When is Kanal Brussels scheduled to open?

Kanal Brussels is scheduled to open on November 28, 2026.

What is the main challenge facing the Kanal Brussels museum?

The main challenge is a potential severe budget cut due to a political deadlock in the Brussels-Capital region.

How large is the Kanal Brussels museum compared to others?

Kanal Brussels will be larger than London's Tate Modern, Paris's Palais de Tokyo, and Bilbao's Guggenheim.

Home / Arts and Entertainment / Brussels Art Museum Faces Budget Crisis

Brussels Art Museum Faces Budget Crisis

28 Nov

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Summary

Kanal Brussels, a new art museum, is 95% complete but faces budget cuts.
A political deadlock in the Brussels-Capital region threatens the museum's future.
The project aims to boost Brussels' cultural standing and economy significantly.

Construction on Brussels' new contemporary art museum, Kanal, is nearing completion, with the opening set for November 28, 2026. Despite being 95% finished and poised to become a major cultural landmark, the project's future is jeopardized by ongoing political instability. A year and a half after regional elections, a functional government for the Brussels-Capital region remains elusive, leading to potential austerity measures that could slash Kanal's budget by more than half.

The museum, housed in a former Citroën garage, boasts 12,500 sq metres of exhibition space and aims to enhance Brussels' status as a cultural destination. This ambitious project, with a history of political challenges, seeks to fill a gap in the city's cultural landscape by collecting and showcasing contemporary art. The success of Kanal is seen as vital for creating jobs and injecting significant revenue into the local economy.