Excellent news for the people of Brussels: from 2026, an emblematic monument will change its role and return to daily use. The Halles Saint-Géry, which used to be visited mainly for an exhibition or an evening drink, will soon be home to a real indoor market with craftsmen, local produce and a renewed sense of neighborhood. And it won’t be a copy of the food courts already known in the city, but an assertive return to their original function. Bruxelles Secrète tells you all about it.
A market designed for residents
From March 2026, the first floor of Les Halles will be transformed into a food hall, with nine stands still under selection. The guiding principle is clear: small-scale structures, short circuits and local products. Bakeries, butchers, cheese shops and artisan sandwich shops will replace the current event spaces. No Instagrammable decor is promised, but a place where people really come to shop, taste a gueuze or buy their morning bread.
Responding to the lack of local shops
The center of Brussels is sorely lacking in neighborhood addresses, and this project aims to fill the gap without falling into the trap of marketing concepts. The aim is not just to attract weekend visitors, but to recreate a daily rhythm in a building often confined to evening outings. By drawing inspiration from historic European halles rather than lifestyle food courts, the site hopes to appeal to local residents, workers and passers-by alike, without prioritizing audiences.
A living heritage, not a static museum
Another pleasant surprise is that cultural activities are not disappearing! Heritage exhibitions will continue to be held in the basement and upstairs, with extended opening hours and free access. The idea is not to replace, but to superimpose uses: buy your cheese downstairs, discover an exhibition upstairs, stroll under the neo-Renaissance roof structure without consuming. Eventually, a weekly outdoor market could even extend the experience onto the square. Rather than a spectacular facelift, this is a useful urban reactivation.
📍Address: Pl. Saint-Géry 1, 1000 Brussels