Brussels adapts its Zuidfoor funfair to the heat and to complaining neighbours
Brussels' great summer funfair, the Zuidfoor, is returning to the Boulevard du Midi with a twist: according to VRT NWS, organisers are fitting a Ferris wheel with air conditioning and equipping attractions with sound meters, an attempt to keep a century-old…
In 30 seconds
- The Zuidfoor / Foire du Midi is a large annual summer funfair along the Boulevard du Midi in the City of Brussels.
- According to VRT NWS, a Ferris wheel this year is fitted with air conditioning to counter summer heat.
- VRT NWS reports that attractions are being equipped with sound meters to monitor noise for nearby residents.
- The fair is organised by the City of Brussels and run by independent fairground operators (foorkramers).
The Zuidfoor (French: Foire du Midi) is a large annual funfair staged each summer along the Boulevard du Midi / Zuidlaan near Brussels-South station, organised by the City of Brussels (Stad Brussel / Ville de Bruxelles). It stretches for well over a kilometre through a dense residential quarter on the edge of the Marolles and the South district, with rides run by independent fairground operators known in Dutch as foorkramers. This edition, per VRT NWS, adds an air-conditioned Ferris wheel and sound meters on attractions to respond to summer heat and to residents' noise complaints.
Background
The Foire du Midi is one of Belgium's oldest and largest funfairs, a summer fixture in Brussels stretching back into the 19th century and long associated with the area around the South station. Its scale and its location inside a dense residential district have made the balance between festive tradition and neighbourhood liveability a recurring theme.
What to do
Visitors may find at least one cooler ride option during heatwaves, while nearby households can expect attractions to monitor their own noise — though the fair's crowds, hours and general volume are unlikely to change dramatically.
Impact
Regional — The measures affect the Boulevard du Midi corridor and surrounding neighbourhoods in the City of Brussels most directly, where residents live alongside weeks of rides, crowds and noise. Cooling and noise-monitoring aim to reduce the seasonal friction between the fair, its visitors and local households.
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- Retrieved by ODIN:
- 9 Aug 2026
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This story was assembled from verified evidence, with its sources and reasoning recorded as it was written.