OUT of LOVE

10 → 20 June 2026 / Beursschouwburg, Brussels

From 10 to 20 June 2026, OUT of LOVE unfolds throughout Beursschouwburg: a multidisciplinary festival dedicated to endings and the complexities of letting go. Through performances, concerts, films, talks, books, installations and collective rituals, the festival explores what it means to say goodbye to people, habits, structures, expectations and places.

OUT of LOVE emerges at a moment of profound transition for Beursschouwburg. As a major renovation of the building approaches and artistic and general director Melat Gebeyaw Nigussie announces that the 2026–2027 season will be her last, the festival asks how an institution, a building and a community can relate to change, uncertainty and renewal.

Inspired by the upcoming renovations, OUT of LOVE turns its attention to the cultural scripts that shape how we live, love and leave. From romantic myths to gendered expectations: what happens when fixed patterns begin to shift? And what does it mean to break up with a building, leaving a place while still wanting to hold on to its memories?

OUT of LOVE moves between grief, relief, anger, confusion and desire. Not as a search for quick solutions, but as an exercise in going through transition together. The programme brings artists, thinkers and audiences together around practices of loss, passage and renewal: from a community dinner-for-one to a flea market for everything your ex left behind.

With OUT of LOVE, Beursschouwburg marks not only a temporary farewell to its building, but also a collective moment of reflection on how cultural spaces can change without losing their care, history and openness.

Renovation with “radical empathy”

During the 2026–2027 season, Beursschouwburg will prepare for a major renovation led by Bovenbouw Architectuur. Guided by a vision of “radical empathy,” the designers seek a subtle balance between the building’s existing character and new architectural interventions that strengthen Beursschouwburg’s functioning.

The renovation transforms the internal street into a central meeting space connecting all halls, improves accessibility and acoustics, and opens the café more strongly to the city. It also focuses heavily on recovery and reuse of materials, with attention to sustainability, flexibility and the social dynamics of the place.

Announcement of future leadership transition

In addition, Melat Gebeyaw Nigussie announced that the 2026–2027 season will be her last as artistic and general director of Beursschouwburg. After years of intense commitment, she chooses to make space for a new organisation that can help shape the organisation’s next policy period.

Under her leadership, Beursschouwburg has continued to grow as an open house for artistic experimentation, urban dynamics and critical reflection. Until her departure, she remains actively involved in ongoing projects and in preparing this next phase. In the autumn, a new artistic director will take office, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the organisation.

Practical

OUT of LOVE
​10 → 20 June 2026
​Beursschouwburg
​More info, programme and tickets via outoflovefestival.be

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​For interview requests or additional information:
​Mélissa Boneté
​Press Officer
​Beursschouwburg
​+32 472 81 73 13
​press@beursschouwburg.be