On March 22, 2025, a fungal collective including notably the Mycosphere and the Fungal Lab had the immense pleasure of co-organizing the very first edition of the Fungi Fest, in Brussels.
An event designed to bring people together, share knowledge, energize — and which was a success beyond our expectations with more than 160 participants!
A day to celebrate the beauty and richness of the fungal world
Through this first edition, we wanted to offer much more than just a simple festival:
a true living ecosystem, like the mycelium, made of encounters, exchanges, and new creations.
On the program:
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🎥 Cinema: A selection of 20 short films from the prestigious Fungi Film Festival (USA), offering poetic, scientific, and committed perspectives on mushrooms around the world.
Films from Mexico, Italy, China, Chile, India, Germany, the United Kingdom... A mosaic of creative expressions, between documentary, animation, and artistic experimentation. -
🎤 Conference: The presentation by Guillaume Lopez, biologist, mycologist, writer, and passionate influencer, was one of the highlights of the day. He was able to share with energy and clarity his love of mushrooms and the importance of reconnecting with ancestral knowledge and fungal biodiversity.
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📚 Stands : Living myceliums, artisanal culture kits, specialized books, and of course fresh mushrooms locally produced by Sous-Bois.
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🎨 Screen Printing Workshop: A creative workshop to print mushroom patterns on clothes and fabrics, led by Thomas from MJ Zelle.
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🧠 Hypnagogic lamp workshop: A dive into sensory exploration, between meditation and light neurostimulation, with the Roxiva lamp.
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🍻 Ambiance: A local, organic, and committed bar to continue conversations and forge new connections over a drink.
Mycelium as a source of inspiration
More than a symbol, the mycelium is our living model: it weaves invisible networks that connect ecosystems, recycles matter, and carries life in its silent branches.
This is exactly what we wanted to do: inspire the creation of connections between the many actors, curious and passionate about the fungal world.
For years, the mycological sector in Belgium — and more broadly in Europe — has gradually faded away. Along with it, a precious part of our ancestral knowledge has disappeared.
Knowledge about the medicinal, culinary, artisanal, and spiritual uses of mushrooms, passed down from generation to generation, has largely faded in the face of industrialization and forgetfulness.
The Fungi Fest was born from a deep desire:
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Rekindle this flame of knowledge and curiosity,
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Promote transmissions between experts, practitioners, amateurs, and simple curious people,
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Create a living network, where artists, researchers, cultivators, and explorers can exchange, mutually nourish each other, and bring forth new projects.
Building bridges between art and science
The mushroom knows no boundary between the useful and the beautiful: it is both a source of healing, nourishment, aesthetic fascination, and philosophical reflection.
We wish, through this event, to break down traditional barriers between disciplines, by creating living bridges between art and science.
The short films shown are a good example: some rigorously document natural phenomena, others celebrate the visual magic of mycelium in motion or the invisible landscapes of the undergrowth.
A collective project in full germination
The Fungi Fest would never have come to life without the commitment of a passionate collective, bringing together notably the Mycosphere, the Fungal Lab, and many volunteers and partners.
It is this collective dynamic, made up of intersecting passions, sincere sharing, and diverse energies, that gave birth to such a lively and inspiring event.
But this is just the beginning:
Our ambition is to grow this fungal network, to continue creating momentum, to connect talents, and to reinvent together the place of the fungal world in our modern societies.
Thank you to all those who participated in this beautiful adventure.
See you in 2026 for an edition even richer, more abundant... more mycelial!
