Meyboom — 718th planting of the May tree
Sun 9 Aug, 12:00 · Grand-Place, then Rue des Sables / Rue du Marais, 1000 Brussels · Brussels
Details & booking — City of Brussels
via City of Brussels · Checked 5 Aug 2026
About this event
Brussels' oldest surviving folk ritual, unbroken since 1308. At dawn the Buumdroegers fell a beech in the Forêt de Soignes; by midday it is hauled through Etterbeek, Schaerbeek and Saint-Josse behind towering giants, a brass band, the Companions of St Laurent and the cavaliers of the Wheel of Fortune, reaching the Grand-Place mid-afternoon. It must be in the ground before 17:00 or the city forfeits the right for a year.
Why we picked it
A 718-year-old street tradition with a real deadline and real stakes, free from any pavement, and a world away from the postcard Brussels.
Free entry
Free to attend, public street event
Registration
None
A third-party event from official public listings, checked by Glentio. Programmes can change — confirm on the organiser's site.
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