Evenitto's guide · the whole of Belgium
Classical concerts: questions and answers
What people ask most about going to a classical concert in Belgium.
Finding a concert
Where can I find classical concerts in Belgium?
In the agenda on this page: we collect the programmes of concert halls, theatres, cultural centres, churches and ticket sites across the country every day, from Bozar and the Queen Elisabeth Hall to village churches, and sort them by day, city, genre and composer.
Is there a classical concert tonight?
Very likely. Most days there are classical concerts somewhere in the country, and many more on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The week page shows them day by day.
Are there free classical concerts?
Yes. Brussels has had lunchtime concerts since 1948, the royal conservatoires of Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent give student recitals that anyone can attend, and churches hold organ concerts with a collection at the door. The free page lists every free concert on the agenda.
Which classical music festivals are there in Belgium?
All through the year: the Festival van Vlaanderen runs in the Flemish cities, the Klarafestival is held in Brussels, Laus Polyphoniae fills Antwerp with early music in late summer, and the Queen Elisabeth Competition, held in Brussels in May and June, rotates between piano, violin, voice and cello.
Going to a concert
How do I get cheap tickets?
Look for youth and student prices, which many halls and orchestras offer, and for Article 27 (Artikel 27) tickets if you are on a low income. Many Flemish cities also give discounts with the UiTPAS. Seats behind or beside the stage are often the cheapest, and lunchtime concerts cost little or nothing.
What do you wear to a classical concert?
There is no dress code. Wear what you would wear to a nice restaurant; jeans are fine everywhere.
When do you clap at a classical concert?
At the end of a whole piece, not between its movements: wait until the conductor lowers their arms or turns round. At the opera you can applaud after a big aria. Nobody minds a mistake.
How long does a classical concert last?
Most evening concerts start at 20:00 or 20:15 and last about two hours, including an interval of about twenty minutes. Lunchtime concerts last half an hour, family concerts about an hour.
Through the year
About this guide
Which orchestras are there in Belgium?
The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra in Antwerp, the Brussels Philharmonic, the Belgian National Orchestra in Brussels and the Orchestra of Flanders, plus the period-instrument orchestras Anima Eterna Brugge and B'Rock, chamber orchestras and choirs such as Collegium Vocale Gent and the Flemish Radio Choir.
How does Evenitto choose the concerts?
Concerts come from the halls' and organisers' own agendas. Our editors check the agenda every day, remove events that are not classical concerts and pick the highlights. Nobody pays to be listed or picked.
