Christmas Experience during Mechelen in Fire and Flames 2023!

Enchantment in the Historic Downtown

Mechelen in Fire and Flames drew a wide audience to the historic downtown this year. The sixth edition of this spectacle, filled with fire acts, street theater and culinary stalls, enchanted visitors over two days

Saturday was a headlong walk through the shopping streets in search of gifts for Christmas and the end of the year. The weather gods were kind to us, it was cool but dry, all the ingredients for a successful weekend in Mechelen (Belgium) were met. A lot of acts took off in the afternoon while shopping which made shopping a total experience. Due to the busy programming of Fire and Flame, it was choices where to make photo and video footage so that you as a reader and viewer can still get a glimpse of the successful Fire and Flame 2023.

Fire Arts and Street Theater Everywhere

Visitors could be amazed by a visual spectacle in the beautifully lit Sinte Mettetuin, while other locations such as Veemarkt, City Hall and various streets were occupied by various short acts. Notable were the impressive performances by companies such as Ron Jaluai, Cirq Bover and TAMTAM’s figure theater, which transformed each location into a magical spectacle.

Circus Performance in the Cattle Market by Circ Bover is a circus company from the vacation island of Mallorca, founded in 2005 with the aim of spreading circus arts in the Balearic Islands, a discipline that at the time was virtually non-existent in the archipelago. Thus, it was established as the first traveling circus in the Balearic Islands characterized by the creation of shows fusing other disciplines, such as live music, theater and contemporary dance; creating an unprecedented cultural phenomenon that made it known throughout the territory with unusual speed.

The Fire Masters inspire with The Giant

De Reus van De Vuurmeesters over de IJzerenleen een parade van een creatuur die het publiek verwondert met een whow factor van de geweldige 4 meter en 4 meter lange reus met een technisch staaltje van bouwtechniek en technisch bediend door 5 personen. Het publiek voelt waar vooral kinderen hun fantasie de vrije loop laten. Tijd voor selfiemomenten.

Festive Fire and Music Performances.

De Propere Fanfare van De Vieze Gasten uit de Brugse Puurt van Gent Zowel op de IJzerenleen als in de drukke winkelstraat Bruul wist deze 60 mannen en vrouwen sterke Propere Fanfare het publiek in een feeststemming te brengen. Iedereen werd uitgenodigd om mee te dansen op opzwepende muziek.

The evening of a super busy store Saturday ended with a Fire Act by Dutch Company Doodle themed The Factory. Already early people descended on the Grote Markt to secure a spot to witness the fire skills of these fire makers. A dazzling show with meters-high flames defied the spectators.

Mechelen in Fire and Flame attracted not only residents but also visitors from far beyond the city limits. However, the event required extensive security measures due to the large number of visitors. The weekend also provided a vibrant atmosphere for Christmas shopping. Highlights of Fire and Flame were captured for a visual experience on the Traveltopper video channel.

Longing for a Real Christmas Market

Despite the success of Mechelen in Fire and Flame, there is a yearning for a real Christmas market in the city. The call for Mechelen Feest to take inspiration from other markets in Flanders and Germany remains prominent.

Mechelen showed its potential for large-scale events with Fire and Flame. However, it continues to crave a full-fledged Christmas market to complete the festivities. The city is ready for even more magic and fun!

Want to see more? Check out the highlights on my video channel Traveltopper!

Text, photos and video Verschueren Eddy