Brussels Motor Show wants to return with a bang

The Brussels Motor Show (BMS) will be held from 10 to 19 January 2025 in the Brussels event halls at the Heysel. After skipping 2024, the 101st edition wants to return with a bang. At least 63 exhibitors have signed up to be present, and organizer Febiac hopes that more than 300,000 visitors will also attend.

Frank Van Gool, Febiac’s new CEO: “I’m very happy that the car sector has been so enthusiastic about the motor show’s return. Almost all essential players are present; some return after years of absence. And, of course, there are some newcomers. The message is clear: the Brussels Motor Show is once again the place to be for a crucial sector in our economy. We’ll make it memorable.”

Sold out

The 101st edition of the BMS is sold out. This is logical, given the number of participating exhibitors and the fact that the show doesn’t use all expo halls. Other exhibitors have filled in the years of absence (Covid-19, lack of interest) and didn’t want to change their engagements for 2025.

This means the show will occur on the same premises as in 2023. With 63 exhibitors, everybody will have a smaller display than in the glory years before the pandemic. Nobody seems to lament this because of the renting price per square meter and the rising cost of building attractive stands.

More international

The BMS will again be Belgium’s most crucial indoor event, but it also wants to shine outside the Belgian borders. Freddy De Mulder, Febiac President: “With more than 100 editions, the Brussels show is almost unique, and many other countries envy us. With the profound changes occurring in the automotive sector, motor shows have suffered or simply disappeared. Today, we see a new sort of enthusiasm, locally and internationally, and we want to take advantage of it.”

A trend we have already seen in 2023 is that the big bosses of several manufacturers have discovered the Brussels Motor Show and were amazed at its size and quality. That will be accentuated in January. For example, a manufacturing group like Stellantis is practically sending its whole top management to the show’s press day.

As Geneva disappears from the calendar, an increasing number of international motoring journalists will pass by, illustrated by the return of the award ceremony of the ‘Car of the Year’ (COTY) election to Brussels, like in 2023.

The growing interest in the BMS can also be measured by the number of premieres. Where Brussels had to struggle for one or two real premieres in the past, there will now be three world premieres and seven European premieres in addition to the 27 Belgian ones.

The numbers

56,000 square meters will be filled by 100 exhibitors, of which 63 are manufacturing brands (cars and LCVs). Visitors can also admire some 40-plus dream cars and supercars in the corners of the exhibition halls.

The LCV exhibitors have joined forces and created a specific meeting zone for LCV products apart from the regular stands. There will also be animation for people who come to the show with the whole family, including kids. For the youngest ones, a special family tour involves an educational game.

The organizers did not increase ticket prices compared to previous editions to ensure that more than 300,000 visitors would appear. The ticket price is €15 for adults and €10 for adolescents (up to 15 years). Children under ten enter for free. Tickets can be purchased online or at the show (no cash).

In collaboration with supermarket giant Carrefour, the retailer’s clients can purchase a ticket at their supermarket for €7.5 when they are prepared to go on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday (14th to 16th of January).

Will there be a BMS in 2026 and 2027?

Since the pandemic and the disappearance of the BMS for several years, organizer Febiac has completely restructured to become a leaner organization that is no longer dependent on the BMS to break even. The interest of the public in 2025 and the eagerness of the exhibitors to show up in the coming years will determine if there will be other editions.

Despite the turbulence in the automotive sector, the signs seem to be green for the BMS. The enthusiasm of the old days seems to be back; now, we will have to see if the general public follows. The latter has been hesitating these recent years, not knowing how to react to the electrification move. A giant comparison place like the BMS can have its role to play in this.

The exhibitors have promised not to make the mistake of 2023 and also show a whole bunch of affordable cars at the show. The fact that cheaper electric cars are now coming on the market and the Chinese delegation of exhibitors will never have been so important surely contributes to this.