POOL IS COOL

20/04/2026

Bigger is better? That’s usually our motto when it comes to public outdoor swimming pools. But we still appreciate the tiny private ones too, as long as they’re the only option! It was a brilliant BRRRUSSELS session yesterday: sunny, colourful and cheerful. Thanks, Charles, for welcoming us. And yes, this is protest!

16/04/2026

So nice!
See you Sunday for the next session :)

05/04/2026

More pictures and an update.
A few more images from BRRRUSSELS UNLIMITED, our protest swim in the basin of Saint Catherine. The action was set up to raise awareness of the still total lack of outdoor swimming in Brussels. And raise awareness it did. This became by far the most liked and watched post in the history of POOL IS COOL, not to mention the international media attention it received.

The action also reached political spheres. The cabinet of , alderwoman in the City of Brussels responsible for communal patrimony, sent us a friendly message acknowledging the ambition to engage in the discussion on outdoor swimming, while noting that swimming in the basin (as in all other fountains) is forbidden and comes with risks. We replied acknowledging that this was an act of civil disobedience, and that its power to raise awareness is directly linked to the fact that we had to cross a line. We also detailed the measures we took: water quality tests of this and other fountains with good results, cleaning of the floor before entry, and care for the basin by keeping our distance from the Anspach fountain. And we asked for a meeting.

Coincidentally, Florence Frelinckx also holds the sports portfolio in the current city council, the same council that cancelled the ambitious Becobad project, a long swimming zone in the Beco dock, in favour of an alternative approach involving private stakeholders — about which, it has been completely silent ever since. We consider this a good opportunity to exchange on the progress of that approach and share our perspective. We will keep you posted.

02/04/2026

𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Oh no, there is no new swimming place! But there is a new FLOW without us knowing about it!
The long-empty former cruise terminal is now a posh commercial venue for exclusive events. Think of champagne, oysters, cheap house music … you know what we’re talking about. It’s run by the people behind other posh or commercial places like the Jeux d’Hiver nightclub in the Bois de la Cambre or the Silo event space nearby. There is actually nothing wrong with posh commercial venues at the canal, but we find it seriously wrong to copy the name of FLOW, one of the most inclusive and accessible public social spaces at the canal, without any notice whatsoever. The audacity of this, and the apparent ignorance of everyone else involved, left us speechless.
What do you think? Let us know — and let them know too. Find them at www.instagram.com/flow.venue.brussels

01/04/2026

It was so hard to keep the surprise, but now we can finally announce it … FLOW is back! ➡️ www.instagram.com/flow.venue.brussels ⬅️
Yes, in total secrecy we worked on the long-awaited successor of our FLOW pool we all knew and still miss. And here it is: FLOW! Same name, different place, different partners, different concept but most importantly very different swimming: no longer in a small closed pool but directly in the mighty canal! Some of you might know the building once meant to be a river cruise terminal. This is now the new place to be for a refreshing swim, and this is only the beginning!

Together with the brothers d’Alcantara we brought the FLOW concept to a higher level. The swimming is scaled up, and so is the culinary experience. The admittedly shabby kiosk of the old FLOW is now fine dining with only the best international chefs for our dearest guests at the new FLOW!

POOL IS COOL will focus on new adventures, we gladly hand the future of FLOW to Cedric and Fabrice with whom we closely developed this new chapter. We are convinced that they will keep the spirit alive, making the new FLOW what the old FLOW has always been: a place to swim, but even more importantly a place where everyone feels welcome, regardless of cultural, economic or social background. We raise a glass of champagne to this rosy future 🥂

30/03/2026

BRRRUSSELS UNLIMITED yesterday at St Catherine. There is still plenty of space in the ‘pool’ … will you join us next time!
Spread the message: Brussels needs outdoor swimming for everyone! Not only (but also!) in winter ✊

29/03/2026

Learning from the past, and from the UK: this is what Brussels needs today!

This documentary contains racist and offensive terms, as well as some nudity."Every kind of person, the whole spectrum of life comes here."The Brockwell Park...

29/03/2026

This was fun! But it’s also a pity that it’s necessary … where next?

Zondag werd de grote vijver op de Vismarkt tijdelijk omgetoverd tot een openluchtzwembad voor de ijsberen van Brrrussels. “Wij voeren actie voor een plek om in de open lucht te kunnen zwemmen."

25/02/2026

Finally a picture of (almost) all of us!
Since last autumn a group of master students of the Brussels Centre for Urban Studies .brussels are conducting a study on alternative ways of managing outdoor swimming places in Brussels beyond the existing dichotomy of public and commercial actors.

Our experience of more than a decade of work on outdoor swimming in Brussels has shown that neither of the two are (yet) able to realise and run the necessary swimming places: public projects get stuck in the infamous complexity of Brussels’ administration and politics, and private players require a commercially viable exploitation that can not provide the required low threshold and inclusively accessible swimming places. What other opportunities are there?

Together with the students we think of cooperative, community driven models that might offer the necessary ‚third way‘ for these much needed ‚third places‘. Mid term critics in March, let’s see where this is heading to!

The study is followed up by Paul of POOL IS COOL together with Hicham and Kristof of .be , the landscape architect firm behind the proposal for the project of the Neerpede swimming pond (also currently stuck in juridical struggles …)

13/02/2026

A new majority, a new agreement, and very soon a new government for the Brussels Region, yeah! Saying „It was about time“ is a slight understatement after more than 600 days without a government, without political ambitions and power to shape the future of the city.

However, it is still unclear what this new government stands for, as coalition agreements have not yet been published. However, this is what can already be read in the media: „Funding for optional subsidies will be cut, while major multi-year investments will be reviewed.“

This is anything but promising. However, we still have a glimmer of hope: many political actors who have supported POOL IS COOL and ambitions for outdoor swimming in Brussels in the past are also part of the new government, or at least the majority.

To those of you who know who you are: the whole of Brussels is counting on you to finally make outdoor swimming a priority, in whatever form! If you are committed to this, we will gladly support you!

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26/01/2026

10 YEARS POOL IS COOL

Ten years ago today, we presented POOL IS COOL to the public for the first time and shared our ideas and goals with lots of people in order to gather feedback and inspiration. We can’t quite remember why we thought a cold January evening would be a good time to talk about the (complete lack of) outdoor swimming in Brussels, but we were absolutely thrilled that so many people came anyway!

At that point, we already had a year of internal discussions, guerrilla swims in ponds and fountains, and informal meetings with like-minded people behind us. The name POOL IS COOL was even mentioned for the first time in autumn 2014 after a few beers. From that first public moment on, however, we were playing in public, and we had no idea what was yet to come.

However, the presentation from back then has lost almost none of its relevance. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is up for debate... Feel free to check it out via the link in our bio!

Looking back at these pictures, it’s striking to see how many people were present who became important for our work later on: in politics and administrations, as project partners and experts, or simply as participants of our many activities that were still to come. Thanks to all of you 🩵

What do you think, will POOL IS COOL still be relevant and necessary in 10 years from now?