The Zinneke Parade was established with the aim of connecting the many different cultures, communities and districts within Brussels. The director of the Zinneke Association, Myriam Stoffen, has talked about the desire to "build bridges" between these parts of the city.^[1] Indeed, Zinneke is a nickname chosen to represent people from Brussels. The word means "mutt" or "bastard" in Brusselian dialect, and originally referred to the city's stray dogs that hung around the streets by the Lesser Senne (a tangent canal of the river Senne, which circumnavigated Brussels along the city walls) until the end of the 19th century.^[1]

The organisers of the parade aim to work with a large variety of institutions, schools, cultural centres, organisations and societies.^[2] Residents work together with professional artists^[1] to create the ideas and prepare the projects that eventually make up the parade. Another characteristic of the parade that distinguishes it from many other parades or carnivals is that it is described as being "100% human" – music is performed live, without amplification, and there are no motorised vehicles.^[3]

The Zinneke Parade was created for the first time as part of Brussels 2000, European Capital of Culture, with the aim of organising a multicultural carnival, a creative and participative event "likely to reconcile the Brussels population with its identity".^[4] The Zinneke Parade was watched by 60,000 spectators in 2006.^[1] In 2008, over 7,000 people were involved with the parade, under the theme "Eau / Water" ("Water"),^[2] with 2,500 of these appearing in the parade itself.^[1]

The 2010 theme was "A table / Aan tafel" ("Have a meal" or "Come to the Table!") and was held in May.^[5] In 2010, the parade was accompanied by a group of puppeteers from Belgium, Ireland, Italy and France, who performed in a number of balconies overlooking the route of the parade.^[3] The participants in the parade formed about 25 zinnodes, groups of around 100 people each, which started from four squares in the city—the Place Fontainas/Fontainasplein, the Place Sainte-Catherine/Sint-Katelijneplein, the Place de l'Albertine/Albertinaplein and the Place d'Espagne/Spanjeplein—then met along the way.^[3]

The 2012 Zinneke Parade took place on 19 May 2012, under the theme "Désordre / Wanorde" ("Disorder"). It was viewable from 22 locations around the centre of the City of Brussels, starting at 3 p.m. from the Grand-Place/Grote Markt (Brussels' main square).^[6][7] The 2016 edition, with the theme "Fragil" ("Fragile"), took place on 21 May 2016. The 2020 edition, with the theme "Wolven ! / Aux loups !" ("Wolves !"), was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium.^[8]

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  A parade float on the Place de la Bourse/Beursplein
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  Two participants posing on the Place de la Bourse
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  Brightly-coloured stilt walkers on the Place de la Bourse
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  Carnival-style dancer and processional puppets parading through the streets of Brussels
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  Colourfully-dressed musicians on the Grand-Place/Grote Markt
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  A human-powered vehicle on the Grand-Place
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  A young participant in costume
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  Participants with handcrafted accessories
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  A participant with creative headgear
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  A group (or zinnode) in insect-inspired costumes
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  Colourfully-dressed mimes
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  Two participants with blue costumes and face paint
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  Colourfully-dressed dancers

• Het Zinneke
• History of Brussels
• Culture of Belgium

•   Media related to Zinneke Parade at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website