Procession of the Holy Blood (audio guide)

Every year on Ascension Day, the Procession of the Holy Blood passes through Bruges' historic city center. The Procession of the Holy Blood started in 1304 as an expression of gratitude and faith.

The dominant theme is the remembrance of the suffering of Jesus Christ. The biblical narrations constitute the basis of the procession. Thematically, the Procession of the Holy Blood is divided into four parts. The evocation starts with the Old Testament, from Paradise till the Rorate. Next comes the New Testament, from Birth in Bethlehem to Pentecost. The third part tells how the relic of the Holy Blood ended up in Bruges. In the last part, the members of the Noble Brotherhood of the Holy Blood accompany the shrine in which the precious relic is stored.

More than 1800 participants sing, play music, dance and act. The style of the procession is reminiscent of the Burgundian period when guildsmen, craftsmen, brotherhoods and rhetoric chambers were responsible for performing the scenes.

Follow the Procession of the Holy Blood with audio description via this tour. The audio description is split into 20 parts. Switch on the bluetooth function of your mobile phone or tablet. During the procession, you will be regularly notified; you can then start the audio description, which will give you a description of the scenes that pass by.

The Procession of the Holy Blood is included on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (UNESCO World Heritage).