Cathedral of Our Lady hosts organ music on 4 October

Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp hosts two music programmes on 4 October 2026, bringing the monthly Cathedral Organ on Sunday and Sunday Music to the Gothic church. The first programme is scheduled for 11.45am, while the second is listed for 4pm.

Cathedral of Our Lady sets two music dates for October

The cathedral’s programme places Cathedral Organ on Sunday at 11.45am on 4 October 2026. Titular organist Peter Van de Velde is scheduled to play the Schyven organ, one of the two large organs used in the building’s concert and worship programme.

Sunday Music follows at 4pm on the same date. The cathedral describes this series as a programme that can sound from the choir loft around the Schyven organ or from one of the chapels. The 2026 programme also lists a Duruflé Requiem for 30 October, performed by the Polyfoon choir, soloists and Van de Velde, but the 4 October entry does not name a separate work or guest performer.

The October music programme identifies both 4 October dates and the performers named for the organ recital. The cathedral is the venue and custodian of the programme.

October music follows a cathedral built over 170 years

The church stands at Handschoenmarkt in central Antwerp, Belgium. Construction of the present Gothic church began in 1352 and was completed in 1521 after nearly 170 years. It became the cathedral of the Diocese of Antwerp in 1559.

The building is an example of Brabant Gothic and contains a high northern tower, a lower southern tower, seven aisles, a choir and chapels. The original plan called for two towers of equal height, but the second tower was not completed after a major fire in 1533 redirected the building’s resources towards reconstruction.

This history gives the 4 October programme a direct setting: the organ recital and afternoon music are scheduled inside a church whose medieval construction campaign shaped the unequal towers still visible from Antwerp. The connection is architectural as well as musical, because the programme specifically names the Schyven organ and the cathedral’s choir loft or chapels.

Further historical details, including the building dates and its later restoration history, are recorded by the Flemish art collection. The church underwent a complete restoration and refurbishment during the nineteenth century, followed by another complete restoration between 1965 and 1993.

Two organs connect the programme with the Gothic interior

The cathedral’s regular music information names two principal instruments: the romantic Schyven organ and the baroque-style Metzler organ. The 4 October organ programme assigns the Schyven organ to Van de Velde, while Sunday Music may be heard around that instrument or from one of the chapels.

The setting also contains four masterpieces by Peter Paul Rubens, alongside works by other Baroque artists. These artworks form part of the church’s established cultural identity, while the October programme provides a specific reason to encounter the building as a functioning religious and musical venue rather than only as an architectural monument.

Visiting Cathedral of Our Lady: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Cathedral Organ on Sunday takes place at 11.45am on 4 October 2026, followed by Sunday Music at 4pm at the cathedral in Antwerp.
• The programme is scheduled inside the cathedral and names the Schyven organ, the choir loft and the chapels as its musical settings. The listing does not state that either programme changes the building’s general visitor access.
• The venue is at Handschoenmarkt in central Antwerp. The address is confirmed on the Flemish art collection’s institutional page.
• The building has seven aisles, a choir, chapels and a high northern tower, so the visit takes place within a large historic church whose interior includes substantial vertical and architectural spaces.

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Frequently asked questions about Cathedral of Our Lady

When does Cathedral Organ on Sunday take place at Cathedral of Our Lady?

Cathedral Organ on Sunday is scheduled for 11.45am on 4 October 2026. Peter Van de Velde is listed to play the Schyven organ.

What is Cathedral of Our Lady?

It is a Brabant Gothic cathedral in Antwerp, completed in 1521 after nearly 170 years of construction. It became the cathedral of the Diocese of Antwerp in 1559.

Where is Cathedral of Our Lady and how do you get there?

The cathedral is at Handschoenmarkt in central Antwerp, Belgium. Its institutional listing identifies Handschoenmarkt as the address.