Visit Brussels's maypole festival

The Meybloom festival takes place in Brussels at the Grand Place in the centre of the city.

A maypole (or tree of joy) is erected by the companions crossbowmen of Saint-Laurent on August 9th before 17:00.

Huge papier mache giants, singers and dancers are also involved in the festivities as the tree is transported to the Grand Place. The group of revellers leaves the Rue des Sables at around 14:00 in a procession headed by a model of Charles V.

It is one of the oldest and biggest festivals in Brussels's annual calendar and has been recognised as oral and intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO.

There are different rumours as to the tradition's origin, but one legend says that a wedding party was ambushed by a group of youths.

When the youths were dispersed, the wedding party was permitted to plant a tree once a year on the saint's day of Saint-Laurent.