Celebrating connection: Wallonia-Brussels Celebration Day in London showcases collaboration and creativity

This past 25 September we had the honour of hosting a vibrant Wallonia-Brussels Celebration Day at the Chelsea Physic Garden, bringing together diplomats, cultural figures, researchers, and partners to salute the shared heritage and ambitions between Southern Belgium and the UK.

The event was anchored in the tradition of the Wallonia-Brussels Celebration Days, a deeply rooted regional celebration that commemorates Southern Belgium’s historical resilience, democratic spirit, and cultural vitality. Across Belgium, this is a moment for communities to unite, remember their past, and look to a shared future. Holding it in London allows us to celebrate our identity abroad, while reinforcing our commitment to openness, dialogue, and collaboration across borders.

This year’s gathering was particularly meaningful, finally with our full team present, as it stood as a public testament to the efforts and the results achieved over the past year to intensify engagement across science, culture, remembrance, and economic diplomacy:

• In scientific research and innovation, we supported the landmark TRAIL Summer Workshop, co-hosted by King’s College London, that brought together 110 early-career AI researchers from the UK and Belgium to foster cross-border exchange on tomorrow’s technological challenges.
• In heritage and remembrance, we supported the redevelopment of the historic Hougoumont Farm at Waterloo, a site of profound symbolic importance, culminating in an inauguration in the presence of HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh.
• On the cultural and creative front, we staged Belgium House during SXSW London, delivering a flagship programme with more than 60 Belgian innovators, artists, and entrepreneurs who engaged over 1,000 UK counterparts in MusicTech, immersive media, cinema, and start-ups and more.
• We also lent support to tributes to Chantal Akerman at the British Film Institute, celebrating her artistic legacy and reaffirming the resonance of Belgian cinema in the UK.

The Wallonia-Brussels Celebration Day is not just a symbolic commemoration of our region, it’s an affirmation of our ambition to maintain and deepen strong ties with the UK. Across diplomacy, arts, research, and trade, we aspire to build bridges, inspire joint projects, and foster mutual understanding.

We are deeply thankful to all those who joined us. We look forward to building on this momentum with further collaborations, dialogues, and exchanges in the year ahead.