The Brussels-Capital Region has released a detailed mobility plan ahead of Belgium’s National Day celebrations on 21 July, warning residents, commuters and visitors of widespread road closures and detours in the city centre. Published on 14 July 2026, the notice urges travellers to leave their cars at home and use rail or metro services, while the STIB/MIVB public-transport company will run extended evening schedules and reinforce frequencies on key metro, tram and bus lines. Park-and-ride sites at Kraainem, Heysel, Delta and Roodebeek will operate with additional capacity, and contactless bank-card payment is being promoted as the quickest way to board. The plan lists more than a dozen streets around the Royal Palace, Parc du Cinquantenaire and Place Poelaert that will be closed to traffic from the early morning of 19 July through the evening of 22 July. Tunnels under Rue de la Loi, the Cinquantenaire and the E40 Reyers approach will also be shut for parts of the day, while Metro Parc station closes at 09:00 on 21 July. A free guarded bicycle parking zone will operate on Place du Trône between 10:00 and 20:00 to encourage sustainable transport. For corporate travellers, the parade and evening fireworks mean access to most European quarter offices and hotels will be severely restricted between noon and midnight. Mobility managers are advised to shift face-to-face meetings online, arrange hotel rooms within walking distance, or move appointments to airports and business hubs outside the capital ring. Logistics providers should re-route time-critical deliveries well in advance, as heavy-goods vehicles will be barred from central tunnels and surface roads for almost 24 hours. The measures highlight the growing challenge of balancing large-scale public events with Brussels’ role as an EU political hub and multinational headquarters location. Authorities are keen to avoid the congestion and last-minute confusion that marred the 2025 National Day, when unannounced tunnel closures led to three-hour coach delays for delegations attending the military parade. Travellers arriving at Brussels Airport or Brussels-South railway station on 21 July are strongly encouraged to budget extra transfer time and to consult live updates on the STIB and Brussels Mobility websites. Business travellers holding tight flight connections should consider overnighting on 20 July or flying into regional airports in Antwerp, Liège or Charleroi, which remain unaffected by the city-centre lockdown.
Source: Brussels-Capital Region
