The City of Brussels opened the **Midi Fair 2026** on 18 July, Europe’s largest inner-city fun-fair stretching 2 km along Boulevard du Midi until 23 August. While primarily a leisure event, the fair has concrete implications for global mobility: it sits adjacent to Gare du Midi, Belgium’s main international rail hub for Eurostar, TGV and ICE services. Local authorities have closed the central traffic lanes of Boulevard du Midi, rerouting buses 48 and 52 and diverting taxi ranks to Avenue Fonsny. Pick-up and drop-off zones for private hire vehicles and corporate shuttles have been moved to Rue Limnander, adding up to 15 minutes to peak-hour journeys between the station and EU quarter hotels. The city advises travellers with heavy luggage or mobility impairments to exit the station via the **Sortie ‘Tour du Midi’** rather than the main concourse, where footfall could top 40,000 visitors per day. Employers organising orientation programmes or immigration appointments should factor in longer transfer times; several relocation providers have switched their welcome briefings to Schuman or Central Station to avoid the congestion. On a positive note, SNCB-NMBS is running extra late-night trains on weekends, and STIB has added capacity to metro line 2. Visitors can also use the **EventPass** code “FOIREDUMIDI” in the STIB app for free metro journeys after 7 p.m.—a useful perk for assignees exploring Brussels before permanent housing is secured.
Source: City of Brussels
