Urban Sessions turns Brussels into a four-day urban sports festival
Urban Sessions Brussels, the largest urban sports festival ever organised in Belgium, is expecting more than 25,000 visitors of all ages during its first edition from 30 June to 3 July. The organisers announced this at their press conference on 31 May. The free four-day festival is focused on urban lifestyle and action sports, with the first international UCI BMX Freestyle World Cup in our country, as the main highlight.
For four days, the festival will turn Brussels into the centre of the most challenging action sports. During the international UCI BMX Freestyle World Cup, top athletes - including Olympic BMX freestyle champions Charlotte Worthington, Logan Martin, Declan Brooks, and multiple Belgian champion Kenneth Tancré - will compete on Belgian soil for the first time! Besides BMX, Urban Sessions Brussels will feature competitions, demos, and battles - ranging from parkour and breakdance to wheelchair sports WCMX and skateboarding, which like BMX became a permanent Olympic sport in 2020. The best Belgian skateboarders will show their skills on a 15-metre-long mega ramp. Further, parkour athletes Xavia Rodriguez Alvarez from Mexico and Jérémy Lorsignol from Belgium will amaze the audience with their impressive tricks.
Urban Sessions Brussels will include other Belgian athletes from the urban sports world. Our own Barre Neirynck will steal the show with his BMX flatland jam sessions and Belgian trial bike champion Kenny Belaey will give a series of astounding trial shows.
Urban Sessions Brussels is one of the biggest sports events in Belgium, supported by the Brussels region. And promises to grow into one of the regulars on the Belgian events calendar.
"The organisation of this BMX Freestyle World Cup 2022, as well as these new Olympic sports disciplines, is without doubt a unique opportunity to let the Brussels Capital Region shine on the international sports scene. It is with excitement and pride that we look forward to welcoming the best international athletes to this free, world-class event. Bringing the world's best urban sports to Brussels was a challenge, but look, we've done it," says Sven Gatz, Brussels Minister of Finance, Budget, Civil Service and Multilingualism.
The organisers want to ensure that everyone can fully experience the dynamic vibe of urban sports. That is why the festival includes initiations and demonstrations for children with disabilities. Vice-world champion WCMX Kevin Van Ekert, will show that a wheelchair does not have to be an obstacle to perform the most exciting tricks.
"Urban Sessions is an extremely positive event for Brussels. It puts our capital on the world map of BMX. The public will also be able to discover various other urban sports, and in particular new Olympic disciplines such as skateboarding and breakdance, as well as wheelchair motocross, an adaptive sport practised in a wheelchair. By reaching out to everyone, especially to young people, the event is a great opportunity to celebrate sport and its positive values", says Minister of the Government of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation in charge of Sports, Youth and Promotion of Brussels, Valérie Glatigny.
"We are delighted that Schaerbeek, known to take the lead, is THE Belgian municipality that will host this Belgian premiere," says Mayor Cécile Jodogne. "Dynamism, challenges, achievements, youth, creativity, courage, sportsmanship... values that we share with the athletes and the different disciplines that will surround the event. We are also thrilled that our local businesses and our rich network of associations will contribute to this event. Visitors will also appreciate our exceptional heritage and our fabulous park."
"It is an excellent opportunity for Schaerbeek to host an international event. With more than 170 nationalities, Schaerbeek is one of the most cosmopolitan municipalities," says Thomas Eraly, Schaerbeek's Alderman for Sport. "Thanks to Urban Sessions, all these countries will now know where Schaerbeek is located. Urban sports fit perfectly within the sportive framework of our youthful municipality and offer a unique opportunity to showcase our different clubs such as parkour, hip hop dance, street work out and others. We want to give the young people of Schaerbeek the opportunity to meet the greatest athletes in the world, to learn new sports disciplines and maybe discover their vocation. Who knows, maybe thanks to Urban Sessions, we will see some future champions being born here".
And to kick off the summer season, music and good food can't be missed at Urban Sessions Brussels either. In the Josaphat park in Schaerbeek, food trucks, performances, DJ-sets and street art will bring the atmosphere to life. You can also taste Devil Drop - a fresh Cold IPA produced by the local Brussels Beer project and designed especially for Urban Sessions, named after the parkour move Devil Drop.
About Urban Sessions Brussels
Urban Sessions Brussels combines action sports with urban culture in a refreshing way during a four-day festival. The event is free and accessible to visitors of all ages. Urban Sessions Brussels will welcome the world's best athletes from various disciplines including parkour, breakdance and skateboarding, culminating in the first international UCI BMX Freestyle World Cup powered by FISE. The event also includes demonstrations and initiations. Urban Sessions Brussels is organised by the non-profit organisation Urban Generations, led by Matthieu Gheysen, who has over fifteen years of experience in international event management.
Tickets are available for free via the website: www.urbansessions.be
Date: 30 June - 03 July 2022
Location: Josaphat Park - Boulevard Ambassador Van Vollenhoven, 1030 Schaerbeek
More information on the website - www.urbansessions.be or follow us on social media:
-Instagram: @urbansessions.official
-Facebook: @urbansessions.official
-LinkedIn: Urban Sessions
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Eva Vanhengel
