Brussels usually gets treated as a stopover rather than a destination. One night, a waffle, a walk past the Grand Place, then straight onto a train somewhere else. Honestly, that's always felt like a bit of a waste. 2026 gives you a proper reason to stick around longer.

What's changing this year

KANAL, a huge new arts venue built inside an old Citroën garage, opens on 28 November 2026. This isn't a small addition either. It's one of the biggest cultural openings the city has seen in years, and it's part of a bigger shift of Brussels away from "quick stop" territory into somewhere worth building a whole trip around. If you're already thinking about a city break for late 2026, this is a good excuse to pick Brussels over the usual suspects.

What to actually do there

Grand Place is the obvious starting point, and it earns the hype. The guild houses lit up in the evening are genuinely one of the best free things you'll see in Europe. From there it's a short walk to the Atomium if you want the classic photo, and to the Comic Strip Centre if anyone in your group grew up on Tintin, or just fancies a museum that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Give Sablon an afternoon too. Antique shops, small galleries, and some of the best chocolate in a city that takes chocolate very seriously. For food, everyone will point you to Maison Antoine for the fries, and they're right. Maison Dandoy is the one to know for waffles, the real version, not the syrup-drowned kind sold to tourists near the station.

Getting there from the UK

This is one of the easiest European cities to reach without getting on a plane. Eurostar gets you from London to Brussels-Midi in around two hours, city centre to city centre, no gate queue and no baggage limits to worry about.

Where to stay

If it's your first time, staying central near Grand Place puts you close to the shopping streets and most of the museums. If you're more drawn to the gallery and restaurant scene, Sablon makes a lovely base too, just be ready to walk a bit further for the main sights.

Worth booking skip-the-line tickets ahead of time for the bigger attractions, especially once KANAL opens and everyone wants to see it.

Browse Brussels tours and tickets on Viator

Before you book anything, it's worth working out what the trip will actually cost once you've added up flights or Eurostar, a few nights' stay, and food.