6 Reasons to Visit JEM Festival This May in Brussels
22–31 May 2026 · Théâtre Royal du Peruchet · Ixelles, Brussels
If you’ve been looking for something genuinely different to do in Brussels this May — something that works for children and adults equally, something you won’t find anywhere else in Belgium — JEM Festival is it. Here’s why.
1. You’ll watch puppet theatre inside an 18th-century farmhouse
The Théâtre Royal du Peruchet is not your average venue. Tucked away in the Ixelles neighbourhood of Brussels, it occupies a beautifully preserved 18th-century farmhouse — all stone walls, intimate rooms and a lush garden. The building itself is part of the experience. Whether you’re watching a Lambe-Lambe piece for one spectator in a quiet corner, or a full stage show in the main hall, the setting makes every performance feel like a discovery.
2. It’s Belgium’s only Royal Marionette Theatre — and it’s been performing since 1929
The Peruchet holds a distinction shared by no other theatre in the country: it is Belgium’s only Royal Marionette Theatre, and it has been bringing puppet theatre to Brussels audiences continuously since 1929. Nearly a century of craft, tradition and artistic vision — and JEM Festival is its most ambitious celebration of that legacy. When you come to the festival, you’re stepping into a living piece of Belgian cultural history.
3. Every ticket includes free access to an international puppet museum
Inside the Peruchet, alongside the theatre spaces, is a permanent museum of international puppet arts — a collection spanning continents and centuries, from traditional Japanese Bunraku to Neapolitan Guarattelle, from shadow puppets to contemporary object theatre. Entry is included with every show ticket. It’s the kind of place you wander into for ten minutes and stay in for an hour.
4. The programme is unlike anything else in Europe right now
18 shows. 10 countries. 8 world or Belgian premieres. JEM 2026 brings together forms you rarely see on the same programme: string puppets dancing on water (Eaux Fortes), a Neapolitan flea circus inside a leather suitcase (Des Scarabées), a one-viewer Lambe-Lambe journey from Slovakia (The Journey), a Hawaiian creation myth told through a miniature crankie (Haloa), a visceral object theatre piece from a Palestinian artist (War Maker). The 2026 edition also features a special focus on DAFA Puppet Theatre — four shows by Czech-Palestinian artist Husam Abed, each a world of its own.
This is not a children’s festival with a few adult shows bolted on. It is a serious international programme that happens to also be completely accessible to families.
5. The gardens are open — and the atmosphere is half-festival, half-village fête
Several shows take place outdoors in the Peruchet’s gardens, and between performances the space transforms into an open-air gathering: a bar, picnic tables, children running between shows, adults lingering over a glass. It’s the kind of unhurried, convivial atmosphere that Brussels does better than almost anywhere else — and that festivals rarely manage to recreate. Come for one show, stay for the afternoon.
6. It carries the EFFE Label — Europe’s mark of excellence for remarkable arts festivals
JEM Festival 2026–2027 holds the EFFE Label (Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe) — a distinction awarded to festivals that demonstrate exceptional artistic quality, community engagement and European reach. It’s a mark of confidence that what you’ll find here is curated, considered and genuinely worth your time.
Practical information
Dates: 22–31 May 2026
Venue: Théâtre Royal du Peruchet, Avenue de la Forêt 50, 1050 Ixelles, Brussels
Tickets: €5/6 to €12/15 per show · Opening night from €30/35
PASS options: Day PASS €25/35 · Weekend PASS (23–25 May) €60/70 · Full Festival PASS €120/135
Booking is strongly recommended — some shows are only 20 to 40 people.
The Théâtre Royal du Peruchet has been Brussels’ home of puppet arts since 1929. JEM Festival is its annual international celebration — 8th edition in 2026.