A convenient method for the synthesis of 2-bromo-3-aroyl-benzo[
b]furans from readily accessible precursors has beendeveloped. The 2-bromo group has been employed as aversatile synthetic handle in both palladium-mediated couplings and direct nucleophilic substitutions to give access toa wide range of 2-substituted-3-aroyl-benzo[
b]furans.