Mons prepares to celebrate ‘Doudou’

MONS, Belgium - From May 31 to June 6, 2023, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to participate in the Ducasse de Mons, or "Doudou," a popular annual event that takes place in the city of Mons.

UNESCO recognized the Doudou celebration in 2005 as a "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity." The most anticipated part of the event will be "Trinity Weekend," during which the public will pay tribute to St. Waudru (or Waltrude), the patron saint of the city, and will participate in a battle known as the Lumeçon.

A festival atmosphere gradually grows in Mons throughout Trinity Weekend. On Friday, June 2, there will be a grand opening concert beginning 9 p.m. at the Grand Place with multiple musical performances.

On Saturday, June 3, starting at 8 p.m., there will be a ceremony in the Collegiate Church, called La Descente de la châsse de Sainte Waudru, during which the dean of the church entrusts the relics of St. Waudru to the city's mayor. At the end of the ceremony, all participants sing the song of the Doudou. A torchlight procession, called la Retraite aux Flambeaux, will start at 10 p.m. at the bottom of Rue de Nimy.

On Sunday, June 4, the traditional procession, called la Procession du Car d'Or, will start at 9:30 a.m. from the Collegiate Church, followed by la Montée du Car d'Or at noon during which festival-goers help push the carriage to make it climb the hill of St. Waudru.

At 12:30 p.m., St. George will fight the dragon on the Grand Place during the Lumeçon. He will be accompanied by other individuals performing various roles, including the Devils, the Chin-chins, the men in white, the leaf men, the firemen and the policemen. The combat lasts about a half hour, accompanied by the sounds of the Doudou music. During the fight, thousands of people try to grab hair from the dragon's tail, due to it supposedly bringing good luck. At the end of the Lumeçon, after a few attempts, St. George will finally kill the dragon with a pistol shot, and the bells of Mons will begin playing. The festivities will then continue with musical entertainment.

Following the Trinity Weekend, concerts and other events will continue throughout the city as the Doudou slowly winds down. The largest of these events is the fourth Doudou Sound Party, which will occur Monday, June 5, at the Grand Place beginning at 8:30 p.m.

A firework display will also take place on Tuesday, June 6, at 10:45 p.m. from Rue de Nimy.

While the main Ducasse de Mons finishes on June 6, a smaller Petit Lumeçon, or children's version of the Lumeçon will take place the following weekend on June 10 and 11. It will follow many of the same steps as the full-scale Lumeçon, including a character procession from the Collegiate Church on Saturday, June 10, at 5:45 p.m. and the Petit Lumeçon fight on Sunday, June 11, at 12:30 p.m.

During Doudou, some of the traffic patterns in downtown Mons will be changed and some streets and parking areas will be blocked to traffic. Safety devices and barricades will also be set up throughout the city to ensure the safety of everyone and allow the festivities to run smoothly.

Due to the traffic changes and anticipated crowds, arriving by train is recommended if you plan to visit during this time. Free parking will also be available for visitors at the Grand Large (with free shuttles), the Lotto Mons Expo (with free shuttles), in the parking at Saint-Fiacre (at the intersection of Chaussée du Roeulx and Chaussée de Binche), in the Parking Damoiseaux, and on the road at Pont Rouge-Avenue des Guérites.

Please remember that some parking areas will close at night.

Some of the impacted streets include:

• Rampe Sante Waudru
• Rue Samson
• Rue de la Chaussée
• Grand Place
• Rue de Nimy
• Rue Verte
• Place de Bootle
• Rue de la Biche
• Rue d'Havré
• Rue du Hautbois
• Rue de la Halle
• Marché aux Poissons
• Rue des Chartries
• Rue des Soeurs Noires
• Rue des Juifs
• Grand Rue
• Rue des Capucins
• Rue de la Petite Guirlande
• Rue de l'Athénée
• Rue Fétis
• Rue de la Grosse Pomme
• Square Roosevelt
• The first half of Rue de Chapitre

If you attend the event, please remain vigilant and maintain situational awareness at all times.

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A full schedule for the 2023 Doudou is available on the Mons city website (link in French, best viewed on Google Chrome for translation)

More information on the history of Doudou can be found (in English) on the Mons visitor's website.

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