Steven and “Bruxelles sans tel”: putting down your smartphone to rediscover silence, other people… and yourself

💙 A positive note from BXLpositive — We all know the reflex: reaching for your phone the moment silence sets in. In Brussels, a community suggests the opposite — hand in your smartphone at the door and see what happens when you are simply there, with other people. Entry costs €9.50, open to all, and quietly contagious. Here is their press release, published as is.

In Brussels, a movement invites residents to put down their smartphone to find silence, other people… and themselves

Brussels, 19 August 2026 — What if, for a few hours, we simply stopped looking at our phones?

That is the experience proposed by Bruxelles sans tel, a Brussels community that organises offline gatherings in various venues across the capital. The principle is deliberately simple: hand in your smartphone, slow down and be fully present to what surrounds you. Born from a reflection on our growing relationship with technology, the project today brings together a community of people looking to create moments of disconnection in a city where hyperconnection has become almost permanent.

Taking back your attention

At Bruxelles sans tel events, participants hand in their smartphone on arrival. The gatherings generally alternate between convivial moments, a time of silence and a return to conversation. Depending on the venue and the edition, the programme may also include reading, art, music, conversations or simply free time.

Silence holds a particular place in the concept. “Silence can feel uncomfortable at first. You quickly realise how used we have become to filling every second,” explains Steven Grumiau. “But once that first discomfort passes, something is released. You can read, think, observe, listen or simply do nothing. And above all, you start noticing the people around you again.”

This experience connects to a broader concern: our collective capacity to stay attentive in an environment designed to constantly capture our attention.

A response to hyperconnection

Smartphones, notifications, social networks, algorithms and short-form content have profoundly transformed the way we communicate and spend our time.

For Bruxelles sans tel, it is not about rejecting technology, but about questioning the place it occupies in our lives. “The smartphone is an extraordinary tool. The problem begins when we no longer choose when we want to use it,” says Steven Grumiau. “We want to create moments where people can experience what it feels like to take back control of their attention, rather than simply talk about it.”

Creating spaces where you can simply be

Over the events, Bruxelles sans tel brings together people of different ages and backgrounds. Some come alone, others with friends. Many know nobody on arrival. That is precisely part of the experience: creating a context in which interactions can happen naturally, without a screen as a constant intermediary.

“We sometimes feel more connected than ever. Yet many people also feel loneliness or difficulty in creating genuine bonds,” explains Steven Grumiau. “We simply want to create environments that make meeting easier. Spaces where you can walk in alone and leave having spoken to someone, discovered something, or simply spent a few hours differently.”

The ambition of Bruxelles sans tel therefore goes far beyond a simple “digital detox”. The project seeks to develop a genuine culture of disconnection in Brussels, through regular gatherings in bars, cultural venues, cinemas, artistic spaces and other independent places in the capital.

“We don’t want to impose a new rule of life on people,” concludes Steven Grumiau. "Bruxelles sans tel is rather an invitation. An invitation to experiment, to be a little bored, to talk to someone you don’t know, to listen to silence or to look around. And perhaps then to ask yourself: what do I really want to do with my attention?"

The next Bruxelles sans tel events will take place on 5 September at Boob’s Bar, in Louise, and on 27 September at Ratz, in Saint-Boniface.

Press contact: Steven Grumiau, founder — Bruxelles sans tel · +32 470 53 66 85 · info@kryptoncreed.co

💙 Our closing note — What stays with us is the momentum: people from every corner of Brussels walking into a bar or a cinema without knowing who they will meet, and leaving with a conversation in their pocket rather than a feed. The city needs these pauses. We’ll be there — join us.

📅 Next dates

• 5 September 2026 — Boob’s Bar, Louise area, Brussels.
• 27 September 2026 — Ratz, Saint-Boniface area, Ixelles.

🔗 Sources & verifiable links

• Official press release “Bruxelles sans tel” — 19 August 2026, sent to the newsroom by Steven Grumiau (founder).
• Official account: https://www.instagram.com/bruxelles_sans_tel
• Events page (Luma): https://luma.com/s7o5ujjj
• Founder profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-grumiau-0b0550196