January
The Luxembourg House of Startups will get a new CEO with Philippe Linster starting the new job on 1 January.
Also effective from 1 January will be a lowering of the VAT rate applied to 3% for specific artistic services. Some 20 Luxembourg tech companies will represent the grand duchy at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas from 7-10 January. Low-cost supermarket Lidl will open its eleventh Luxembourg store in Huldange, opposite the Knauf Shopping Centre.
And Luxembourg extends the refund it offered in 2019 on the purchase of 100% electric, hydrogen or hybrid vehicles in Luxembourg—just in time for the Auto Festival.
And for those who have had enough of the bleak winter, there will be a chance to win or book your next holiday escape at the Vakanz fair at Luxexpo from 17-19 January.
At the end of the month, the UK is set to finally formally leave the European Union on 31 January.
February
The first carnival of the year kicks off in Diekirch on 23 February (see picture below).
At some point from February to April, excise duties on fuels for vehicles sold in Luxembourg will rise by 3-5 cents in an effort to reduce the country’s carbon emissions.
Photo: Maison Moderne/archives
March
Public transport passengers will no longer have to pay for passage on trams, buses or trains in the country starting 1 March. Also on 1 March, Luxembourg will officially bid farewell to winter at various Buergbrennen (bonfire) events taking place in different communes.
The long-awaited trial of three former secret service officers, at which former prime minister and EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker is due to appear as a witness, is scheduled to start of 3 March.
The Festival of English-language school theatre takes plays at the Kulturhaus in Mersch from 6-8 March.
Workspace facilitator Regus expects to open its eleventh business centre in Luxembourg at the Altitude complex in Leudelange. And a mass strike for women is planned by Journée Internationale des Femmes for 7 March in a bid to shine a light on the unpaid care roles women take on.
Meanwhile, cinema buffs can get their silver-screen fix at the Luxembourg City Film Festival, from 5-15 March.
And one of the biggest events in the Irish community's social calendar, the Luxembourg Rose of Tralee ball, takes place on the 28th.
April
The streets of Luxembourg and Nospelt will be filled with the sound of bird whistles on 13 April, signalling the Easter Monday public holiday.
And Boutique hotel chain Mama Shelter expects to open a new €70m hotel in Kirchberg in 2020 around Apri-May 2020.
One of Delano’s favourite music festivals, Out Of The Crowd, takes place at the Kulturfabrik on 25 April.
May
This month will be less generous when it comes to public holidays. While 1 (Labour Day) and 21 (Ascension) May fall on weekdays, the recently created Europe Day on 9 May falls on a Saturday so should be carried forward in workers’ holiday allowance. That extra day could be put towards a trip to Rotterdam where the annual cheese fest the Eurovision Song Contest ends on 16 May. Despite winning it five times, Luxembourg has not participated since 1994.
9 May is also the date of the 2020 Darkness Into Light walk to raise awareness of suicide and self-harm.
Also this month, Luxembourg’s new national stadium should open between Kockelscheuer and the Cloche d’Or after being pushed back from the end of 2019.
Sports fans will want to mark 23 May in their diaries as the date of the ING Night Marathon.
The ING Night Marathon takes place on 23 May. Photo: Maison Moderne/archives
June
Alain Kinsch will leave his role as EY country manager after 11 years in post. He will be succeeded by Olivier Coekelbergs. Also in the business realm, Luxembourg business union the UEL will celebrate its 20th anniversary this month.
June will be a big month for the country’s heritage with the Echternach hopping procession on 2 June, followed by national day festivities on 22 and 23 June.
There will also be a chance to get a bird’s eye view of the capital from June to August when the City Skyliner returns to the capital. And people can catch an array of free musical events in the capital when the Summer in the City festival kicks off on 19 June.
Den Atelier and Neimënster join forces for the Siren’s Call festival on 27 June.
July
At the time of writing, two Luxembourg athletes had qualified for a place in the Tokyo Olympic Games taking place from 24 July-9 August: swimmer Raphael Stacchiotti and Ni Xia Lian, who will be the oldest athlete in the discipline of table tennis.
There will be live music and culture in the north and south of the country from the annual Wiltz festival to the Blast Furnace festival and Gaymat, both in Esch-sur-Alzette. The capital meanwhile hosts free concerts at Rock um Knuedler and the Blues ‘n’ Jazz rally. The Blues Express brings more free concerts to the south, while Contern’s annual comic book festival will be a must-see for BD fans from 18-19 July.
The Contern comic book festival takes place from 18-19 July 2020. Photo: Maison Moderne/archives
August
Luxembourg’s annual funfair the Schueberfouer returns to the Glacis on 23 August for three weeks of money-burning fun. But, before then there will be a chance to see live street art, on 8 August, and free live world music at MeYouZik. Outside of the capital, vino fans won’t want to miss, the Bacchus festival in Remich, or Léiffrawëschdag in Greiveldange, both on 15 August. Traditionally a public holiday, this year Assumption falls on a Sunday and so workers can expect an extra holiday day in their allowance instead. The day before, on 14 August, it will have been 75 years since the Armistice was signed, ending WWII in Europe.
September
Commemorations will take place around the world on 2 September as citizens mark 75 years to the day that WWII ended after Japan officially surrendered.
The Skoda Tour de Luxembourg sets out from 15 September with the status of a UCI ProSeries race, placing it just below a World Tour. Joggers might like to sign up for the Escher Kulturlaf or even the ING Route du Vin on 27 September. Other must-see events in September include the Riesling Open in Wormeldange, 18-20 September, The Anno Steampunk Convention in Pétange and the curious and creepy Kropemannsfest in Redange-sur-Attert.
Artists' impression of Luxembourg’s pavilion at the Dubai World Expo. Image credit: Metaform.lu
October
On 7 October, it will have been 20 years to the day since the start of Grand Duke Henri’s reign. Expo 2020 opens in Dubai on 20 October, where Luxembourg’s pavilion, which uses a curious Mobius strip design, will be among the hundreds of pavilions people can visit over the following 173 days.
For all those people who want to visit a museum but never have time, the night of the museums on 10 October provides an extra opportunity.
Meanwhile tennis fans can catch some of the biggest talents in the game at the BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open.
November
November kicks off with All Saints’ Day. Traditionally, a public holiday reserved for people to pay their respects to the dead, this year it falls on a Sunday so workers can expect an extra holiday day in their annual allowance instead.
People can appreciate the beauty of winter at the Wanterfeeling market and show at Sanem castle. And there will be a chance to buy books and meet authors and illustrators at the annual Walfer Bicherdeeg or book days. Those who prefer to travel at a slightly faster pace can get their thrills at the international motor show.
And then comes the annual shopping event everyone is always talking about--The International Bazaar, which returns for its 60th edition on 28-29 November at Luxexpo The Box.
Packaging-free store Ouni opens its second store in Luxembourg in spring 2020. Photo: Facebook/Ouni
December
The tram line extension to the city train station is expected to be operational by December 2020, two years after the first segment in Kirchberg was inaugurated.
16 December will mark 100 years since Luxembourg became a member of international peacekeeping organisation the League of Nations.
The annual Wanteraktioun campaign, providing emergency accommodation for the homeless, will begin in Findel.
Christmas Day falls on a Friday which means St Stephen’s day falls on a Saturday, making it the fourth time in 2020 a public holiday has fallen on a weekend!
No fixed date but happening in 2020
A new patient health application is expected to be launched in the first half of 2020 designed to simplify procedures for all health stakeholders.
Cargolux expects to open its new headquarters building in Sandweiler in early 2020. The freight airline also marks 50 years since it was founded with various events planned throughout the year.
Packaging-free store Ouni plans to open a second store in Dudelange in early spring while
Leudelange car dealership Car Avenue is expected to open in the summer.
People living in Belgium and working in Luxembourg will be eagerly awaiting the approval of a new amendment to the Belgian-Luxembourg tax treaty, increasing the number of teleworking days permitted from 24 to 28.
The Hotel Alfa, which closed in 2017 following a dispute between tenant and owner, is expected to reopen at the end of 2020 under the management of Marriott.