Brussels and a music festival might seem an unlikely combination, but Couleur Café is a brilliantly exotic gathering right in the heart of Europe, writes Tomas Mowlam.

Between 25th and 27th June Brussels echoes to the sounds of what must be one of the most eclectic festival line-ups.

From “R&B, hip hop, world, afro, reggae, ragga, dub, dancehall, Latin, salsa, son, raï and rock” according to the organisers, Couleur Café has it. This year is no different with Rodrigo y Gabriela (above) on the Friday, hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg on Saturday and Nas & Damian Marley and George Clinton on the Sunday.

Tickets for the full weekend are sold out, but day tickets are still available for €34, so you can go for just a day, catch your favourite acts and then soak up the atmosphere of Brussels.

Music starts around 4pm and goes on until late with firework displays each night before the headline act. There’s also great food, art projects and workshops where you can join in with percussion and brass.

The festival has been going since 1990, when it first packed 5,300 festival goers into the old covered market – Halles de Schaerbeek. It rapidly expanded and moved location and this year over 80,000 people are expected to pack out the festival site.

Let P&O Ferries get you there with the Hull to Zeebrugge or the Portsmouth to Calais service, both of which are just a short drive to Brussels.

Image Credit: Kmeron

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