Brussels is preparing for one of its most anticipated summer spectacles as the 24th edition of the Flower Carpet returns from 13–16 August 2026, transforming the city’s historic Grand- Place into a monumental celebration of Japanese art, diplomacy and floral design. The event’s central motif will reinterpret The Great Wave off Kanagawa, the iconic work by Japanese master Katsushika Hokusai, marking 160 years of friendship between Belgium and Japan.

Ten years after Japan’s first collaboration with the Flower Carpet in 2016, the country returns as guest of honour in a partnership that organizers describe as both artistic and symbolic. The project reflects shared values between Belgium and Japan: precision, craftsmanship and an appreciation for fleeting beauty.

The 2026 design has been created by Japanese artist and Kyoto University of the Arts professor Hiro Sugiyama and his collective Enlightenment. Their “Neo Hokusai” concept reimagines Hokusai’s famous wave using contemporary visual language, digital techniques and geometric structures while preserving traditional Japanese motifs. Sugiyama says the project seeks to connect “past and future, analog and digital, and Japanese culture and contemporary art.”

The installation itself will also showcase a significant floral evolution. Historically built around Belgian begonias, the Flower Carpet has increasingly embraced dahlias in recent years. For 2026, more than 500,000 dahlias—covering nearly 1,300 square metres and representing around 80% of the composition—will be used. Organizers are again partnering with the Loenhout Flower Parade Association to supply the flowers.

In a major first for the event, Brussels will introduce a second flower carpet at the Stock Exchange building (Bourse). Inspired by hops and Belgium’s brewing heritage, this companion installation will create a floral trail linking the Grand-Place and the Bourse, extending the celebration across the city centre.

Visitors will be able to watch the carpet take shape on 13 August before enjoying panoramic balcony views from City Hall and nightly sound-and-light performances. The Grand-Place itself will remain freely accessible throughout the event.

With a world-famous Japanese masterpiece translated into flowers and a new city-wide floral route debuting in Brussels, Flower Carpet 2026 appears set to be one of the event’s most ambitious editions to date.

Mario Parrot