Brussels, Flanders, Wallonia – 7 July, 2025 – More than 535 churches throughout every province in Belgium are organizing the Festival of Hope in partnership with international evangelist Franklin Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The major event will take place in Brussels on 27 September at ING Arena. In preparation for the Festival of Hope, a special event for Belgian youth called Pursuit is coming to La Madeleine in Brussels on 7 September.
A Festival of Hope for all of Belgium
The Festival of Hope is free, and everyone is welcome to attend the event in Brussels on 27 September. More than 7,500 people from every region of the country have already booked seats on a fleet of buses coming to the ING Arena.
“There is so much political and economic upheaval in our world right now. Belgium needs to hear a message of hope,” said David Vandeput, president of the Federal Synod. “We are excited Rev. Graham has accepted the invitation from the denominational leaders in Belgium to come to Brussels. The Festival of Hope has already brought unprecedented unity to Christians in this country—bringing us together as one—but this hope and unity isn’t just for the church, it’s for every person, language, and culture in Belgium.”
“I am grateful for this opportunity to work together with the Flemish, Brussels, and Walloon churches,” said Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse. “We want to give people real and lasting hope and strengthen them in their faith. The solution to the world’s problems isn’t political—it’s spiritual—and I am looking forward to sharing the powerful message of God’s love that is for all of Belgium.”
Pursuit: A faith-filled event for the next generation
Leading up to the Festival of Hope, churches in Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia are working together to help organize Pursuit—a youth-focused outreach designed to encourage young believers in Jesus Christ. On 7 September, the event is expected to bring large numbers of youth from across the country to La Madeleine in Brussels, where the young Christians will be equipped and emboldened to share their faith with others.
“We are seeing something remarkable. This is the first time in memory that so many evangelical churches throughout Belgium have worked together,” said Koen Maeyens, one of the organizers of Pursuit and the president of the Flemish Evangelical Alliance. “It’s transcending the differences in language and culture that sometimes divide Belgium, and it’s incredible to see.”
Historic return: Rev. Graham will preach in Brussels 50 years after his father
Domenico Rampello, a pastor in the Brussels area, is part of the Festival of Hope, and he has personally experienced the life-changing message of hope.
“When Franklin Graham’s father, Billy Graham, was in Brussels 50 years ago to preach at an event for several European countries, my parents took me there,” he said. “Though I was only a boy in 1975, I vividly remember the event today. I haven’t always walked a straight path in my life. I’ve used drugs and even sold drugs. But at the age of 25, God called me back and that forever changed my life. I’m now pastoring La Providence church in Uccle today. When I learned Billy Graham’s son, Franklin Graham, is coming to Brussels for our joint event, I relived that moment and was emotional. It is so powerful to experience faith together and to know that you are not alone. It really does give hope and creates a lasting impression. I am excited for all of Belgium to have the opportunity to experience this for themselves on 27 September.”
The Festival of Hope begins with live music at 6 p.m., featuring award-winning Christian artists Charity Gale and The Afters. To learn more, visit BillyGraham.org/Events/Festival-Of-Hope.
| To the editors: Download photos and videos from the press kit: https://media.billygraham.org/festival-of-hope-press-room/ For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact: – Elsie Van Linthout, elsie@luna.be; +32 475 26 01 03 – Robin De Boel, robin@luna.be; +32 475 59 38 00 |
About the organizing church communities
There are 145 Dutch-speaking, 263 French-speaking, and 127 international church communities from all Belgian provinces and from Brussels participating in the Festival of Hope. Key Flemish and Walloon church leaders are meeting together every month, and there are a total of 20 denominations represented among all of the churches. More than 7,500 people have already registered through group registrations.
About Franklin Graham
Since his first evangelistic event with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in 1989, Franklin Graham has held more than 345 outreaches in over 55 countries and territories. In Europe alone, he has preached 31 times in 19 countries since 1999. Earlier this year, Franklin Graham shared the hope of Jesus Christ with more than 450,000 people in London, England, and in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He also convened the European Congress on Evangelism, which brought more than 1,000 Christian leaders from 55 countries and territories in Europe to Berlin, Germany.
In addition to serving as president and CEO of BGEA, Franklin Graham also leads Samaritan’s Purse, which works in more than 100 countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and Ukraine. In Ukraine, the international Christian relief and development organisation has helped more than 14.5 million people by providing 123,000 tonnes of food as well as nearly 1,000 tonnes of emergency relief supplies on 43 airlifts. Samaritan’s Purse also operated five field hospitals and five medical clinics in the war-torn country, treating tens of thousands of patients.