AGP Executive Report

Club Brugge: Nicolo Tresoldi hit a hat-trick in a stunning 4-3 Champions League win over Inter at San Siro, making history for the Belgian side and drawing attention to his international future. Music & Art: Belgian pianist Marie François brings Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons to life with new poems and illustrations; October’s instalment is part of a year-long project. Cinema: A new Moviemills cinema is set to open at Brussels’ Docks shopping centre after a full renovation of the former White Cinema’s eight theatres. Meanwhile, 68 films are in the running for the European Film Awards, with winners due to be announced in January. Belgian Rock: Triggerfinger have released TARMAC, their sixth album. Jazz in Brussels: Hotel Amigo’s autumn live-music series celebrates the city’s jazz heritage with performances inspired by artists including Chet Baker and Ella Fitzgerald. Ostend Food Festival: The Shrimp Croquette Festival drew more than 84,000 visitors and sold over 60,000 croquettes.

Belgian Football: Club Brugge claimed a stunning 4–3 Champions League win at Inter, with Nicolò Tresoldi scoring a hat-trick in a landmark night for the Belgian side. Tennis: Belgian Zizou Bergs shocked Carlos Alcaraz at the Shanghai Masters, advancing after the Spaniard’s surprise defeat. On Stage: Antwerp welcomes GLORIOUS BODIES, a new show featuring six ageing acrobats. Film and Music: Belgian director Patrice Toye’s The Assignment will compete at Tallinn’s Black Nights Film Festival, while “Golden” took best song at the World Soundtrack Awards. Streaming: Telenet has integrated HBO Max billing for Belgian customers.

Tennis: Belgian Zizou Bergs stunned Carlos Alcaraz in Shanghai, helping seal Alexander Zverev’s year-end No. 1 ranking. Streaming: Telenet is integrating HBO Max billing for Belgian customers, simplifying subscriptions to the service. Film & Music: “Golden,” performed by Huntr/x, won Best Song at the 2026 World Soundtrack Awards; Antwerp also welcomes “Glorious Bodies,” a show featuring six ageing acrobats. Art & Style: Queen Mathilde wore Elie Saab and new diamond earrings during Belgium’s landmark royal visit to Kazakhstan, where an exhibition of Belgian artist James Ensor was on display. Leuven also made the top 10 in a European city-break ranking, placing seventh.

Tennis: Belgian Zizou Bergs scored the biggest win of his career, upsetting world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets at the Shanghai Masters. On Stage: Six veteran acrobats bring GLORIOUS BODIES to Antwerp this month, turning ageing bodies into the centrepiece of a new circus performance. Film & Music: Belgian director Patrice Toye’s The Assignment is headed to Tallinn’s Black Nights festival, while the World Soundtrack Awards named “Golden” Best Song and honored Project Hail Mary composer Daniel Pemberton and songwriter EJAE. Art & Fashion: New features spotlight the layered richness of post-war Belgian modernism and make the case for Antwerp as one of Europe’s most overlooked fashion destinations.

Streaming: Samsung TV Plus will bring BBC Lifestyle to Belgium and Luxembourg, with programming on food, design and travel; its EastEnders channel is also set to launch in both markets. Arts & Film: Bong Joon-ho’s first animated feature, Ally, is planned for Belgian cinemas next July as part of its French-language release. Knokke-Heist: The Zoute Concours auction brought in €34.6 million, setting a record for a collector-car sale in Belgium. Music: Belgian shoegaze band Slow Crush is among seven new additions to Finland’s Ankea Festival lineup. Fashion & Heritage: Antwerp’s fashion scene and a new look at post-war Belgian modernism put the country’s design legacy in the spotlight.

Brussels Music: Brussels Philharmonic opened its 25th season with “Crossing Cultures,” performing four works by Qatari composer Nasser Sahim alongside musicians from Qatar Music Academy. Film & Soundtracks: Huntr/x’s “Golden,” from KPop Demon Hunters, won Best Song at the 2026 World Soundtrack Awards; Belgian director Patrice Toye’s The Assignment is also heading to Tallinn’s Black Nights festival. Film Industry: Flanders plans to abolish its Screen Flanders film incentive, a significant change for local productions. Fashion & Art: Antwerp is gaining fresh attention as a fashion destination, while a new feature spotlights the richness of post-war Belgian modernism.

Film & Music: “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters won Best Original Song at the World Soundtrack Awards in Ghent. Daniel Pemberton was named Film Composer of the Year, and Brussels Philharmonic performed music at the ceremony. Brussels Stage: Qatari composer Nasser Sahim brought four original works to the Brussels Philharmonic’s 25th-season gala, blending Arab musical traditions with contemporary orchestral writing. Belgian Cinema: Director Patrice Toye’s The Assignment is set to compete at the Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn. Eurovision: VRT confirmed Belgium will take part in Eurovision 2027. Architecture: A new look at Belgium’s post-war modernism spotlights landmarks and artistic collaborations often overlooked or threatened with demolition.

Film Music: Ghent’s World Soundtrack Awards crowned Daniel Pemberton Film Composer of the Year, while EJAE and Mark Sonnenblick won Best Original Song for “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters. Belgian Animation: Migali, a children’s series co-produced by RTBF and Ketnet, made its world premiere at MIPJunior. Theatre: Belgium-based Jaha Koo, whose show Haribo Kimchi explores identity through food, has received the International Ibsen Award. Eurovision: VRT confirmed Belgium will compete in the 2027 contest. Ghent Culture: The city’s newly reopened Design Museum joins its medieval landmarks, contemporary galleries and converted industrial spaces on a growing cultural itinerary.

Design & Fashion: Belgian designer Anthony Vaccarello has left Saint Laurent after a decade at the helm; the house’s revenue more than tripled during his tenure. Film: Belgian director Patrice Toye’s The Assignment is set to compete at Tallinn Black Nights, while Flanders plans to scrap its Screen Flanders film incentive. Culture: New guides spotlight Ghent’s architecture and design scene and Antwerp’s mix of fashion, independent shops and historic streets. Art & Politics: A satirical golden statue depicting Donald Trump naked has stirred debate at the European Parliament in Brussels over political expression.

Belgian Film: Patrice Toye’s The Assignment, a drama set in postwar Flanders, will premiere in the Official Competition at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in November. Fashion: Belgian designer Anthony Vaccarello is leaving Saint Laurent after a decade, with the house crediting him for boosting its global profile and cultural influence. Live Music: Nickelback’s 2027 world tour will include Belgium during its European leg, alongside dates across the UK and Europe. Culture & Heritage: A new 2028 Smithsonian Journeys cruise through Holland and Belgium will visit Antwerp and Bruges, pairing city stops with art and heritage experiences.

Fashion: Belgian designer Anthony Vaccarello is leaving Saint Laurent after a decade as creative director, with the house crediting him for strengthening its identity and cultural influence. Belgian TV: Icelandic crime series Elma, co-produced by Belgium’s Lunamine, is set to debut on Síminn on October 15 and has secured a Finnish pre-sale. Film Industry: Flanders plans to abolish its Screen Flanders economic film incentive, a major change for the region’s screen sector. TV Formats: Belgian distributor Be Entertainment has added RTL Netherlands’ drag-celebrity guessing game Make Up Your Mind and medical series The Surgery, With… to its slate. Eurovision: VRT has confirmed Belgium will take part in Eurovision 2027.

Belgian Music Abroad: Dressed Like Boys and Camille Yembe ranked among Europe’s most-booked acts in 2026, with 10 and six bookings respectively. Film Funding: Flanders is set to abolish its Screen Flanders production incentive, a major change for local filmmaking. Eurovision: VRT confirmed Belgium will compete in 2027. Namur Festival: A Place to Heal took home three awards at the International Francophone Film Festival. Art History: A new feature explores how Belgian painter Balthazar Solvyns documented 18th-century Bengali society.

Public Art: Ghent’s Design Museum has installed zweintopf’s inflatable Perseverance (Goddess of Democracy) beside Gravensteen. Visitors must keep pumping to stop the seven-metre sculpture from collapsing. Belgian Cinema: Lightdox has acquired international sales rights to Nostalgia for the Future, a Belgium–Netherlands–Italy documentary about filmmaker Chris Marker, narrated by Charlotte Rampling. It screens at Film Fest Gent on Sunday. Arts & Music: Brussels’ Festival des Libertés runs from 8 to 17 October with concerts, performances, films and exhibitions. In Forest, ArtContest’s showcase of 10 emerging artists is on at Atoma Art Center until 22 November. Eurovision: VRT has confirmed Belgium will take part in Eurovision 2027. Tennis: Elise Mertens upset Coco Gauff at the China Open, advancing to face Iga Swiatek.

Brussels Art: Belgian painter Kristof Santy’s new Brussels exhibition turns its attention to everyday objects, from flea-market finds to devotional figures. Belgian Cinema: MK2 Films has acquired the Dardenne brothers’ film library, bringing the celebrated directors’ work into a growing heritage catalogue. Live Music: Duran Duran’s upcoming European tour includes a Brussels stop, with tickets still available ahead of its October 15 launch. Screen Industry: A Belgian project is among 10 European series selected for Tallinn TV Beats’ co-financing market. Tennis: Elise Mertens scored her first win over Coco Gauff, beating the American 6-3, 6-3 to reach the China Open quarter-finals.

Belgium on the move: Brussels Airport is bracing for disruption on Friday as a national protest is expected to trigger cancellations of around 140 flights, with ground-handler Alyzia staff among those striking. Education unrest: Liège police recorded 107 arrests since early October as student protests over education reforms and budget cuts turned violent, with tear gas used after vandalism and fires. Sports & culture: Belgian tennis star Elise Mertens booked a China Open quarter-final spot after beating Coco Gauff, while Gauff also faced a wave of racist abuse tied to a controversial video review. Tech & society: Powerdot and Hubject have expanded Plug&Charge compatibility to more than 7,000 Powerdot chargers across France, Spain, Belgium and Poland. Science spotlight: Belgian-born physicist Francis Halzen won the Nobel Prize in Physics for work on rare neutrinos. Arts & entertainment: Tallinn’s Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) unveiled its official selection, including world premieres and feature debuts.

Belgian Fashion: Ann Demeulemeester opens a new Paris boutique in the Jardin du Palais-Royal, expanding its Antwerp Six legacy with a full ready-to-wear and accessories space plus Serax tableware. Belgian Film & TV Industry: KO Distribution ramps up for Mipcom, landing rights and deals for new titles including French-language comedies “Paper Cuts” and “Squall,” plus English-Canada pickup for “Perfect Storm.” Belgian Music & Sport Crossover: Shoot Music Benelux launches from Amsterdam, aiming to plug electronic releases into stadium and club channels across the Netherlands and Belgium, with a push at Amsterdam Dance Event. International Pop Culture: Alcest announces live album “Live at Hellfest 2022” for Dec. 4, 2026. Sports Spotlight: France’s Zidane era turns after Olise and late subs fire a 4-1 Nations League comeback over Belgium; meanwhile, Liverpool awaits hamstring updates on Jeremy Jacquet. Tennis Buzz: Coco Gauff calls out “insane” racist abuse after a China Open win involving a disputed video review.