Manneken Pis in Brussels dressed in Macedonian folk costume for 8 September
The 55‑cm statue in Brussels was clothed in a traditional Macedonian outfit during a ceremony attended by diplomats and diaspora representatives.
On 8 September 2026 the famous bronze statue Manneken Pis in central Brussels was dressed in a traditional Macedonian folk costume to mark North Macedonia's Independence Day.
Ceremony and presentation
The 55‑centimetre statue, known for the local legend about a boy who allegedly saved Brussels from a fire by extinguishing a fuse with his urine, was the centrepiece of a small diplomatic and cultural event held in the Belgian capital.
The event opened at Brussels City Hall with speeches by the head of North Macedonia’s Permanent Mission to the EU, Ambassador Zulfi Ismaili, and a representative of the Brussels local authorities.
After a short presentation of the costume, Ambassador Ismaili officially handed the outfit to Brussels Mayor Philippe Close, who accepted the gift on behalf of the city.
The ceremony was attended by members of Brussels’ cultural and civic community, representatives of the Macedonian diaspora and diplomats accredited in Belgium, among them North Macedonia’s permanent representative to NATO, Ambassador Orhan Muretzeni.
The dressing of Manneken Pis in national attire has become a diplomatic and symbolic gesture used by many countries to mark national holidays and cultural ties; this year’s dressing highlighted the Macedonian community and official representation in Brussels on 8 September.
Photo: press material from the event
