Prelude to the National Day 2026

On Monday 20 July at 8.00 pm, a free concert will kick off the National Day celebrations, in the presence of the King and Queen. This classical music concert is organised by the Queen Elisabeth Competition in collaboration with the Belgian National Orchestra, and with the support of the FPS Chancellery of the Prime Minister and...

On Monday 20 July at 8.00 pm, a free concert will kick off the National Day celebrations, in the presence of the King and Queen. This classical music concert is organised by the Queen Elisabeth Competition in collaboration with the Belgian National Orchestra, and with the support of the FPS Chancellery of the Prime Minister and the players of the National Lottery.

Exceptionally this year, the concert will be held in the Art Deco Hall of NOVUM (2 Rue Père Eudore Devroye in 1040 Etterbeek).

Programme

This year’s soloist is violinist Elli Choi, Third Prize at the 2024 Queen Elisabeth Competition. She will perform alongside the BNO conducted by Hankyeol Yoon.

The concert opens with The Hebrides (“Fingal’s Cave”) by Felix Mendelssohn. Elli Choi will then perform Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1. The orchestra will also perform The Noon Witch by Antonín Dvořák before closing the evening with the famous Waltz from Masquerade by Aram Khachaturian.

Tickets

We’re sorry, but all tickets for this year’s 2026 concert have been allocated. Bookings are now closed.

However, the concert will be broadcast live on RTBF Musiq3 and Klara and on RTBF La Trois and RTBF Auvio. VRT Canvas will broadcast the prelude on Tuesday 21 July at 2pm and from then on it can also be viewed on VRT MAX.

Thank you to the players of the National Lottery. Produced with the support of the FPS Chancellery of the Prime Minister and the Tax Shelter of the Federal Government of Belgium through Casa Kafka Pictures.