Practical
Friday, 20 November, 2026
- 07:30 until 18:00
This is how we celebrate St V
Commemorative ceremony (7.30 am – 3 pm)
The Saint-Verhaegen commemorative ceremony brings together the university communities of VUB and ULB to honour Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen and other champions of freedom, resistance and academic values. The programme includes floral tributes, speeches and a joint gathering at Brussels City Hall.
Programme
- 7.30 am – Welcome in the Marble Hall at ULB’s Solbosch Campus
- Floral tribute at the statues of Théodore Verhaegen and Francisco Ferrer
- Torchlight procession to Square G, followed by a floral tribute
- Return to the Marble Hall
- Speeches by, among others, VUB Rector Jan Danckaert and ULB Rector Annemie Schaus
- 8.30 am – Breakfast in the Marble Hall
- 9 am – Departure by shuttle bus to the VUB campus
- Floral tribute and speech at De Stap
- 9.40 am – Departure by shuttle bus to Brussels Cemetery
- Floral tributes and speeches at the graves of Théodore Verhaegen, François Kufferath and Henri La Fontaine
- 11.05 am – Departure by shuttle bus to the National Rifle Range in Schaerbeek
- Floral tribute, commemoration and speech at the memorial to those executed by firing squad
- Announcement of the heroes of the Resistance
- 12.20 pm – Departure by shuttle bus to Brussels City Hall
- Joint session of VUB and ULB in the Gothic Hall, at the invitation of Philippe Close, Mayor of Brussels
- Glass of Friendship in the Militia Hall at City Hall
- 2.30 pm – Walk to Jeanneke Pis for a tribute
- 2.55 pm – Walk to the Sablon
The university communities of VUB and ULB pay tribute at the graves of Théodore Verhaegen, François Kufferath and Henri La Fontaine with floral tributes and speeches (2025).
Along the route, they also stop at the memorial to those executed by firing squad at the National Rifle Range in Schaerbeek (2025).
Student procession
In the afternoon, thousands of students from VUB and ULB take to the streets of Brussels. The procession is not only a celebration of student life and solidarity, but also highlights this year’s student theme: the fight against violence against women.
Under the slogan “Changez vos mentalités, pas nos libertés – Let her voice be heard, let violence drown”, Brussels’ students call for a change in attitudes and a society in which women can live freely and safely, without violence or intimidation.
Practical information
- Gathering at the Sablon from around 12 noon
- Expected arrival at De Beurs between 5 and 6 pm
Thousands of students gather at the Sablon around midday (2025).
During St V, different generations and communities celebrate Brussels’ student life and the values upheld by the free universities: free and scientific education, academic freedom, critical thinking and freedom of research (2025).
St V 2025: View the photos
Did you know that Saint-Verhaegen dates back to 1888?
That year, 200 ULB students marched in procession to the grave of their founder, Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen, to pay tribute to him. The press mockingly described this tribute as a ‘canonisation’ by students who did not believe in superstition. This is how the name Saint-Verhaegen came about, giving rise to the annual tradition we know today.