Theatre: questions and answers

The tonight page lists every show on our calendar tonight by start time, and the calendar lets you filter by day, city and kind of show. We are starting with Antwerp, Ghent, Brussels, Bruges, Leuven and Mechelen, and check the programmes every day. →

Musicals and big tours play, among others, at the Stadsschouwburg in Antwerp and the Capitole in Ghent, and Studio 100 makes family musicals. The calendar shows which titles are running. →

Many shows are in Dutch, but not all. In Brussels houses such as the KVS often play with surtitles in another language, and for opera, ballet, dance and circus the language matters much less. Whether a show has surtitles is on its page or with the house. →

Most theatres and cultural centres close for several weeks in summer, usually in July and August, and the new season starts in September. Festivals such as Theater aan Zee in Ostend, the Zomer van Antwerpen and the Gentse Feesten fill the gap. →

Ask about concessions: young people and pupils pay less in many places, and with the UiTPAS people with an opportunity status get 80% off the offer of taking part organisations. In Brussels, Last Minute Tickets sells remaining seats on the day itself at half price. Buy from the box office or the house's own website; resale sites often charge more. →

A subscription bundles several performances of a season at a discount, and many cultural centres offer a choose-your-own subscription or pass. You don't need one: single tickets are on sale for almost every show. If you go regularly, it pays off. →

Musicals, Sinterklaas and Christmas shows, opera premieres and weekend evenings at the big houses sell out early, so book those well ahead. Plays and smaller stages often have seats until the day itself, sometimes at the evening box office.

Most evening shows start at 8 p.m., in Brussels houses sometimes a little later, and weekend matinees at 3 or 4 p.m. Doors often open half an hour to an hour earlier; at musicals it pays to arrive early because of the bag check. →

No. Most people wear what they would wear to a nice dinner, and jeans are fine. At opera evenings and premieres you see more suits and evening dresses, but it is not required. →

Latecomers are often let in only at the interval or another suitable break, and sometimes not at all. Allow time for the journey, the cloakroom and the toilets. →

Coats and large bags are often handed in at the cloakroom, at some houses for a small fee. Ask at the entrance whether the cloakroom is compulsory. →

At the end there is usually long applause until the curtain has opened several times; standing ovations are kept for special nights. That is part of the culture and not meant personally. →

Check the age recommendation on the show's page, such as “from 4 years”. Companies such as Kopergietery in Ghent make jeugdtheater and puppet shows, and afternoon shows suit families best. Children usually need a ticket of their own. →

In December there are Sinterklaas and Christmas shows for small children, The Nutcracker, Christmas musicals and winter shows. Sinterklaas visits children on 6 December, so the shows about him mostly play in the weeks before. →

Most houses have wheelchair spaces; ask at the box office before you book which seats suit you best and whether companions get a concession. Some houses offer performances with sign language, audio description or surtitles. The show's page has the dates where the house gives them. →

Shows come from the houses' own programmes. A ranking puts forward the highlights by house, performers and date; nothing is hand-picked yet. Nobody pays to be listed or picked.