WEST FLANDERS | Westhoek 'Monuments & Moments' World War I theme year 2027-2028
From 16 June 2027 to 11 November 2028, the Province of West Flanders, together with Westtoer/Toerisme Westhoek, Toerisme Vlaanderen and local partners, will organise 'Monuments & Moments', a new World War I theme year in the Westhoek region.
The large-scale initiative will highlight 100 years of commemoration through a historical calendar, international exhibitions, experiential events and a region-wide participatory programme.
The theme year places both the long-standing tradition of remembrance and contemporary reflection on the First World War at the heart of the programme.
International remembrance tourism
The Westhoek remains one of the world’s leading destinations for First World War remembrance tourism. In 2025, the region welcomed more than 363,800 remembrance visitors, a slight increase on 2024. Half of them travelled from abroad, with 28% coming from the United Kingdom.
These figures underline the international appeal of the region’s museums, UNESCO-recognised cemeteries and World War I sites, including landmarks such as the Menin Gate in Ypres.
Acting Flemish Minister for Tourism Hans Bonte (Vooruit) said the new theme year would reinforce Flanders’ international position. "With 'Monuments & Moments', we are placing renewed emphasis on the courage and sacrifices of previous generations in their struggle for peace. At a time of new global conflicts, it is vital that we continue to highlight these stories and preserve these places for the future. We are allocating additional budget this year to do just that."
Westtoer and Toerisme Vlaanderen are investing €1.15 million in the theme year. Following earlier themed programmes such as 'Feniks' (2020–2021) and 'Landscapes' (2023–2024), the partners aim to build a strong and widely supported narrative, in collaboration with cities and municipalities, museums, First World War sites and associations across the Westhoek.
Long-term investment in remembrance infrastructure
The landscape of the Westhoek is inseparable from the memory of the First World War, with hundreds of monuments and stories embedded in the region. In the new strategic policy plan for the Westhoek, the storyline ‘The Great War’ has been identified as a key priority for the coming years.
Through 'Monuments & Moments' and substantial investment in First World War infrastructure projects, the Province of West Flanders and Toerisme Vlaanderen are reaffirming their commitment to sustainable tourism: high-quality, respectful, locally supported and mindful of the region’s capacity.
Jurgen Vanlerberghe, provincial executive member for tourism and chairman of Westtoer, said: "Together with Toerisme Vlaanderen, we are investing heavily in both infrastructure and content innovation. With a total package of €8 million for First World War sites and museums, alongside additional funding for 'Monuments & Moments', we demonstrate our continued commitment to high-quality remembrance tourism with international reach."
Planned projects include the thorough renovation of the In Flanders Fields Museum and the updating of several existing World War I sites and museums. A list of infrastructure projects receiving subsidies, in addition to the €4 million already allocated to the In Flanders Fields Museum, will be announced at the end of 2026.
Calendar built around centenary milestones
'Monuments & Moments' draws inspiration from the symbolic years 1927–1928, when many monuments in the Westhoek were officially inaugurated. At the same time, it looks beyond a purely historical perspective, placing more than a century of remembrance into a contemporary context and inviting residents and visitors to reflect on war, loss, peace and memory today.
Commemoration will focus not only on major iconic sites, but also on smaller, often overlooked monuments that embody the region’s multi-voiced history.
Key milestones forming the backbone of the programme include:
- The centenary of the Tyne Cot Memorial on 19 June 2027;
- 100 years of the Menin Gate on 24 July 2027;
- the 100th IJzer Pilgrimage on 5 July 2027;
- 100 years of the Last Post on 2 July 2028;
- 90 years of the Albert I Monument on 24 July 2028;
- 100 years of the Dodengang on 2 October 2027;
- the 109th and 110th anniversaries of the Armistice in 2027 and 2028.
These historic anniversaries will be complemented by new exhibitions, ceremonies, events and participatory initiatives.
Five flagship projects and a region-wide participatory programme
Five projects have been selected through an open call to shape the theme year alongside the historical milestones.
The In Flanders Fields Museum will host an introductory exhibition, provisionally titled 'Monuments & Moments', from 18 June 2027 to 2 July 2028, offering an overview of 100 years of remembrance across the wider Westhoek.
In Diksmuide, 'Memorabel IJzerfront' will run from late June 2027 until 11 November 2028. The triptych project, organised by the City of Diksmuide, the Museum aan de IJzer (Museum at the Yser) and the Dodengang, will explore the so-called ‘monument struggle’ between different cultures of remembrance through exhibitions, experiences and routes.
The Hooge Crater Museum will present 'Bells of Remembrance' from late 2027 to 11 November 2028, reviving the historic bells of the Chapel at ’t Hooge as a daily ritual of memory.
In Nieuwpoort, the Westfront Nieuwpoort visitor centre will stage 'The Weight of Memory', an international visual arts exhibition from 24 March 2028 to 7 January 2029, examining how societies deal with traces of war today, linked to the 90th anniversary of the Albert I Monument.
Finally, the Last Post Association will organise a commemorative weekend from 30 June to 2 July 2028 to mark 100 years of daily remembrance under the Menin Gate.
The theme year will also include a Westhoek-wide participatory project coordinated by Westtoer and developed with Toerisme Vlaanderen, the First World War partner network and young people from the region.
Specially designed visual markers will connect well-known and lesser-known commemorative moments across the area. Residents and visitors will be invited to take part in small rituals and local events linked to these markers and monuments, culminating in a closing event at the end of the theme year.