Brussels Street Photography Festival (BSPF) 2026

Brussels Street Photography Festival 2026 is back with an Open Call that can slip past if you wait for “the perfect moment”. The deadline is March 25, 2026, and selected work will be exhibited during BSPF in Brussels from May 28 to May 31, 2026. The call centers on street photography as BSPF defines it: spontaneous photographs made in public spaces. The competition is split into two tracks, Singles and Series, so both strong one-off images and cohesive bodies of work have a place.

On the prize side, BSPF 2026 offers cash awards, interviews published on the festival website for top winners, and a notable extra: the first-prize winners in both Singles and Series are invited to take part as judges during the first selection round of BSPF ’28. There is also a Brussels Award for finalists who photographed in the Brussels Capital Region, plus audience recognition during the festival itself. If you are browsing Deartline for photography challenges to participate, BSPF 2026 is easy to evaluate thanks to its street-focused criteria, blind judging for finalist selection, and the festival exhibition context.

Entry is paid. Singles submissions allow up to 10 images per entry, with per-photo pricing that decreases for larger sets and an early-bird rate available through February 4, 2026. Series entries accept 5 to 7 images, with sequencing taken into account, and a fixed fee that also has an early-bird discount. The call is international in scope, photos can be taken anywhere in the world, and the festival adds a Brussels-specific angle through the Brussels Award.

Prizes

BSPF 2026 awards cash prizes in both Singles and Series, alongside editorial visibility through interviews and additional recognition tied to Brussels and the festival audience.

Singles

• First Prize:
  • €1,500
  • Interview published on bspfestival.org
  • Invitation to serve as a judge during the first selection round of BSPF ’28
• Second Prize:
  • €450
  • Interview published on bspfestival.org

Series

• First Prize:
  • €1,900
  • Interview published on bspfestival.org
  • Invitation to serve as a judge during the first selection round of BSPF ’28
• Second Prize:
  • €750
  • Interview published on bspfestival.org

• Brussels Award:
  • €300 for the finalist image judged best that was taken in the Brussels Capital Region (drawn from finalists across Singles and Series)
• Finalists Audience Award: an honorable mention chosen by the public during the festival, with audience voting taking place during the finalist exhibition dates

Categories or Themes

BSPF 2026 has two contest categories: Singles and Series.

• Singles is designed for individual images, with each photograph judged on its own.
• Series is for sequences of 5 to 7 images that are judged as a whole, where the order of the photographs is part of the evaluation.

In both categories, submissions must align with the festival’s definition of street photography: spontaneous photographs made in public spaces, indoors or outdoors. Staged images are not accepted. For photographers focused on street photography contests, BSPF’s definition and acceptance criteria are unusually explicit.

Dates and Entry Fees

BSPF 2026 has a defined Open Call window, an early-bird pricing period, and a published timeline for finalist selection and festival dates.

Singles entry fees:

• €15 per photo when submitting 1 to 5 photos
• €12 per photo when submitting 6 to 10 photos

Series entry fees:

• Fixed fee of €45 per series

Payment is available via Bancontact, credit card, or PayPal. Submitted-entry payments are not refundable.

How to Enter:

Applicants choose whether to enter Singles, Series, or both. Singles accepts up to 10 photos per entry, while Series accepts 5 to 7 photos and considers sequencing. Files must be jpeg/jpg and no more than 5MB each, with the longest side at least 3000 pixels. Filenames must follow the format FirstName_Surname_Numbering.jpg and digital images must include complete, unaltered EXIF data. After uploading, entrants complete payment through the submission process and keep the confirmation email as proof of entry.

About the Jury

BSPF 2026 uses a two-stage process: a first jury selects finalists via blind judging, and a second jury meets in Brussels during the festival to select winners from among the finalists. The festival states that members of the first and second juries will be announced from January through March.

The published Selection Committee includes Narelle Autio, Trent Parke, Gus Powell, Monaris, Regula Tschumi, and Eleni Albarosa.

Why Enter Brussels Street Photography Festival 2026?

Brussels Street Photography Festival 2026 combines competition outcomes with a public festival setting. Finalists from both Singles and Series are included in the BSPF ’26 exhibition in Brussels, and the finalist round is judged blind, which keeps the focus on the images themselves. First-prize winners in both main categories are also invited to serve as judges during the first selection round of BSPF ’28, offering continued involvement in the festival’s future editions.

The structure rewards different ways of shooting: a single standout frame can compete in Singles, while photographers working with narrative or sequencing can enter Series. Add the Brussels Award for finalists who photographed within the Brussels Capital Region and audience recognition during the festival, and the competition offers multiple routes to visibility. If you are comparing BSPF with other best photography competitions to enter on Deartline, the key decision points are clear: exhibition context, blind selection, and cash awards.

Rules and Copyright

This section about the rules and image rights of the Brussels Street Photography Festival 2026 has been generated automatically. If you are interested in participating in this contest we suggest you review the complete rules provided by the contest.

Rules

Eligibility: entrants must be 18 years or older at the time of the competition.

Open Call period: January 7 to March 25, 2026.

Where photos can be taken: anywhere in the world, including Brussels.

Street photography definition: spontaneous photographs in public spaces (indoors or outdoors). Staged photos are not accepted.

Color and black and white: both are accepted.

Date limits: images must be taken between January 2023 and now; for Series entries, at least 3 photos must be taken after January 2023.

Edits and manipulation: photos may not be altered beyond darkroom-style adjustments and their digital equivalent. Dust or scratch removal is permitted and limited cropping is allowed, but HDR, watermarks, artwork, illustrations, and computer-generated or computer-edited images are not accepted.

File requirements: jpeg/jpg, max 5MB per file, longest side at least 3000 pixels; digital images must include complete, unaltered EXIF data.

Copyright and Image Usage

Ownership: photographers guarantee they are the author and full copyright holder of submitted works and that the works are original.

Permissions: if identifiable people appear, entrants are responsible for having permission to reproduce their portrait. Liability for claims relating to third-party rights or depicted persons lies with the participant.

Festival usage: selected images may be exhibited during BSPF and included in communications around the competition. By entering, photographers grant the organizer permission for five years to use images solely in the context of BSPF, the exhibition, and related promotional and educational activities across media, with proper credit.

Commercial use: submitted photographs are not used for commercial purposes or sold to third parties.

Brussels-specific usage: for finalist photos taken in Brussels, copyright holders grant the City of Brussels a non-exclusive right to use high-resolution photos for the Brussels Archives and related promotional activities, without compensation.

For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.