2026 in Belgium
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| See also: | Other events of 2026 List of years in Belgium | ||||
Events in the year 2026 in Belgium.
Incumbents
[edit]Events
[edit]January
[edit]- 11 January – Customs agents seize 141 kg (311 lb) of cocaine at the Port of Antwerp.[1][2]
- 29 January – Two people are killed in a fire at an assisted living facility in Ostend.[3]
February
[edit]- 12 February – Police raid the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels as part of an investigation into the sale of 23 properties to the Belgian state valued at 900 million euros in 2024.[4]
- 13 February – A coalition agreement is reached for the Brussels regional government after a record 20 months of negotiations since the 2024 Belgian regional elections.[5]
- 17 February – The foreign ministry summons US ambassador Bill White over a social media post accusing Belgian authorities of antisemitism over an investigation into unregulated ritual circumcisions in Antwerp.[6]
March
[edit]- 1 March – Belgian special forces, with French naval assistance, seize a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the North Sea.[7]
- 9 March – A synagogue in Liège is damaged in a suspected antisemitic attack involving explosives,[8] later claimed by a previously unknown group apparently aligning itself with Hezbollah.[9]
- 17 March – A court in Brussels orders former diplomat Étienne Davignon to stand trial on charges of participation in war crimes in connection with the 1961 killing of former Congolese prime minister Patrice Lumumba. Davignon is the only surviving individual among those accused by Lumumba’s family of involvement in the case.[10]
April
[edit]- 26 April – The 2026 Liège–Bastogne–Liège cycle race is won by Tadej Pogačar.[11]
May
[edit]- 26 May
- At 30.3 °C (86.5 °F), Belgium has its hottest 26 May on record, beating the 1985 high of 29 °C (84 °F).[12]
- A train collides with a school bus that ran a level crossing in Buggenhout, killing four people and injuring five.[13]
June
[edit]- 11 June–19 July – Belgium participates at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- 18–29 June – 2026 European heatwaves associated with 1,222 excess deaths in Belgium.[14]
- 20 June – Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan arrive in Belgium on a state visit.[15]
July
[edit]Scheduled
[edit]- 14–30 August – 2026 Mens and Women's FIH Hockey World Cup in Wavre, Belgium and Amstelveen, Netherlands.[17][18]
Deaths
[edit]- 4 January –
- Daniel Pelletti, 77, painter[19]
- Kamiel Dierckx, 84, basketball player (Belgian Lions).[20]
- 8 January – Wim Van Belleghem, 62, rower[21]
- 15 January – Marceau Mairesse, 80, politician, senator (1991–1995) and MP (1995–2003)[22]
- 17 January – Dino Attanasio, 100, comics writer and illustrator[23]
- February – François Beukelaers, 88, actor (Brussels by Night, The Over-the-Hill Band, Stormforce)[24]
- 17 February – José van Dam, 86, operatic bass-baritone[25]
- 8 April – Charles Delhez, 74, priest and sociologist
- 18 May – Étienne Davignon, 93, diplomat and civil servant, European commissioner (1977–1985)[26]
- 3 June – Margriet Hermans, 72, singer, senator (2007–2011)[27]
- 18 June – François Englert, 93, theoretical physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (2013)[28]
- 20 June – Mireille Bastin, 83, painter[29]
- 9 July – Renaud Hardy, 64, convicted serial killer[30]
- 11 July – Albert Derolez, 91, librarian[31]
- 13 July – Hervé Hasquin, 83, historian, minister-president of the French Community (1999–2004)[32]
Holidays
[edit]- 1 January – New Year's Day
- 6 April – Easter Monday
- 1 May – Labour Day
- 14 May – Ascension Day
- 25 May – Whit Monday
- 21 July – Belgian National Day
- 15 August – Assumption Day
- 1 November – All Saints' Day
- 11 November – Armistice Day
- 25 December – Christmas Day
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Belgian customs seize over 140 kilos of cocaine at Port of Antswerp". The Brussels Times. 2026-01-12. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
- ↑ "141 kg of cocaine seized in Antwerp port". Ports Europe. 2026-01-17. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
- ↑ "Two die in blaze at Ostend supported housing centre". VRT. 2026-01-30. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
- ↑ "Belgian police raid EU commission in real estate probe". VRT. 2026-02-12. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
- ↑ Maïthé Chini (12 February 2026). "White smoke: Brussels finally has a new government". The Brussels Times.
- ↑ "Belgium summons U.S. ambassador over tweet accusing kingdom of antisemitism". AP News. 12 February 2026.
- ↑ "Belgium, with France's assistance, seizes suspected Russian 'shadow fleet' tanker". 2026-03-01. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
- ↑ "Belgium: Explosion in front of Liege synagogue". DW. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ↑ Jacques Laruelle (12 March 2026). "Un groupe revendique l'attentat contre la synagogue de Liège". La Libre.
- ↑ Matthieu DEMEESTERE; Jeremy AUDOUARD (2026-03-17). "Belgian diplomat ordered to stand trial over 1961 Congo leader murder". Caledonian Record. AFP. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- ↑ Pierre Lambert (26 April 2026). "Liège-Bastogne-Liège : la cérémonie protocolaire après la victoire de Tadej Pogacar". RTBF.
- ↑ Fien Tondeleir (26 May 2026). "30,3 graden in Ukkel: eerste tropische dag van het jaar is een feit". VRT Nieuws.
- ↑ Boelpaep, Bruno; Kirby, Paul. "Four killed as school minibus collides with train in Belgium". BBC News. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
- ↑ Tobias Santens (3 July 2026). "Hittegolf eist bij ons 1.222 extra levens". VRT Nieuws.
- ↑ "Japan imperial couple visit Belgium". The Brussels Times. Belga. 20 June 2026.
- ↑ "Fire in Belgian apartment block leaves at least 6 people dead, many injured". Associated Press. 2026-07-01. Retrieved 2026-07-02.
- ↑ Iveson, Ali (3 November 2022). "Netherlands and Belgium to hold combined Hockey World Cups in 2026". inside the games. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
- ↑ Alice Devilez (3 November 2022). "La Belgique accueillera le Mondial de hockey 2026 avec les Pays-Bas". rtbf.be. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
- ↑ Schrevens, Romain (5 January 2026). "La Louvière : décès de Daniel Pelletti". Antenne Centre Télévision (in French). Retrieved 7 January 2026.
- ↑ "Le magicien de bal Kamiel Dierckx est décédé à l'âge de 84 ans". Basketball Belgium (in French). Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ↑ "Wim Van Belleghem (62) overleden, eerste en enige man in België die zich tot wereldkampioen in het roeien kroonde" [Wim Van Belleghem (62) has passed away, the first and only man in Belgium to become world champion in rowing] (in Dutch). VRT Nieuws. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ↑ Ketelair, Cedric (2026-01-17). "Disparition à Morlanwelz : Marceau Mairesse est décédé". lavenir.net (in French). Retrieved 2026-01-17.
- ↑ "Dino Attanasio (100) overleden". stripspeciaalzaak.be (in Dutch). 17 January 2026.
- ↑ Bonneure, Kristien. "Acteur François Beukelaers (88) overleden, de antiheld uit 'Brussels by night'". VRT. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
- ↑ Kockartz, Andreas (February 19, 2026). "Der belgische Opernsänger José van Dam im Alter von 85 Jahren verstorben". VRT (in German). Retrieved February 19, 2026.
- ↑ Walde, Milena (May 18, 2026). "Top Belgian diplomat accused in Lumumba case dies at 93". Politico.eu. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
- ↑ "Zangeres, mediafiguur en ex-politica Margriet Hermans (72) overleden". VRTNWS (in Dutch). 2026-06-03. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
- ↑ "Le belge François Englert, prix Nobel de physique pour la découverte du "boson de Higgs", est décédé à l'âge de 93 ans" (in French). RTBF. 19 June 2026. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- ↑ "Madame Mireille Bastin". Simplifia (in French). Retrieved 25 June 2026.
- ↑ "Renaud Hardy, notorious Belgian serial killer, dies in Bruges prison". Brussels Times. Retrieved 2026-07-09.
- ↑ "Albert Derolez (1934-2026): een leven gewijd aan middeleeuwse handschriften". Ghent University Library. 2026.
- ↑ "Historicus die minister-president Franse Gemeenschap werd: Hervé Hasquin (83) overleden". VRT (in Dutch). 13 July 2026.
- ↑ "Belgium Public Holidays 2026". Public Holidays Global. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
- ↑ "Holidays and Observances in Belgium in 2026". Time and Date. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
