Bernard Frisque
It’s the question on everyone’s lips, from the chalets at the Bourse to the bars of Sainte-Catherine: what will become of the Grand-Place nativity scene in 2026? One month before Winter Wonders opens on Friday 27 November 2026, the answer remains shrouded in mystery.
Asked by our newsroom, organiser Brussels Major Events is keeping tight-lipped. All eyes are on the press conference of 17 November. Until then, Brussels is holding its breath — and is already divided.
Flashback: the Christmas the crib shook the Grand-Place
In late November 2025, the City replaced its old stable, considered worn and hard to transport. In its place came a “poetic and contemporary” nativity by Brussels interior architect Victoria-Maria Geyer. Mary, Joseph, the Child and the Three Kings became life-size rag dolls, sewn from end-of-stock and recycled fabrics, sheltered under a white translucent greenhouse.
One detail lit the fuse: the figures have no faces. The artist, who describes herself as Catholic, wanted everyone, “whatever their background or origins”, to identify with the story. Part of the public saw instead a tradition being “erased”.
Three stormy days
- Georges-Louis Bouchez, president of the MR — itself part of the city’s ruling coalition — called it an “absurdity” and launched a petition: “Give us back our nativity scene and our Christmas market”.
- Red Devil Thomas Meunier on X: “We’ve hit rock bottom… and we keep digging.”
- Éric Domb, founder of Pairi Daiza, made the case for faces: “a mother’s smile, the kindness of a stranger”.
- Mayor Philippe Close and Benoît Lobet, dean of the Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula, defended the work and called for calm: “Tradition must be creative.”
The climax came on the night of 28–29 November: the baby Jesus was stolen, swiftly replaced, and security stepped up. Later, photos obtained by HLN showed the dolls originally had eyes, removed during their making.
The detail that changes everything: €65,000 and five years
This is where the plot thickens. The crib cost €65,000 and, according to the City’s commitments reported at the time, is meant to return for at least five years. On paper, 2026 would be only its second season.
But between a pledge made in the middle of a storm and the scene actually set up beneath the Town Hall, there is a press conference. The 2025 version unchanged? A reworked piece, with faces? A more classic stable? As of today, no official announcement settles it — and we won’t decide on the organisers’ behalf.
A debate as old as the Christmas tree
Brussels knows the tune: back in 2012, a light-structure Christmas tree sparked a similar row on the Grand-Place. Each time the same question returns: do you protect a tradition by freezing it… or by reinventing it?
What is certain is that Winter Wonders 2026 runs from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, from the Grand-Place to Place De Brouckère via the Bourse and Sainte-Catherine. And that the nativity, whatever it looks like, will again be one of the most shared photos of the winter.
Behind the scenes, we’re told even the donkey is still in shock: apparently, he still hasn’t got over this scandal… 🫏
So, which team are you?
🎨 Team artistic crib: an open, sustainable Nativity that lets art speak in the city.
🪵 Team traditional crib: faces, wood, gazes — the Christmas of our childhood.
Tell us in the comments or on our social channels. Our newsroom will be at the 17 November press conference to bring you the answer as soon as it’s official.
🔗 Sources & verifiable links
- Ville de Bruxelles — Plaisirs d’Hiver 2026
- City of Brussels — Winter Wonders 2026
- Brussels Major Events — Winter Wonders
- visit.brussels — Plaisirs d’Hiver
- RTL info — 65 000 €, au moins cinq ans (28/11/2025)
- RTBF — Crèche revisitée : que nous dit la polémique ? (30/11/2025)
- La DH — « La tradition doit être créatrice » (28/11/2025)
- Le Soir — la conceptrice s’explique (01/12/2025)
- 7sur7 — « Au départ, ils avaient bien un visage » (02/12/2025)
- Euronews — Jésus volé, visages absents (03/12/2025)
- BX1 — Une crèche nouvelle génération (26/11/2025)
