Situation until 13 March

Until 12 March there was no legal obligation in Belgium to cancel events. Does that mean that the Coronavirus is a valid argument to cancel an event as an organizer or as a customer?
Again, always check what your contract stipulates first. If a situation of this nature is anticipated, then you must apply the contract. In such cases compensation may still be due in the event of cancellation. If your contract does not include any relevant stipulations, you must check whether the double condition for force majeure has been met (see above).
Bearing in mind the advice provided by the government and by experts who have advised not to allow (larger) events to take place, there are arguments in favour of the fact that it could no longer be reasonably expected that a planned event would still take place.

Situation after 13 March

Since the Federal Government’s communication on 12 March, it has become clear that from 13 March a situation of force majeure does apply with regard to the organisation of events. Once again, the contract will determine the actual consequences in each individual case.

If you have other questions regarding the Corona crisis, please visit our special FAQ

Last update: 30/04/2020