Belgium’s federal government has agreed a €9.2 billion budget package that includes doubling VAT on access to sports events from 6% to 12%, a move that threatens to push up prices for paid areas at the Spring Classics and compress organiser margins.
The agreement was announced on 24 November after marathon talks, with Prime Minister Bart De Wever calling it “a tough exercise”, arguing the fiscal consolidation is necessary, according to Anadolu Agency and Belga News Agency reports.
The measure targets paid-access revenue streams central to professional cycling events, including VIP hospitality, reserved grandstands and organised fan zones. Roadside viewing of races remains free, but the paid components that underpin organisers’ commercial models will carry the higher rate.
For the Tour of Flanders, Flanders Classics’ hospitality offer ranges from finish-line grandstands to corporate lounges and catered viewing, all of which fall within the scope of the ticketed access category referenced on the event’s official site.
On the consumer side, the 6 percentage point VAT increase translates to about a 5.66% rise in the final price, moving a €200 ticket to roughly €211. Organisers now face a uncomfortable choice: pass the full increase to supporters, reduce margins to protect affordability, or strike a hybrid compromise. Sector voices have warned that supporters and local clubs will feel the impact and have urged compensation or a phased introduction to limit shocks to attendance and participation.
What changes for fans and organisers
If enacted as outlined, the higher rate would make hospitality and reserved seating at the 2026 Spring Classics noticeably pricier, with implications for corporate sales and the accessibility of paid fan zones.
The legal treatment of bundled hospitality, where admission is the principal service and catering is ancillary, typically follows the “main issue” VAT principle, indicating the higher admission rate would likely apply to the full package price. That interpretation, alongside the scale of VIP programmes at the monuments, underscores why the cycling economy views the change as material rather than marginal.
The budget deal still requires parliamentary presentation and enabling legislation, which will set the effective date. Further information on timing, any transitional arrangements and potential sectoral offsets will determine whether the first full impact lands before the 2026 Classics, or later.
Until then, organisers will model scenarios, but the direction of travel is clear: higher tax on paid access, tighter margins, and a renewed debate over how to protect Belgium’s flagship cycling calendar while consolidating public finances.
Cover image credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
