The Iris Festival is the annual and official celebration of the Brussels-Capital Region in Belgium. It takes place on 8 May[1] [2] and is a day off for Brussels officials.[3]
The date of 8 May was chosen for three reasons: it takes place during the flowering period of the yellow iris—also called flower of Lys—which is the symbol of the region and is pictured on its flag;[4] [5] it is the day of the victory against Nazi Germany during World War II;[4] and it is also one of the feasts of Saint Michael the Archangel, patron saint of the City of Brussels.
During the multi-day party, free concerts, street entertainment and all kinds of activities are organised for the general public. Some monuments are exceptionally accessible to the public, and a food truck festival takes place on this day. In 2008, there were 100,000 participants at the festivities.[2] Since 2015, Rock Around The Atomium has also been organised at the Atomium in this weekend.