Ancienne Belgique in Bruxelles
Ancienne Belgique is Brussels' 2,000-capacity concert hall on the Anspachlaan, ten minutes on foot from Brussel-Centraal, with 750 seats, a 280-capacity club, paid parking nearby and lockers from €3.
Photo credits
Tiken Jah Fakoly performing on the Grote zaal stage at Ancienne Belgique, with the audience in front.: Peter Verwimp · CC0 · Cropped
Quick answers
- Main hall
- 2,000 standing / 750 seated
- Address
- 110 Boulevard Anspachlaan1000 Bruxelles
- AB Club
- 280 standing / 100 seated
- AB Salon
- 70 seats
- Doors
- Usually 19:00
- Curfew
- 22:30 for regular concerts
- Lockers
- €3 to €8, cashless
- From Brussel-Centraal
- 10 min walk
- Contact
- +32 2 548 24 84
Ancienne Belgique agenda: upcoming events
Tonight, this week and the months ahead at this venue in Bruxelles.
November 2026
- Mon16Nov
€17Tickets - Tue17Nov
from €43 - Tue17Nov
from €26 - Wed18Nov
Rounhaa2 shows:Wed 18 NovThu 19 Nov€31Tickets - Wed18Nov
Free - Wed18Nov
Luther2 shows:Wed 18 NovThu 19 Nov€31Tickets - Wed18Nov
€17Tickets - Thu19Nov
€3.50Tickets - Fri20Nov
- Fri20Nov
from €52.50
Plan your visit to Ancienne Belgique
Capacity: 2,000 in the Grote zaal
The main room is flexible: 2,000 standing or 750 seated, with four layouts in between.
- Grote zaal, standing
- 2,000
- Grote zaal, seated
- 750
- Grote zaal, standing with seats
- 1,750 + 250
- AB Club
- 280 standing / 100 seated
- AB Salon
- 70 seats
- AB Antenna
- Depends on the event
AB's technical sheet gives 2,000 people standing or 750 seated for the Grote zaal. The hall's configuration page breaks that down into four layouts: 1,750 standing with 250 free seats, 750 free seats, 900 to 1,350 standing, and 820 standing with 430 free seats. The differences come from how much of the tribune is rolled out and how much of the floor stays open.
AB Club is the second room, with 280 standing places or 100 seats. AB Salon has 70 free seats, and AB Antenna's capacity depends on the event. For private hire, AB quotes 100 to 280 people in the Club (170 m²) and 500 to 2,000 in the Grote zaal (442 m²).
| Venue | Capacity | Distance from AB | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ancienne Belgique, Grote zaal | 2,000 standing / 750 seated | On site | AB technical page |
| Koninklijke Muntschouwburg | 1,700 | 0.5 km | Wikidata via OpenStreetMap |
| Koninklijk Circus | 3,500 | 1.2 km | Wikidata via OpenStreetMap |
| Théâtre Royal des Galeries | 850 | 0.5 km | Wikidata via OpenStreetMap |
Seating: free, unnumbered seats and a published plan
AB has no fixed seat-by-seat map and no general seat reservations; the event page shows the room layout, and you choose a place when you arrive.
Seated configuration
750 free seats
Standing with seats
250 free seats
Mixed configuration
430 free seats
Reservations
Only for a medical reason
In the seated configuration, the Grote zaal rolls out its tribune for 750 free seats. In the standing-with-seats layout, 250 seats are available; the mixed layout has 430. All of them are unnumbered and unreserved, so the practical advice is to arrive when the doors open.
A standing ticket does not include a seat. The one exception is a medical need: AB takes a seat or assistance request through its form after you have bought a ticket or been confirmed on the guest list. Everyone else simply finds a spot.
For wheelchair users there is a reserved zone on the first-floor balcony to the right of the stage. A lift reaches it without thresholds or stairs, and AB has adapted toilets. AB Salon has 70 free seats; AB Club has none when it is set up standing.
Food and drink: the AB Café is closed
AB Café and Resto are permanently closed, so dinner happens before the concert; the venue lists ten nearby places.
AB's own food page states it plainly: the Café and Resto are permanently closed. In their place the venue recommends ten addresses around the hall, from a nameless night shop in the Steenstraat to a sit-down organic wine bar.
The night shop sells samosas from 18:00 at €1.50 each, a fast option on the way in. For a proper meal, Ali Baba and Horia cover Lebanese, Bahn Mi serves Vietnamese baguettes and bubble tea, Billie is the local spaghetti favourite with three fixed choices and a monthly special, Au bon Bol pulls noodles by hand, Yaki does Thai, Pizzeria Mirante is the classic Italian around the corner, and La Flaque and Resto Henri are the more upscale choices.
Inside AB, drinks are sold at the bars; the venue does not allow food or drink bought elsewhere. Reusable earplugs cost two AB tokens, or €6.
- AB Café and Resto
- Permanently closed
- Nearby tips
- 10 places listed by AB
- Cheapest bite
- Samosas, €1.50 from 18:00
- Earplugs
- Two AB tokens, €6
Lockers, box office and tickets
Lockers cost €3, €4 or €8 and are paid by phone or card; the evening box office opens at 19:00.
There are three locker sizes: Small (29.6 × 25.5 × 50 cm or 29.6 × 41.5 × 50 cm) for €3, Medium (29.6 × 45 × 50 cm) for €4 and Large (39.6 × 60.1 × 85 cm) for €8. Hiring is cashless: scan the screen, pay with your phone or bank card, and the locker number and instructions arrive by email. The same email lets you share the locker with someone else.
Anything that does not fit goes to a steward at arrival; they can store it safely. Lockers are used at your own risk. For a lost item, AB asks you to fill in its lost-and-found form and replies within three working days.
On regular concert nights the box office opens at 19:00 for tickets, guest-list collection and reprints. Tickets bought online sit in your AB account under My concerts. AB does not check the names on tickets, and resale goes through TicketSwap; a moved concert can be refunded up to 7 days before.
- Small locker
- €3
- Medium locker
- €4
- Large locker
- €8
- Payment
- Cashless by phone or card
- Evening box office
- From 19:00
Accessibility: lift, balcony zone and free companion
AB accepts the European Disability Card, gives a free companion ticket and has step-free access to a reserved wheelchair zone.
The wheelchair zone in the Grote zaal is on the first-floor balcony to the right of the stage, reached by lift with no thresholds or stairs. AB has adapted toilets. In AB Club, the lift reaches the room and stewards guide you to the front; the accessible toilet is on the ground floor behind the bar, and a steward provides the key.
Buy your ticket first, then submit the assistance form to ask for a seat or practical help. With the European Disability Card, one companion enters free. AB Salon has 70 free seats; AB Club has none in its standing configuration, so ask for a chair in advance. Guide dogs are welcome when arranged beforehand.
For deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors, Sennheiser MobileConnect streams the sound over Wi-Fi to a phone or hearing aid. Install the app at home before the concert and test the connection; a slight delay is normal, and closed headphones or a cable can reduce echo.
- Wheelchair zone
- First-floor balcony, right of stage
- Access
- By lift, no steps
- Companion
- Free with a European Disability Card
- Assistive listening
- Sennheiser MobileConnect
- AB Salon
- 70 free seats
House rules: age, smoking and recording
There is no minimum age, but under-16s should come with an adult; smoking and vaping are banned inside.
For regular concerts everyone needs a valid ticket, including children; KETCLUB is the exception, where under-12s join a parent free. Under-16s should be accompanied by an adult. AB sets no minimum age; alcohol is served from 16, spirits from 18, and staff may ask for ID.
Smoking and electronic cigarettes are banned in the hall; smokers go outside. Recording equipment other than a phone is not allowed, and neither is food or drink bought elsewhere. Pets are not allowed, except guide dogs arranged in advance. Knives, weapons and drugs are confiscated and can lead to refusal without a refund.
AB uses camera surveillance and reports criminal offences to the police. The venue can refuse entry or remove a visitor who breaks these rules. Security staff at the door enforce them.
- Minimum age
- None
- Under-16s
- Accompanied by an adult
- Smoking
- Banned inside, including e-cigarettes
- Recording
- Phone only
- Outside food and drink
- Not allowed
Getting there: 10 minutes from Brussel-Centraal
The venue is in the pedestrian centre at Anspachlaan 110, with the main station, metro, tram and bus stops all within a short walk.
From Brussel-Centraal, follow the Anspachlaan into the pedestrian centre; AB is at number 110, about 10 minutes on foot. The route is flat and stays inside the pedestrian zone.
By train, the SNCB/NMBS code on your concert ticket buys a Bravo! ticket with 40% discount. By city transport, the Event Pass QR code on the same ticket gives a free STIB/MIVB ticket from a GO ticket machine. After the show, Noctis buses run between midnight and 3 am on Friday and Saturday nights, and Collecto taxis charge a fixed €6 between 23:00 and 6:00.
By bike, the secure bike parks at Beurs and De Brouckère stations are free for the first 4 hours. AB has only limited space for folding bikes inside; regular bikes stay outside.
Parking: no car park at the venue
AB sits in a pedestrian zone and has no parking of its own; the venue recommends Park & Ride and the paid garages within a ten-minute walk.
Rouppe-Fontainas is 400 m and a 6-minute walk away. The nearest Interparking garages are Brucity (7 minutes), De Brouckère and Écuyer (8 minutes). Hourly rates are €3.60 at Écuyer and €4.00 at Brucity and De Brouckère, or €3.24 and €3.60 with Pcard+; the standard day rate is €25 and €30, or €22.50 and €27 with Pcard+. The only evening tariff Interparking publishes online is the Pcard+ rate: €6 for ten hours at Écuyer from 19:00 to 05:00, and €7.20 for ten evening hours at Brucity and De Brouckère.
Q-Park Lepage, with 691 spaces, is a 6-minute walk from the hall; Q-Park's own AB page puts Dansaert at 5 minutes, while the OSM router measures 10. Monnaie is 8 minutes away. Lepage, Dansaert, Monnaie and Rouppe-Fontainas do not publish a rate on the pages read, so the table marks them as not published.
For a concert night, AB points drivers to the Park & Ride car parks listed by parking.brussels, then a bus, tram or metro into the centre. Do not drive into the Anspachlaan itself: the street is pedestrian. Day and evening rates apply at set hours and can change.
| Car park | Address | Walk | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q-Park Dansaert | Nieuwe Graanmarkt 2 | 5 min (Q-Park); 10 min (OSM) | Paid; rate not published |
| Q-Park Lepage | Leon Lepagestraat | 6 min | Paid; rate not published |
| Rouppe-Fontainas | Rue de Rouppe | 6 min | Paid; rate not published |
| Interparking Brucity | Rue de l'Évêque 1 | 7 min | €30/day; €27 Pcard+; evening Pcard+ €7.20 for 10 h |
| Interparking De Brouckère | Rue des Augustins 14-16 | 8 min | €30/day; €27 Pcard+; evening Pcard+ €7.20 for 10 h |
| Interparking Monnaie | Place de la Monnaie 25 | 8 min | Paid; rate not published |
| Interparking Écuyer | Rue de l'Écuyer 11-17 | 8 min | €25/day; €22.50 Pcard+; evening Pcard+ €6 for 10 h (19:00-05:00) |
- Rouppe-Fontainas
- 400 m, 6 min walk
- Closest Interparking
- Brucity, 480 m / 7 min
- Standard day rate
- €25 Écuyer; €30 Brucity and De Brouckère
- Pcard+ day rate
- €22.50 Écuyer; €27 Brucity and De Brouckère
- Evening rate
- Pcard+ only: €6 Écuyer, €7.20 Brucity/De Brouckère
- Q-Park Lepage
- 691 spaces, 6 min walk
- Q-Park Dansaert
- 5 min by Q-Park; 10 min by OSM
Contact and box office
Anspachlaan 110, 1000 Brussels; phone 02 548 24 84; email [email protected].
- Address
- Anspachlaan 110, 1000 Brussels
- Phone
- 02 548 24 84
- [email protected]
- Ticket shop
- Monday to Friday, 10:00-17:00
- AB Salon and Antenna
- Steenstraat 11
Official links
Photos
Photo credits
Tiken Jah Fakoly performing on the Grote zaal stage at Ancienne Belgique, with the audience in front.: Peter Verwimp · CC0 · Cropped
The empty Grote zaal of Ancienne Belgique with its balconies and stage before a Slayer concert.: Nenea hartia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Babymetal performing on the Ancienne Belgique stage during a live concert.: DragonFury · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Frequently asked questions about Ancienne Belgique
What time do doors open at Ancienne Belgique?
Doors usually open at 19:00 and regular concerts end by 22:30. The exact schedule is published at the latest the day before the show, so check your event page before you travel.
How do I get from Brussel-Centraal to Ancienne Belgique?
Leave Brussel-Centraal and follow the Anspachlaan into the pedestrian centre for about 10 minutes; AB is at number 110. The SNCB/NMBS code on your ticket gives 40% off a Bravo! train ticket.
Where can I park near Ancienne Belgique?
There is no car park at AB and the Anspachlaan is pedestrian. Rouppe-Fontainas is 400 m and 6 minutes away; Interparking Brucity, De Brouckère and Écuyer are 7 to 8 minutes and charge €25 to €30 a day (Pcard+ €22.50 to €27). Q-Park Lepage and Dansaert are also within 6 minutes but do not publish a rate, and AB recommends Park & Ride.
How many people does Ancienne Belgique hold?
The Grote zaal holds 2,000 people standing or 750 seated. AB Club holds 280 standing or 100 seated, AB Salon has 70 seats, and AB Antenna's capacity depends on the event.
Can I reserve a seat at Ancienne Belgique?
No general reservation is possible: seats are free, unnumbered and unreserved, and the event page shows the room layout for that show. Arrive when doors open. The only exception is a medical need, which AB handles through its assistance form after ticket purchase.
Are there lockers at Ancienne Belgique?
Yes. Small lockers cost €3, medium €4 and large €8, paid cashless by phone or card. Items too big for a locker can be left with a steward, and lost items go through the venue's lost-and-found form.
Can I eat at Ancienne Belgique?
AB Café and Resto are permanently closed. AB lists ten nearby places, including samosas from 18:00 at €1.50 in the Steenstraat, Lebanese at Ali Baba and Horia, spaghetti at Billie and pizza at Pizzeria Mirante.
Is Ancienne Belgique accessible for wheelchair users?
Yes. The Grote zaal has a reserved wheelchair zone on the first-floor balcony right of the stage, reached by lift with no steps, plus adapted toilets. AB Club is also reachable by lift, with stewards guiding you to the front.
What is the minimum age at Ancienne Belgique?
There is no minimum age, but under-16s should be accompanied by an adult. For regular concerts everyone, including children, needs a valid ticket, and alcohol is served from 16 and spirits from 18.
Can I take photos or record the concert?
A phone is allowed. Other recording equipment is not, and selfie sticks or professional cameras can be refused. Smoking and vaping are banned inside the hall, and outside food and drink are not allowed.
Can I resell my ticket for Ancienne Belgique?
Use TicketSwap, the resale partner AB names. AB does not check the names on tickets. For a cancelled concert, follow the refund instructions AB emails you; for a moved concert, request a refund up to 7 days before the new date.
How do I contact Ancienne Belgique?
Phone 02 548 24 84 or email [email protected]. The address is Anspachlaan 110, 1000 Brussels, and the ticket shop is open Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00.
Sources: Ancienne Belgique: Grote zaal seating and configurations (November 9, 2026) · Ancienne Belgique: mobility (November 9, 2026) · Interparking Écuyer: address and rates (November 9, 2026) · Ancienne Belgique: where to eat before the concert (November 9, 2026) · Ancienne Belgique: house rules and FAQ (November 9, 2026) · Ancienne Belgique: accessibility (November 9, 2026) · Ancienne Belgique: contact (November 9, 2026)
