Brussels City Hall
Grand Place / Grote Markt 1
1000 Brussels
This event is in English.
Talks are free and open to the public.
You do not need to register. Be on time to secure a seat. The capacity of the venue is 200 people.
All talks are in English unless stated otherwise.
The highlight of the 10th anniversary edition of BSPF. Josef Koudelka will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. Directly after, the winners of the 2026 competition are announced.
This year, we’re pulling out all the stops for our 10th anniversary—and you’re invited to be part of it! BSPF is thrilled to announce that Josef Koudelka, the legendary photographer and member of Magnum Photos, will be the guest of honor at a special event on May 30, 2026 at Brussels City Hall. Koudelka will receive the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his extraordinary career and his profound impact on the world of photography. The ceremony will be followed by a public discussion and projection of the photographer’s work, as well as the announcement of this year’s competition winners of our open call.
Josef Koudelka (°1938) is a Czech-French photographer and a master of black-and-white street and documentary photography. He first worked as an aeronautical engineer before fully dedicating himself to photography in the late 1960s. His work explores themes of alienation, resilience, and the human condition, capturing moments that reveal both the fragility and strength of people and places. Koudelka’s iconic photographs of the 1968 Soviet invasion of Prague, published anonymously under the initials “P.P.” (Prague Photographer), earned him the prestigious Robert Capa Gold Medal for photographs requiring exceptional courage. His series Gypsies, Exiles, and Ruins are celebrated for their striking composition, emotional depth and deep humanity.
Main image: © Josef Koudelka/Magnum Photos, Courtesy of the Josef Koudelka Foundation
This year, we’re pulling out all the stops for our 10th anniversary—and you’re invited to be part of it! BSPF is thrilled to announce that Josef Koudelka, the legendary photographer and member of Magnum Photos, will be the guest of honor at a special event on May 30, 2026 at Brussels City Hall. Koudelka will receive the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his extraordinary career and his profound impact on the world of photography. The ceremony will be followed by a public discussion and projection of the photographer’s work, as well as the announcement of this year’s competition winners of our open call.
Josef Koudelka (°1938) is a Czech-French photographer and a master of black-and-white street and documentary photography. He first worked as an aeronautical engineer before fully dedicating himself to photography in the late 1960s. His work explores themes of alienation, resilience, and the human condition, capturing moments that reveal both the fragility and strength of people and places. Koudelka’s iconic photographs of the 1968 Soviet invasion of Prague, published anonymously under the initials “P.P.” (Prague Photographer), earned him the prestigious Robert Capa Gold Medal for photographs requiring exceptional courage. His series Gypsies, Exiles, and Ruins are celebrated for their striking composition, emotional depth and deep humanity.
Main image: © Josef Koudelka/Magnum Photos, Courtesy of the Josef Koudelka Foundation