Tervuren+

02/07/2026

𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐣𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐥 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐬
by Dafydd ab Iago — Town hall has put together a star-studded lineup with Flemish heavyweights even signing Metejoor at €32,500 for a 60-minute show on 4 July. The €115,000 music extravaganza is once again expected to draw in thousands from Tervuren, Brussels and surroundings.

Other Flemish acts on the bill include Aaron Blommaert, and De Romeo’s and Liliane Saint-Pierre. While general admission to the crowded festival grounds remains free, a special zone is accessible only with VIP tickets that are on sale for €181.50 per day or free for an undisclosed number of persons.

The festival, which offers daytime family entertainment, also draws large crowds of youth from Tervuren, Brussels, and neighboring communes into the evening. It was brought back to the central town square by Mayor Thomas Geyns following a 2024 campaign promise.

For security reasons, Geyns and his team have banned public alchohol consumption and alchohol purchase within 1km of the Markt at nightshops (but not Carrefour) on 4 and 5 July unless via Hee Tervuren’s own stands or licensed cafes and restaurants.

Community Impact and Cost Questions

Geyns has defended the spending as a necessary investment in local community life. To manage festival expenses, the town has actively recruited volunteers, promising participants a behind-the-scenes experience, a small stipend, and an official event T-shirt. And the municipality has once again solicited corporate sponsorships from local businesses. To attract additional subsidies, the town has billed the event as a celebration of Flanders’ national day on 11 July.

Signing contracts, alderman Jan Trappeniers appears to have pushed costs down as far as possible as artists of Metejoor’s stature may cost between €30,000 and €60,000. Established acts are listed for less substantial prices including Aaron Blommaert (from €10,500, 60 mins) and De Romeo’s (€10,950, 80 mins).

Read the full story or check road closures by following the Tervuren.eu links in the comment:

28/06/2026

27/06/2026

𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐈𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐨 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐚
By Dafydd ab Iago — Tervuren’s Royal Museum for Central Africa has this year found itself at the center of a diplomatic and commercial dispute pitting Belgium against the United States and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Embellishing the dispute are rumors of a mysterious visit to Tervuren by Bill Gates on behalf of the AI-driven U.S. mining exploration company, KoBold Metals. Rumors the Museum denies.

“I wonder where the strange rumors about Bill Gates come from,” Bart Ouvry, the director-general of the AfricaMuseum, told Tervuren+. Reports had alleged that Mr. Gates visited the museum around the time he inspected the Brussels Sewer Museum. The reports claimed that the billionaire offered a massive donation on the condition that Microsoft be allowed to digitize the AfricaMuseum’s geological records from Central Africa.

Did the museum refuse? When exactly did Mr. Gates visit? “He did not visit the museum,” Mr. Ouvry noted flatly, dismissing the speculation. He added that there was never an offer from Mr. Gates or Microsoft to digitize the collection.

However, the museum did host a high-profile visitor this month: the Congolese Mining Minister, Louis Watum Kabamba, who toured the facility alongside Belgian and European Union officials. “He was able to verify on site the progress of the project to digitize the mining archives held by the Belgian State Archives and the AfricaMuseum,” Mr. Ouvry stated on social media. “It will enable the DRC to significantly expand knowledge of its subsoil and strengthen the expertise of its scientists,” he added.
What Lies Beneath: A Century of Geological Wealth

The historical archives housed in Tervuren are staggering in their scientific and commercial scope, spanning hundreds of thousands of documents, hand-drawn field maps, and physical rock and soil samples. “At the Museum, it’s half a linear kilometer; at the National Archives, it’s also half a linear kilometer. That amounts to millions of documents,” Mr. Ouvry said by email.

Compiled during Belgium’s colonial rule of Congo from 1885 to 1960, these meticulously kept records contain precise, localized data regarding the geology and mineral wealth of the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as neighboring Rwanda and Burundi.

The colonial-era geological documents could prove to be a roadmap to unlock vast, untapped mineral wealth in the D.R.C. for KoBold Metals. The California-based exploration firm is backed by Mr. Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, boasting a high-profile investor base that includes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Proprietary data could heavily assist KoBold Metals in identifying rich new deposits of copper, cobalt, lithium, and other critical minerals essential for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and advanced technologies. The exploration firm struck a deal with the Congolese government last year to deploy its technology, which combines artificial intelligence and human expertise to accelerate geological discoveries.

Read more. See links in comment:

20/06/2026

𝕋𝕖𝕣𝕧𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕟 𝕊𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥 ℂ𝕝𝕦𝕓𝕤 𝕊𝕚𝕘𝕟 𝔻𝕦𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕃𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕦𝕒𝕘𝕖 ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕖𝕣
By Dafydd ab Iago — Tervuren sports clubs have signed a language charter to ensure Dutch is the language for all training sessions, matches, WhatsApp groups, and official communication, a move that aligns participating associations with the town’s so-called impulse subsidies.

Town officials say the initiative is designed to promote inclusion while helping residents practice Dutch in a sports setting.

Under the agreement, Dutch is expected to serve as the primary language during all club activities. Group chats on WhatsApp and official emails are to be conducted exclusively in Dutch, while other languages may only be used as a supporting aid, if necessary.

“In a Flemish Tervuren, we want a warm and welcoming sports environment where everyone feels included and has opportunities to practice Dutch in daily club life,” said Annemie Spaas, Tervuren’s Alderwoman for Flemish Identity (N-VA).

According to Sports Alderman Jan Trappeniers (Voor Tervuren, CD&V), clubs will be free to implement the agreement in ways that suit their own circumstances.

“The clubs helped draft the agreement, and each organization can now implement measures that fit its own reality,” Trappeniers told Het Laatste Nieuws. He added that the town wanted to provide practical support because managing multiple languages is not always easy for volunteer-run sports clubs.
Local Sports Behind Language Charter

A broad range of sports associations signed up, including football clubs Blue Lions, FC Moorsel, Greunsjotters Vossem and KV Tervuren-Duisburg, as well as Judoclub Tervuren, D-Dance, Volley Thor Tervuren and Thor Basket Tervuren.

See links in comment for the full article:

12/06/2026

𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙭𝙞’𝙨 𝟮𝟬-𝙃𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙏𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙎𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙨 𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙝 𝘿𝙚𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙎𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚
By Dafydd ab Iago. Property developer Matexi’s plans to build 20 detached homes on the former British School of Brussels’ (BSB) sports grounds continue to face opposition, nearly three years after the project was formally announced in 2023. Critics argue the development would result in the loss of valuable green space in one of Tervuren’s most sought-after residential areas.

Opponents have also raised concerns about increased traffic, potential flooding risks and what they describe as the gradual erosion of Tervuren’s remaining semi-rural character.

For many residents, the Matexi proposal has come to symbolise wider concerns about urban expansion and the prospect of a more continuous built-up corridor stretching from Brussels towards Tervuren.

At the latest town council meeting, Tervuren Mayor Thomas Geyns (Anders voor Tervuren) sought to dampen the controversy, arguing that the council was not the appropriate forum to discuss an individual planning application while it remained subject to environmental and administrative review.

“This council should debate policy principles, not individual permit applications,” Geyns said. The mayor also rejected suggestions that the site had recently been rezoned to facilitate the housing development.

Read more at Tervuren.eu

07/06/2026

𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐅𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐭

Opinion — By Dafydd ab Iago. Tervuren’s first refuse collectors’ strike in almost 50 years did not happen by accident last month. The dispute surrounding Interrand, our waste collection company shared with Overijse and Hoeilaart, escalated after Mayor Thomas Geyns’ social media attacks on the organisation.

At the same time, the politically convenient introduction of the controversial Diftar pay-by-weight waste system in March 2026 — decided after the 2024 elections despite being approved in 2022 — did little to improve public understanding. It also spared Voor Tervuren and Groen+ candidates from having to answer residents’ concerns during the campaign.

Read more

🅽🅻 https://tervuren.eu/nl/opinie/tervuren-afvalstaking-hoe-kritiek-van-burgemeester-spanningen-rond-diftar-deed-escaleren/
🅴🅽 https://tervuren.eu/en/opinion/tervuren-waste-strike-how-mayors-attacks-fueled-diftar-fallout/
🅵🆁 https://tervuren.eu/fr/opinions/tervuren-comment-les-critiques-du-bourgmestre-ont-aggrave-la-crise-du-systeme-diftar/

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Opinie — De eerste staking van afvalophalers in Tervuren in bijna 50 jaar is geen toeval. Het conflict rond Interrand, onze intergemeentelijke afvalinterc...

29/05/2026

Mayor Thomas Geyns and his Aldermen have approved a long list of road closures and parking restrictions for the Grand Prix Vermarc on Sunday, May 31, 2026. The races, organized by the Mayor’s own non-profit association Sint Hubertus Cycling, put Tervuren on the sports map while honoring cycling legend Lucien Van Impe, Belgium’s last Tour de France winner, 50 years after his historic triumph.

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The event at Sporthal Diependal begins at 10am with introductory cycling activities for young children on balance bikes, followed by U17 races as part of the GP Vermarc. A public barbecue is also planned during the day for residents and visitors.

The municipal official order sets out traffic measures including parking bans, temporary one-way systems, and road closures across several streets in Tervuren for the duration of the races.

Organizers are Sint Hubertus Cycling Tervuren and Tervurenementen, the mayor’s events non-profit founded in 2018 with former mayor Bruno Eulaerts and Bram Bartholomees, the KAT school director who also serves as alderman for events and tourism.

Foto's: ©Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0.: Lucien Van Impe, Tour de France, 1976. Photographe : René Milanese. Lucien van Impe, omringd door fans, de Acht van Chaam, Bert Verhoeff, Anefo, 1975.

27/05/2026

𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘀—𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝘃𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗻!
By Dafydd ab Iago
Tervuren municipal councillors have unanimously approved new rules that will in practice require residents to pay up to €350 to private certified pest controllers to remove Asian hornet nests. The era of paying €80 for fire brigade interventions now appears to be coming to an end.

The new regulation comes as the fire brigade prepares to stop removing Asian hornet nests located below eight metres from 1 June. This change is expected to push residents towards private certified pest controllers, who can charge several hundred euros per intervention.

Former mayor and now alderman for animal welfare Charlier had attempted to preserve the previous system, under which the fire brigade charged exactly €82.28 per intervention and the municipality reimbursed €80. That arrangement is now set to be phased out.

𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗮𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀

If residents now have to turn to the private sector, costs can quickly rise into the hundreds of euros, Charlier acknowledges. The difference between €80 and up to €350 is no longer a minor administrative detail, but a significant cost shift for households—particularly when nests are discovered just below the eight-metre threshold.

Click on the links in the comment below to read the full article, explainers and get the list of approved exterminators on Tervuren+ website.

𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵: 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘈𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯-𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 2.0 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦.