Frequently Asked Questions
How do I book? What are our prices? How do I get around during the festival? You’ll find all the answers to your questions here.
What is ‘ANTE’?
What is the concept behind the ANTE Festival? Who organises it? You’ll find all the answers here.
How do I book?
The ANTE Festival 2026 will take place from 3 to 11 October. Bookings open on Tuesday 1 September.
Do you have a specific question?
You’re sure to find the answer in this list. If not, you can contact us by email or phone.
Prices per indoor visit
Full price
€13
+ a supplement for certain visits
Reduced price*
6,5€
Degressive pricing
Up to a maximum of 5 visits
– 1 / – €0.5* per additional visit
Mobility
To get to the various venues open to visitors during the ANTE Festival, please opt for sustainable transport such as cycling or public transport.
At Pro Velo, you can enjoy a 20 per cent discount on bike hire when you show your ANTE ticket.
Places available
Would you like to know where there are still tickets available? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! The following link shows you where you can still book tickets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Important dates
When do bookings open for interior visits?
Bookings for the 2026 ANTE Festival open on 1 September at 2 pm.
When does the booking period for interior visits end?
Bookings close at 10.00 am on the Friday before the weekend of the visit.
I wasn’t able to buy my ticket because bookings had already closed. Can I still take part in the visit?
If you haven’t booked in advance, you can go directly to the venue: tickets may be available for purchase, subject to availability.
How do I book?
Can I book by telephone or email?
No, it is not possible to book by telephone or email.
Bookings can be made on the website https://booking.explore.brussels/ or by appointment at the office. The office is located at Rue des Liégeois 75, 1050 Ixelles.
However, we do not recommend making an appointment at the office as, due to the workload involved in opening bookings, we will only be able to see you the following week at the earliest. Many tickets will already have been sold by the time you visit our offices.
I’d like to book an appointment at the office. How do I do that?
To book an appointment, you can call us on +32 2 319 50 01 from Monday to Friday, 10.00 am to 4.00 pm. You can also email us at info@explore.brussels.
However, we do not recommend booking an in-person appointment as, due to the workload involved in opening bookings, we will only be able to see you the following week at the earliest. Many places will already have been sold by the time you visit our offices.
Do I need to create an account on the booking website?
No, since the ANTE Festival 2026, you no longer need to create an account to book activities.
However, when booking, you will still have the option to create an account so that you can access your orders more easily later on.
When can I start to book?
Bookings on the 1st of September at 2.00 pm. To stay up to date, sign up for our newsletter.
If you’d like to book in advance and support our organisation, join the Friends of Explore.
For how many people can I book for a visit?
Bookings are limited to a maximum of 5 people at a time.
This limit of 5 people has been set by Explore.Brussels to allow as many people as possible to take part in this exceptional event, the ANTE Festival.
The number of people must be the same for all visits included in a booking.
For a group tour, please see our Group Tours page.
How should you choose what to visit?
If you wish to visit several places in a single day, please remember to take into account the distances between the locations, your planned mode of transport and, depending on your choices, the frequency of public transport services or any parking difficulties when planning your itinerary.
To make things easier, you can use our Distance Calculator on our interactive map.
Please bear in mind that if you are more than five minutes late, you will be refused entry to the tour and your place may be resold.
Why do I see a timer when I try to log in?
When bookings open, a large number of visitors may attempt to access the site at the same time.
A virtual queue is then set up to ensure the site remains stable and that everyone has fair access.
The queue is an automated system that regulates access to the site when it is in high demand. Once it is your turn, you will be automatically redirected to the booking platform.
How long can I keep my booking in my basket?
When you log in to the booking website, a queue is created to prevent disruptions or technical issues caused by too many people being online at the same time.
Once you’ve added your first booking to your basket, you’ll have 60 minutes to complete and pay for your order.
Why? Because during these 60 minutes, the places are pre-booked for you and are therefore guaranteed once your order is confirmed.
We realise that this countdown can be stressful. However, it is the best way to ensure we can allocate the tours you have pre-booked to you, whilst allowing other visitors to do the same.
Never click the ‘Back’ arrow on your browser whilst making a booking, as you risk losing your order – just as you would with any e-commerce system. ‘Back’ buttons are provided for this purpose on the website itself.
What are the terms of payment?
We use the “Mollie” system, a recurring payment system.
This system allows you to pay by credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express), via Bancontact, via the KBC/CBC payment button or via the Belfius Pay button.
How do I receive a booking confirmation?
Your booking is only confirmed once payment has been received and you have received a confirmation email.
If you have any queries or encounter any problems, please contact us at the following address: info@explore.brussels.
The visits I’m interested in are fully booked. Is there a waiting list?
No, we do not have a waiting list.
However, in the event of a cancellation on the day itself, tickets may be made available for sale at the entrance, subject to availability. Tickets may also be sold in the event of a cancellation, from 5 minutes after the tour has started. After this time, no further admission will be permitted so as not to disrupt the guided tour in progress.
Guided tours
How long does a visit last?
The duration of a visit depends on the venue. In most cases, they are scheduled to last 45 minutes, up to a maximum of 1 hour 15 minutes.
Information on the duration of each visit is provided on the page dedicated to each venue. This information can be found on our Interior Visits page.
Reduced rates, degressive rates & supplements
Who can benefit from the reduced rate?
We have introduced a reduced-price policy to make interior tours accessible to as many people as possible.
Those eligible for the reduced rate are:
- students under the age of 26,
- students at the ULB and the VUB,
- holders of the ULB Culture Card,
- people with disabilities,
- jobseekers.
This rate is 50 per cent of the full price, i.e. €6.50 per person per visit. This rate is separate from any fixed surcharge charged by certain venues.
The reduced rate also qualifies for the degressive pricing.
If you have booked at the reduced rate when you are not entitled to it, Explore.Brussels will charge you the difference as well as a fine of 50 per cent of the total amount of your booking.
Can I buy a ticket with Article 27?
Yes, those eligible under Article 27 can purchase one seat per Article 27 ticket.
The price of this ticket is €1.25. This does not include any fixed surcharge that certain venues may require.
Please note: those eligible under Article 27 must book at the Explore.Brussels office by the Wednesday before the chosen tour at the latest, or turn up at the venue on the day of the tour (not recommended due to high visitor numbers).
What is the ticket price for children under 12?
Children under 12 can visit free of charge, but their ticket must be booked via the booking system.
How does the degressive pricing work?
The ANTE Festival applies a degressive pricing structure based on the number of guided tours booked for the same person per booking. This calculation applies to a maximum of five visits and is applied automatically at the time of booking.
For example, a single tour at the full price costs €13 per tour, whilst five or more tours at the full price cost €9 per tour.
Tickets purchased on the day are not eligible for the degressive pricing.
Detailed table of degressive rates
|
Number of visits
|
Full price (per person)
|
Reduced price (-50%)* (per person)
|
|---|---|---|
|
1
|
13 €
|
6,5 €
|
|
2
|
12 €
|
6 €
|
|
3
|
11 €
|
5,5 €
|
|
4
|
10 €
|
5 €
|
|
5 +
|
9 €
|
4,5 €
|
“Explore +”, tours adapted for people with disabilities or autism
“Explore+”, what is it ?
Explore.Brussels offers guided tours adapted to people with disabilities as part of its Explore + programme. Use the links below to discover our selection of tours adapted to different types of disability.
We organise accessible tours for:
- blind and visually impaired people
- people with an intellectual disability
- deaf and hard-of-hearing people: tours in sign language (LSFB & VGT)
- people on the autism spectrum (ASD)
These tours are developed in collaboration with specialist partner organisations.
For further information and contact details, please visit our Explore+ page.
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