The festive season at La Monnaie
Find out what’s on offer
When winter sets in and Brussels’ sky loses its light and warmth, you have to look elsewhere for such comforts! But you need look no further than La Monnaie, where they are embodied in our operas, our concerts and our collaboration with Winter Wonders. We may well also be able to add the final flourish to your seasonal celebrations…
1. La Monnaie at Winter Wonders
Rated one of Europe’s top Christmas markets, Brussels’ Winter Wonders attracts several million people every year. For this 24th edition, La Monnaie is joining in the festivities, starting on 29 November. As the Christmas tree lights on the Grand Place are switched on, our Cassandra Choir and the young members of the Equinox Choir will sing a magnificent selection of traditional songs, kicking off a whole series of musical performances taking place throughout December.
Don’t miss the free concerts at 20.00 hrs on Monday evenings performed by the Cassandra Choir (9 and 16 December) and La Monnaie’s Bassoon Quartet (2 December). Nor the angelic voices of our children’s and youth choirs at 15.30 hrs on Saturday 7 December. A specially prepared playlist by La Monnaie and Kiosk Radio will also be broadcast, featuring five hours of magical melodies from the world of opera and classical music. Another must is a visit to our chalet on the place de la Monnaie where our colleagues will be presenting our gift vouchers and our packed programme of upcoming shows, all perfect for this time of the year.
2. Fanny and Alexander
Fanny and Alexander is a Christmas story like no other. Written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, the film is one of the great classics of European cinema. Its first adaptation for the opera opens at La Monnaie on 1 December. During all the performances, our theatre will be aglow with the wintery warmth of Sweden, replete with tree, sparkling lights, decorations and delicious foods! Meet at our chalet one hour before the performance for mulled wine or other typically Nordic winter drinks.
3. Winter Chorals
Our children’s and youth choirs are sure to melt your heart with two Winter Chorals concerts. In the first concert, La Monnaie’s Preparatory Children’s Choirs and its Youth Choirs will perform together, while in the second, the Youth Choirs will perform alongside La Monnaie’s Children’s Choirs. Both programmes will celebrate the beauty, freshness and diversity of Belgian choral music through works by Jean Absil, August De Boeck, Raymond Micha, Vic Nees and many others.
4. New Years Waltzes
On 5 January, Alain Altinoglu and La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra invite you to ring in the New Year to the sounds of the waltz. On the programme, the overture to the operetta Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss, which encompasses its most emblematic dances; the Orchestral Suite from Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier, which pays homage to the waltz with a tinge of humour and a mix of jubilation, melancholy and introspection; and Maurice Ravel’s La Valse, which he himself described as “a kind of apotheosis of the Viennese waltz, mingled in my mind with the idea of the fantastic whirl of destiny”.
5. Gift vouchers
What could be more synonymous with the festive season than presents! And what better present to give loved ones than the magic of the opera? Our gift vouchers can be used for any purchase at La Monnaie and are valid for two years. If you buy your gift voucher online, it will be sent to you by email along with gift wrapping for you to print off. Or pop along to La Monnaie box office for a more luxurious version.
