Friday Night on the Place du Manège
It is just after four on a Friday in September and the Place du Manège is already filling. A DJ is sound-checking somewhere near the centre of the square, cover bands are waiting their turn, and by early evening the Nostalgie Live concert will have the crowd pressed shoulder to shoulder under the strings of lights. This is the opening night of the Fêtes de Charleroi, and in 2026 the city is throwing it for its 360th anniversary — a new annual festival built to replace its old Fêtes de Wallonie slot and to become a permanent fixture on the Charleroi calendar.
The main weekend runs Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September 2026, and every event is free and open to all ages. If you want to be here for the whole arc of it, arrive earlier in the week: the programme starts on Monday 7 September at 14:00 with a guided discovery visit of the communal archives, booked through the Service des Aînés on 071/86 55 50 or 071/86 48 03.
Three Days When the Whole City Turns Out
- Friday 11 September, 16:00–01:00 — Place du Manège. DJs, cover bands and the Nostalgie Live concert carry the square past midnight. Earlier, at 19:00, there is a children's show, "Petites Histoires" by Audrey Dero, at the Bibliothèque Rimbaud. The same hours, over on Boulevard Solvay 31 at Campus Charleroi Métropole, the Student Open Air Nauti runs its 360 edition.
- Saturday 12 September, 10:00–12:00 — guided tours of the Hôtel de Ville. Two free tours cover the building and its renovated surroundings, on heritage and urban renewal. Booking is required through the Maison du Tourisme de Charleroi: 071 49 77 10, info@paysdecharleroi.be.
- Saturday from 12:00 — the festival village and "Rue des Pekets" open on Place du Manège. Around 30 stands, animations, shows and demonstrations fill the square through the afternoon.
- Saturday 14:00–20:00 — Block Party, Place Verte. Urban cultures take over the square for six hours.
- Saturday 17:45–19:00 — the grand folkloric parade, Place du Manège. At 19:00–19:15 on Place Vauban, a prize ceremony honours two folkloric societies of Charleroi and Charleroi Métropole.
- Saturday 19:30–23:00 — NRJ "In the Park," Place Vauban. The line-up is announced during August; more than 10,000 people are expected. The NRJ after-party runs 23:30–01:00 back on Place du Manège.
- Sunday 13 September, morning to 14:00 — the 360th-anniversary Sunday market, with music and family shows. At 15:00, Walloon-language theatre — "El cabaret du tin des céréjes" — plays at Eden. At 18:00 the Académie des Beaux-Arts opens "Image [in] all the people" at the Musée des Beaux-Arts; the exhibition runs 16 September to 10 October 2026.
Eating and Drinking Your Way Through the Festival Weekend
The reliable place to eat is where the crowds are: the festival village and Rue des Pekets on Place du Manège, roughly 30 stands running from midday Saturday, and the Sunday market on 13 September from morning until 14:00, which brings music and family shows alongside the stalls. That is where you graze rather than sit down — stand to stand, through the afternoon and into the evening, while the parade forms and the stages warm up. For the rest of your meals, the festival squares themselves are the anchor: Place du Manège, Place Verte and Place Vauban are all within the same compact centre, so you can move between them on foot as the programme shifts from block party to parade to concert.
Beyond the Main Weekend
- Wednesday 9 September, 19:00 — a screening of the reportage "Charleroi ton Univers Impitoyable" (Revue Wilfried) at Ciné le Parc; tickets through Quai 10, reservation required.
- Thursday 10 September, 14:00 — the "Thé dansant des 360 ans" at C.E.ME.; booking on 071/86 55 63 or 071/86 56 02. At 19:00 the academic session "360 ans de Charleroi" takes place at the Hôtel de Ville, presenting two books — one by Jean-Claude Van Cauwenberghe on the city's mayors, one by current mayor Thomas Dermine on the future of Charleroi Métropole.
- Tuesday 22 September, 09:45 — a second communal archives discovery visit, booked through the Service des Aînés.
- Saturday 26–Sunday 27 September — the Bob Dechamps exhibition at the Centre des Aînés Fabiola, 74 rue Motte, 6000 Charleroi. Free entry, 10:00–17:00.
The anniversary programme carries on under the banner "360 ans de Charleroi" from September through December, with the commemoration of the Liberation of Charleroi, the Fête du Sport, a seniors' film-debate, further communal archives visits, a major Halloween event, the Photo Marathon and the traditional Christmas Concert. Specific dates for those are confirmed closer to the time.
Planning Around the Weekend
September is the hinge: the festival weekend of 11–13 September sits at the centre of a month of 360th-anniversary programming, and the free-entry, all-ages format means you can build a trip around it without booking much beyond the events that require it. Book early for the Hôtel de Ville tours through the Maison du Tourisme, the Ciné le Parc screening through Quai 10, and the thé dansant and archives visits through the Service des Aînés. Watch for the NRJ line-up in August, then set your dates: three days in Charleroi in September 2026, with the city's 360th year as the reason.