8th Park Poétik

For its 8th edition (11 June – 4 September 2027), Park Poétik will continue to sprinkle poetry throughout the streets, squares and parks of Saint-Gilles and Forest (Brussels, Belgium). For the second consecutive year, the theme “What Is Dialogue?” will provide a guiding thread for the programme, inviting us to explore and nurture new ways of fostering dialogue, debate and connection with one another and with our environment.

The programme is eclectic, ranging from circus performances and music jams to street theatre, workshops and durational art installations. All events take place in public spaces and are free of charge. The festival explores a wide range of formats, from large-scale parades and full-day programmes to more intimate, discreet and unexpected events called the " Surprise". The programme and the artists offer diverse approaches to engaging with audiences and invite the public to participate in innovative ways.

Park Poétik also organises one-day events known as Mini Fiestas and week-long artistic residencies called Street Residencies, during which artists co-create projects with local communities or residents of a specific neighbourhood. Rather than asking the public to come to the festival, Park Poétik brings the festival directly to them, into the streets. The city becomes a vast “park”: a place where we can slow down, meet and do things together. Residents are invited to make the city their own, expanding the possibilities for self-expression and for having an impact on the public spaces we share.

Accessibility, inclusion and sustainability are key principles of the festival, which is co-created by a group of people known as the Poétikizens through a participatory process taking place throughout the winter and spring.