The Sound of Brussels: Penta’s Favourite Venues
Brussels… you’ve had your day of shopping, you’ve seen some of the major sights and cultural landmarks, you’re almost ready to head back to Pentahotel Brussels City Centre for a relaxed evening, maybe even treating yourself to a couple of tasty drinks. BUT, the night is still young, there’s plenty of time for that. What else is there to do or see? How about a visit to some of the venues that are showing the best live music in Brussels?
Le Botanique
We’ll start with what is perhaps Brussels' most unique concert space, Le Botanique. This picturesque former botanical garden is actually one of Belgium’s most visited and active cultural centres. Showing on average 300 concerts per year, that’s hardly too surprising. This is a great location if you are interested in new music, and they give a great platform to upcoming local artists. Don’t be mistaken though, loads of international touring bands and artists have also performed there too. With multiple rooms, you’ll often find that there are a variety of different concerts taking place on any given night, meaning that there’s almost certainly something for everyone.
Ancienne Belgique
No list of live music venues in Brussels would be complete without the iconic Ancienne Belgique, or AB as it’s casually known. The list of artists to have played there over the years is quite simply crazy. The 2000-capacity main hall has hosted the likes of Oasis, Kendrick Lamar and Amy Winehouse. Their secondary space, the more intimate 280-capacity “Club” has seen Adele, The White Stripes and MGMT perform. Smaller yet, is their “Salon”, which is like a comfortable living room and plays host to their most intimate performances and is usually free entry. You can see why we’re fans of this place!
ING Arena / Forest National
One of Belgium’s biggest venues, The ING Arena - which is part of the Brussels Expo complex, is the place to go if you are looking for a massive concert. Alternatively, the second biggest but still capable of holding thousands of people, is Forest National. If you want to see an act that usually plays in stadiums or arenas, there’s a good chance it will be in one of these two.
Of course, these four are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to live music in Brussels. There are countless bars and venues with a variety of different styles, atmospheres, and sounds, all waiting for you to explore them. Wherever you end up on your night out, make sure that you dive into a big comfortable bed at Pentahotel Brussels City Centre afterwards.
