 160 years of diplomatic relations between Belgium and Japan.
More than 500,000 dahlias are being used for the main 2026 design.
Only four days. It is created on Thursday 13 August and remains on display until Sunday 16 August.
Yes. A sound and light show runs every half hour from 21:00 to 23:00 throughout the four-day event.
