Belgium Sake Festival Returns to Antwerp with More Than 250 Sakes to Discover

On 26 and 27 September, the Belgium Sake Festival transforms WOLF Food Market into an accessible introduction to Japan’s celebrated drink, combining tastings, masterclasses and unexpected gastronomic pairings.

Sake is far more diverse than many people imagine. It can be sparkling or still, fresh or creamy, fruity, earthy, dry or rich in umami. On 26 and 27 September 2026, the Belgium Sake Festival returns to Antwerp to help visitors explore this fascinating variety through more than 250 different sakes.

Taking place at WOLF Food Market inside the Felix Pakhuis, the festival brings together around sixteen specialist importers from Belgium and abroad. Visitors can taste different styles, meet the people behind the bottles and learn how sake is produced, served and paired with food.

This year’s edition also introduces a new festival app designed to make the experience more personal. Rather than focusing on technical vocabulary or prestigious labels, the app helps visitors create an individual taste profile based on their own preferences. Users can receive recommendations, access information about the bottles and build a wish list of sakes they would like to taste or rediscover later.

Visitors will also be able to rate the sakes they try. At the end of the weekend, the festival’s highest ranked bottle will receive the People’s Choice award, while participants will have the chance to win one of the three most popular bottles.

“There’s no right answer to the question of which sake you should like,” explains festival founder Jonas Kellens. “With the app, we want to give people a starting point, without dictating their tastes for them.”

Tastings, masterclasses and food pairings

The programme is divided across three areas. The Live Stage hosts accessible talks and introductions covering sake, fermentation, Japanese gastronomy and chocolate. In the Masterclass Room, sommeliers, educators and importers lead smaller groups through regional styles, sparkling sake, cocktails and craft production.

The Chef’s Table takes the experience further with pairings involving cheese, caviar and other carefully selected ingredients.

One of the participating producers is SAKE DE BORDEAUX, a young French brewery combining Japanese brewing traditions with local ingredients and the terroir of Bordeaux. Its presence also reflects the growing sake culture developing outside Japan.

The choice of WOLF Food Market reinforces another important message: sake does not belong exclusively in Michelin starred restaurants. The venue’s ten street food counters serve cuisines ranging from Japanese and Indian to Peruvian, Mexican, Italian and Middle Eastern, offering plenty of opportunities to discover how versatile sake can be at the table.

Behind the festival is Jonas Kellens, a Master Sake Sommelier and founder of Shinshu Sake. As sake sommelier at the former Michelin starred restaurant DIM Dining, he created one of Belgium’s most extensive sake lists. Today, his tastings, training courses and collaborations with Japanese breweries aim to make the drink easier to understand and enjoy.

After welcoming more than 1,500 visitors in 2025, the Belgium Sake Festival is once again inviting beginners, professionals and enthusiasts to discover sake without intimidation or unnecessary rules.

Practical information

When: Saturday 26 September from 12:00 to 21:00 and Sunday 27 September from 12:00 to 20:00
Where: WOLF Food Market, Felix Pakhuis, Godefriduskaai 30, 2000 Antwerp
Admission: Entry is free. A €15 tasting ticket is required to sample sake.
Information and tickets: sakefestival.be
Instagram: @belgiumsakefestival