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The Brussels calendar in 2026
Brussels sits in the French speaking community, so most of its schools follow the Wallonia-Brussels Federation calendar, which since the 2022 reform spreads the year more evenly with a long break roughly every seven weeks. Local and international schools in the city both work to this framework, though international schools set their own precise term start and end dates and add their own in-service days. The reformed 2025 to 2026 school year began in late August 2025 and ends on Friday 3 July 2026. For the wider picture of schools and stages, see our international schools in Brussels directory, and for stage-specific timing our Brussels primary schools guide.
The 2026 holiday dates that shape the year
The Wallonia-Brussels Federation dates below apply across Brussels in 2026. The Carnival and spring breaks each run for two weeks under the reformed calendar, and the French and Flemish communities share a common Carnival week to ease holiday travel.
| Holiday (Wallonia-Brussels Federation) | Dates 2026 |
|---|---|
| Winter holiday (Vacances d'hiver), into 2026 | 22 December 2025 to 2 January 2026 |
| Carnival / relaxation break (Congé de détente) | 16 February to 27 February 2026 |
| Shared Carnival week with the Flemish community | 16 February to 22 February 2026 |
| Spring holiday (Vacances de printemps) | 27 April to 8 May 2026 |
| End of the 2025 to 2026 school year | Friday 3 July 2026 |
| Summer holiday (Vacances d'ete) | From early July 2026 to the start of the new year in late August 2026 |
These are the centrally set community dates. Individual schools add their own teacher-training days through the year, so a school's actual closures will be a little wider than the table above, and the precise start of the 2026 to 2027 year in late August was still being confirmed by some schools at the time of writing. Always check against the school's own calendar.
How international school terms map onto the dates
International schools in Brussels align their breaks with these Wallonia-Brussels Federation holidays but do not all run an identical year. The IB and international schools, such as the International School of Brussels and St John's International School in Waterloo, typically run a year from late August to early July with breaks around the national dates. British curriculum schools, principally the British School of Brussels in Tervuren, use a three-term structure with an autumn and a spring half-term that fall in the autumn and Carnival windows above, and finish the summer term in late June or early July. The practical upshot is that the community table tells you when the city's families will be travelling, while the exact first and last day of your child's year, and any extra in-service days, come from the individual school. Treat the late-August start and early-July finish as indicative until each school confirms.
Choosing a school in Brussels?
The school finder filters Brussels schools by curriculum, district and stage so you can match the calendar and the programme at once.
Use the school finderPlanning the 2026 year
Three practical points for families planning the Brussels school year. First, the school year ends on Friday 3 July 2026, so summer travel from Brussels peaks in the first weekend of July, and Brussels Airport and the motorways towards France and the coast are busiest then, so book early-July travel well ahead. Second, the Carnival break in February is a popular ski week for Brussels families, with the shared community week of 16 to 22 February the busiest, so Alpine prices peak in that window. Third, international school fees are usually billed by semester or term, with the larger invoice falling at the late-August restart; our guide to international school fees in Brussels covers the tiers and timing, and families weighing the senior years can read our shortlist of the best schools for sixth form in Brussels.
Brussels school holidays 2026: FAQ
Most schools in Brussels follow the Wallonia-Brussels Federation calendar, the French speaking community calendar that sets the autumn, Christmas, Carnival and spring breaks. Under the reformed calendar the 2025 to 2026 year runs from late August 2025 to 3 July 2026. International schools build their own term dates around these national breaks, so check each school's own calendar for exact dates.
The Wallonia-Brussels Federation school year ends on Friday 3 July 2026, and the summer holiday runs from early July through to the start of the new year in late August 2026. International schools may finish a little earlier and start a little later than the local dates, so confirm the exact end and start of the year with your school.
Under the reformed Wallonia-Brussels Federation calendar the Carnival or relaxation break runs from 16 to 27 February 2026. The French and Flemish communities share the common week of 16 to 22 February 2026, which is the week most Brussels international schools take as their February break.
Broadly, but not always to the day. International schools in Brussels align their breaks with the Wallonia-Brussels Federation autumn, Christmas, Carnival and spring holidays, but each sets its own term start and end and its own in-service days, and British curriculum schools use a three-term half-term pattern. Always check the school's own published calendar for the precise dates.
Each school publishes its own calendar, and the British School of Brussels, the International School of Brussels and St John's International School all list term dates on their websites. Use the Wallonia-Brussels Federation framework on this page for the national breaks, then confirm the precise term start, term end and in-service days with your chosen school.