Event Details
The Procession of the Holy Blood in Bruges
Every year on Ascension Day, the Procession of the Holy Blood winds through the historic heart of Bruges. In 2026, this centuries-old spectacle takes place on Thursday, 14 May 2026. The procession begins at 14:30 at the Dijver and concludes at 17:30 with a closing ceremony at the Burg. Recognised since 2009 as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, this living tradition draws between 30,000 and 45,000 visitors to the medieval city each year.
History & Significance
The procession dates back to 1304, founded as an expression of gratitude and faith. According to legend, Count Thierry of Alsace brought a relic of the Holy Blood of Jesus Christ from Jerusalem to Bruges following the Second Crusade in 1149. The relic, a small glass vial containing a cloth said to bear the blood of Christ, is kept year-round in the Basilica of the Holy Blood on the Burg and is carried through the city just once a year, housed in a magnificent golden shrine.
Program & Route
The procession is divided into four thematic sections. It opens with the Old Testament from Creation to the Rorate, followed by the New Testament from the Nativity in Bethlehem to Pentecost. The third section recounts how the relic of the Holy Blood came to Bruges. The final section sees members of the Noble Brotherhood of the Holy Blood accompany the shrine through the streets. More than 1,800 participants dressed in magnificent medieval and biblical costumes sing, make music, dance and act throughout. The style of the procession evokes the Burgundian era when guilds, crafts, brotherhoods and chambers of rhetoric were responsible for staging these scenes.
The day begins at 10:25, when the relic is ceremonially placed in the shrine on the Burg to the sound of the triumphal bell in the belfry. The Royal Speelschaar SFX, a band with over 75 years of history and around 80 musicians, brings festive atmosphere to the city from the morning onwards.
Highlights
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2009
- Over 1,800 participants in historical medieval and biblical costumes
- Four thematic sections from the Bible to the arrival of the relic in Bruges
- Ceremonial placement of the relic in the shrine at 10:25 at the Burg
- Procession start at the Dijver at 14:30
- Closing ceremony at the Burg at 17:30
- Free viewing anywhere along the full route
- Reserved paid seating on benches and grandstands at key locations
- Route passes: Markt, Dijver, Steenstraat, 't Zand and the Burg
Tickets & Entry
The procession is a public event. Standing anywhere along the route is entirely free; no registration is required. Visitors who prefer a guaranteed, comfortable seat can purchase tickets for benches or grandstands:
- Grandstand (adults): €13.00
- Grandstand (groups of 20+, seniors 65+, visitors with a disability, children under 16): €8.50
- Bench (adults): €8.50
- Bench (groups, seniors, visitors with a disability, children under 16): €4.00
- Standing along the route: free of charge
Tickets can be purchased in advance at the information office at Markt (Historium), the information office at Stationsplein (Railway Station) and at In&Uit (Leisure, Concertgebouw), or directly along the route before the procession begins. Those unable to attend in person can follow the procession via free livestream at bloedprocessiebrugge.be or on FocusWTV.
Visitor Tips
- Travel by train is strongly recommended. Bruges Railway Station is around a 15-minute walk from the procession start at the Dijver. Journey time from Brussels is about 60 minutes and from Brussels Airport around 90 minutes.
- The city centre is largely closed to traffic from 13:00 on the afternoon of Thursday 14 May 2026. Parking restrictions apply from 05:00 in many streets.
- Arrive early to secure a good standing spot; popular sections of the route fill up quickly.
- A paid programme booklet is available in advance at the tourist information offices.
- The procession is fully accessible: visitors with a disability receive reduced-price tickets; a heritage app provides free audio descriptions and videos in Flemish Sign Language with subtitles.
- Book accommodation in Bruges well in advance; Ascension Day is one of the most popular long-weekend bridges of the year in Belgium.
