The Brussels Flower Carpet awaits you in the Grand-Place

After a two-year break, the Flower Carpet is back and once again covering the cobblestones of Brussels’ Grand-Place from today, Friday 12 August 2022. Don’t hang about – come and see it now!

It’s back! The Flower Carpet has taken up residence in the most beautiful town square in the world and will be there until 15 August. To celebrate the event’s 50th anniversary, the 2022 carpetis going back to its roots with a new interpretation of the very first carpet from 1971. You absolutely won’t want to miss these four flower-filled days. In the meantime, scroll down for the first photos of this 22nd edition of Brussels’ unmissable summer event.

"The Flower Carpet has become the must-see event of the Brussels summer, both for tourists and locals. I am delighted that it is returning to the Grand-Place, which will bloom for four days thanks to this unique ephemeral masterpiece", says Delphine Houba, Brussels' alderwoman for Culture, Tourism and Major Events and president of the Brussels Flower Carpet Association.

"It is a major event for the touristic appeal of our city, attracting plenty of visitors during this important long weekend for our retail and catering businesses", adds Fabian Maingain, alderman for Economic Affairs of the City of Brussels.

5 facts about the 2022 Flower Carpet

The floral tale begins not in Brussels, but in Oudenaarde. Once upon a time, two aldermen from Brussels, Ms Van Den Heuvel and Mr De Rons, were visiting the Flemish city. There, they encountered an incredible carpet composed of thousands of flowers. As soon as they saw it, the seed of an idea began to form in their minds: Brussels should have its very own flower carpet. The following year, the carpet made its Grand-Place début under the watchful eye of Etienne Stautemas who, before installing it, had to empty the square of its cars. That’s right: back then, the most beautiful town square in the world was used as a car park!
The title of the 1971 carpet was Arabesques. An arabesque is a decoration made from stylised plant patterns that are repeated and artistically interlaced. They were a hallmark of Etienne Stautemas, who used them in every one of his flower carpets. In those heroic times, a ‘fragment’ of arabesque cut into a thick piece of card would be used thousands of times over, with the space between the holder’s thumb and little finger serving to gauge the 20 cm gap. Things have come a long way since then but, in homage to Etienne, the 2022 carpet has retained that 20 cm gap.
For the 2022 carpet, 464 m² of begonias – the equivalent of 140 000 flowers – and 563 m² of dahlias – 225 000 flowers – were needed. It also took 508 m² of bark dyed with entirely natural, eco-friendly, plant-based dyes, and close to 88 m² of turf rolls to hem the edges of the carpet. In 1971, there were no such things as turf rolls and dyed bark. So the designers used cut grass that, unfortunately, was partially washed away by a violent storm.
Preparations for the Flower Carpet are spread across several days. The flowers themselves aren’t actually laid until the opening day itself. On ‘D-day’, the full-scale design is drawn onto an enormous organic cotton canvas using natural dyes. Then, a hundred volunteers – half from our long-term partner AVBS (Nurserymen and Growers’ Federation) and half from the International Committee for Ephemeral Carpet Makers – ‘colour in’ this gigantic drawing with the help of thousands of flowers in carefully chosen colours. It took them 6,5 hours to create this short-lived work of art. On 13 August, from 9 am, a delegation from the International Committee will also create a mini flower carpet in the City Hall’s Salle des Mariages.
The 1971 carpet was mainly made up of begonias. But over the years the plant has become scarcer. Today, there are only four major begonia producers remaining, which has led the designers to increasingly work with other varieties. This year, aside from the usual begonias and dahlias, potted chrysanthemums and euonymus japonicus (Japanese spindles) will also decorate the Grand-Place. These two species just happen to be jewel in the crown of Belgian flower-growing, with an international reputation that’s second to none. As a tribute to the florists and growers, these flowers will surround the two ‘We grow your way’ logos of the VLAM (Flanders Agricultural Marketing Board), the event’s new partner, that appear on the carpet.

Schedule and details: “Arabesques” 2022 Flower Carpet – Brussels Grand-Place

Access to the Grand-Place is free of charge. Visitors will only be charged to access to the balcony of the City Hall (overhead view of the carpet). Tickets are available from the box office or on flowercarpet.be and cost €7 per person (free for kids under 10).

12 August:

1 pm: installation is completed.
3 pm: the City Hall opens to the public until 5:30 pm.
10 pm: opening ceremony with sound and lights show.

13, 14 and 15 August:

13 August from 9 am: an international delegation of floral artists will create a mini flower carpet in the City Hall’s Salle des Mariages.
13, 14 and 15 August, 10 am to 10 pm: the City Hall balcony is open to the public, offering panoramic views over the carpet (last entry 9:30 pm).
13, 14 and 15 August at 9:30 pm to 11 pm (every 15 minutes): sound and lights show.

Find out more: http://www.flowercarpet.be