24 Best Performing Arts in Belgium

This is the city's principal venue for classical music concerts and dance theater. Originally the first multipurpose arts complex in Europe, it was designed by acclaimed Belgian architect Victor Horta and was first opened in 1928. The Henry Le Boeuf concert hall has world-class acoustics. The complex also houses a theater and an art gallery, which plays host to some excellent traveling exhibitions.

City-center concert hall for mostly rock and pop acts. Tickets can be bought online or at the venue.  

Located in a former brewery, this local music institution is one of the city's biggest pop and rock venues. It also hosts exhibitions, film screenings, and talks, and has a history of putting free summer concerts and gigs held on its rooftop in June. Buy tickets online or at the ticket office. 

A major concert hall that has pop acts, theater, comedy, ballet, and just about anything else you can imagine. The building dates from 1878, and for years it was home to the capital's permanent circus—its basement stalls were able to accommodate 110 horses. Tickets can usually be bought at Ticketmaster or FNAC.  

What has long been the center of the city's cultural scene, putting on music, dance, and theater shows throughout the year, has now added another string to its bow: guided tours (from €12). It offers the chance to go behind the scenes, visiting the dressing rooms and the practice studio, and get a good grounding in the acoustics of architecture.

This concert hall hosts all kinds of music events, including jazz, folk, world, and classical. The ticket office is on Sint Baafsplein 17 and it's open weekdays 10–6 and on Saturday 2–6. The on-site box office does, however, open an hour before each performance for those looking for a last-minute way in.

The companies of leading Belgian choreographers, including Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and Wim Vandekeybus, frequently perform at deSingel.

Large performing arts and cinema center, and the home of the Brussels Philharmonic, who perform regularly in Studio 4.

This company sells tickets for major events.

Concerts of all kinds, from classical to rock, pop, and jazz, draw crowds from far away to the 1,700-seat hall at the Kursaal.

From October through April, on Wednesday at 2:30 and Sunday morning at 10:30, you can see traditional, informal puppet shows starring the irrepressible Tchantchès.

Opera Vlaanderen was voted the world's best opera company in 2019, and the chance to see them, as well as their sister ballet company, perform at this regular venue, a five-minute walk from Centraal Station, is not to be missed.

The old opera house is a beautiful venue, having opened in 1840. A packed program sees the royal ballet and opera company split its time between performances here and in Antwerp. The box office is open Tuesday--Saturday 11–6.

Liège's excellent opera company is widely considered to be the country’s best and most innovative.

The city’s symphony orchestra has recorded prizewinning CDs and tours internationally with a largely contemporary repertoire. The ticket office and reservation line are open weekdays 1–6.

The city's major ballet company is the Koninklijk Ballet van Vlaanderen (Royal Ballet of Flanders), whose productions tour regularly across Belgium and appear regularly in this theater.

This 19th-century neoclassical building on the Grand Place houses the city's main theater. Events include musicals, opera, comedy, theater, and regular appearances by the Royal Wallonia Chamber Orchestra. Tickets can be bought online or over the phone (via Ticketmaster), or at the Mons tourism office. 

Located in the former Socialist Party building, Voorhuit is the biggest arts venue in town. It serves up everything from dance, rock, pop, classical, and jazz to lectures, talks, and the performing arts. The cafeteria has also become a popular meeting area for students and the local arts scene. The box office is open Tuesday--Friday 2–6, and one hour before the beginning of a performance.