Brussels: when demand rises
Brussels runs on two rhythms at once. Business and institutional travel fills weekdays for most of the year and thins out in the summer and around Christmas, while leisure visitors favour weekends, spring and the festive season. On top of that, Belgium has two different school calendars, one for French-speaking and one for Dutch-speaking schools, so family weeks do not line up.
Demand by month
Show the figures
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.9% | 6.4% | 8.1% | 9.4% | 9.9% | 9.7% | 10.0% | 9.6% | 6.9% | 8.3% | 7.3% | 8.5% |
In this data, the three strongest months are May, June, July; the three weakest are January, February, September.
Share of guest reviews per month on active entire homes, 2024-09 → 2026-08 (proxy for when stays happen; an even year would be 8.3% per month). Source: Inside Airbnb, collected 20 September 2026, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International. Method.
School holidays
Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles schools
Calendar of compulsory education 2026-2027 for schools of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Autumn holidays | 19 October – 1 November 2026 |
| Winter holidays | 21 December 2026 – 3 January 2027 |
| Carnival break | 22 February – 7 March 2027 |
| Spring holidays | 26 April – 9 May 2027 |
| Summer holidays | from 3 July 2027 |
Source: enseignement.be (Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles)
Flemish schools (Dutch-speaking)
School holidays 2026-2027 for schools of the Flemish Community, including Dutch-speaking schools in Brussels.
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Autumn holidays | 2–8 November 2026 |
| Christmas holidays | 21 December 2026 – 3 January 2027 |
| Crocus (carnival) holidays | 8–14 February 2027 |
| Easter holidays | 29 March – 11 April 2027 |
| Summer holidays | 1 July – 31 August 2027 |
Source: vlaanderen.be (Onderwijs Vlaanderen)
Recurring demand drivers
Dates were read on the source shown on each line. "dates published by the organiser" means the next edition was not yet announced on the organiser's site: check the link.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 27 November 2026 – 3 January 2027 | Winter Wonders (Plaisirs d'Hiver) City celebration The Christmas market and winter events in the city centre; weekends are the strongest. Source: plaisirsdhiver.be |
| 21–23 May 2027 | Lotto Brussels Jazz Weekend Festival / culture Free concerts across the city at the end of May. Source: lottobrusselsjazzweekend.be |
| dates published by the organiser | European Council summit weeks Trade fair / conference Leaders' summits and their delegations concentrate weekday demand around the European quarter; meeting dates are published by the European Council. Source: consilium.europa.eu |
How to price this city
Price weekdays and weekends as two separate products. When institutional weeks are busy, weekday nights near the European quarter carry the demand; in July and August the same flat often does better with leisure-friendly weekly prices. Because the two school calendars differ, a spring or autumn week can be a holiday for one half of the country and a normal week for the other: check both before deciding a week is "school holiday".