“In Luxembourg City, we’re committed to tradition,” declared the capital’s mayor, (DP), at a press conference on Thursday 24 August. The Stater Braderie is clearly one of them, both for Luxembourgers and visitors from neighbouring countries, and for the city's retailers, for whom the event represents a "high point for their sales.” On Monday 4 September, from 9am to 7pm, 241 retailers will be setting up stalls in the Ville-Haute and Gare districts, which will be largely pedestrianised for the occasion. There will also be 23 food stalls, 19 associations and clubs and nine political parties, each with its own stand.
For its 94th edition, the commercial union of the city of Luxembourg (Union Commerciale de la Ville de Luxembourg, UCVL) and the City of Luxembourg wanted to make the event “more family-friendly,” explained Mireille Ramé-Bley, president of the organisation representing the capital’s retailers.
A wide range of activities will be organised. Children’s games on the Place de Paris, an introduction to skateboarding or basketball, giant Legos and a food truck on the Place Guillaume, and activities at Mediamarkt on the Avenue de la Gare. “There will be something for all tastes and ages,” Ramé-Bley added.
Young and old alike will also be able to try and win prizes with the “wheel of fortune” set up in front of the Cityshopping information area in Place d’Armes, or one of the 300 "cups to go" offered by the city to “raise awareness of eco-responsibility,” said Luxembourg City’s alderman for commerce, (CSV), who believes that these initiatives “demonstrate the good collaboration between the city and the UCVL.” According to mayor Polfer, the city’s aim with these new initiatives is “to attract new customers.”
Free admission and easier mobility
Another new feature this year is that the Grande Braderie will also be an opportunity to sightsee… for less. The Luxembourg City Tourist Office will be organising free guided tours on the theme of commerce, the Lëtzebuerg City Museum will be open and free from 2 to 4 September, and admission to the Villa Vauban and the Badanstalt swimming pool will be free on Sunday.
On the shopping front, retailers will be offering “braderie offers” from Saturday onwards, and “not just on old stock, many shops will also be offering discounts on the new collection,” said Ramé-Bley.
It’s easy to imagine that the car parks and public transport systems will be swamped by bargain-hunting people from Luxembourg and the bordering countries, but the alderman for mobility stated, “There will be enough space for everyone.”
The P+Rs around the city centre (Bouillon, Kockelscheuer, Luxembourg Sud A+B and Stade de Luxembourg) will be a good way of easily getting to the Grande Braderie, with buses serving them every 10 to 20 minutes.
In the city, the Place de l’Europe car park in Kirchberg and the Fort Wedell car park in the Gare district will be free on Monday 4 September. The Fort Neipperg car park at the station will offer four hours of free parking on Saturday 2 September and two hours on Monday 4 September.
The network of bus routes will be adapted, and the city also recommends using the tram between the Ville-Haute and the central station. Certain sections of Rue Notre-Dame and Avenue de la Liberté will be closed to traffic on certain sections.
Safety during the Grande Braderie--“a very important aspect for us,” said UCVL director Anne Darin--will be ensured by a partnership with the police and the Grand-Ducal Fire and Rescue Service (CGDIS).
This article was first published in French on . It has been translated and edited for Delano.