Capitole Gent in Gent
Capitole Gent is Ghent's 1,700-seat art deco theatre on Graaf Van Vlaanderenplein, behind an 1850 neoclassical facade, with two balconies and Interparking Gent Zuid 150 metres from the door.
Photo credits
The hall of Capitole Gent during the Jacques Brel tribute concert.: Haggis MacHaggis · CC0 · Cropped
Quick answers
- Seats
- 1,700 over four levels
- Address
- Graaf van Vlaanderenplein 59000 Gent
- Next door
- Tram T1/T2 and 15 bus lines at Gent Zuid
- From the station
- Gent-Dampoort 1.5 km; Sint-Pieters 2.5 km
- Parking
- Interparking Gent Zuid, 150 m, €2.60/hour
- Bags
- A4 maximum; lockers outside for €2.50
- Doors
- Usually an hour before the show
- Evening shows
- Around 20:00 to 22:00-22:45
- Contact
- +32 9 298 13 40
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How many people fit in Capitole Gent?
Up to 1,700 people fit in the theatre hall at Capitole Gent, spread over the parterre, balkon 1, balkon 2 and the balkonloges.
- Parterre
- 970 seats
- Balkon 1
- 398 seats
- Balkon 2
- 268 seats
- Balkonloges
- 64 seats
- Total
- 1,700 seats
The four levels hold 970, 398, 268 and 64 people respectively, and together make 1,700. The capacity is all seated: there is no standing floor, so every visitor has a numbered place with a zone, block, row and seat.
For scale, the concert hall at De Bijloke in Ghent seats 830 and Ha Concerts 380, or 750 standing. Capitole spreads its 1,700 places over four levels rather than one flat floor, so it is the larger of the three but still a theatre rather than an arena.
| Venue | Type | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Capitole Gent | Theatre | 1,700 |
| De Bijloke, Ghent | Concert hall | 830 (720 seats + 110 choir seats) |
| Ha Concerts, Ghent | Concert hall | 380 seated; 750 standing |
Capitole Gent seating plan: parterre, balconies and loges
Capitole Gent's seating plan has four levels: the parterre closest to the stage, two balconies behind it and 64 places in the balkonloges at the sides.
Your ticket names a zone, block, row and seat. The zones are Jardin (left as you enter), Center (middle) and Cour (right), and the same names are on the hall doors, so you can go straight to the right entrance. Center faces the stage; Jardin and Cour look in from the sides.
Seat numbers run outwards from the middle of each block: the even numbers (2, 4, 6 and so on) to one side, the odd numbers (1, 3, 5 and so on) to the other. A gap in the numbering is therefore normal. When you book several tickets together the system says whether they are next to each other.
The venue does not name a best block: the best place depends on the show and on what you want to see. Center on the parterre or balkon 1 looks straight at the stage, while Jardin, Cour and balkon 2 look in from the side or from higher up. The plan shows where the seats are, not what they cost: the organiser sets the prices for each show.
- Everyone enters through the main entrance, including visitors who booked a wheelchair place.
- The venue's plan shows the four levels relative to the stage; check it before choosing a block.
Eating and drinking at Capitole Gent
Before the show you can drink in the Koepelbar on the second floor or get a snack at the stands in the foyer on the ground and first floors; everywhere is cashless.
The bars open when the doors open, usually an hour before the performance. You pay with Bancontact, Maestro, Visa, Mastercard, Google Pay or Apple Pay, or with the be•at cashless card; cash is not accepted.
Food and drink may not be brought into the hall, including an empty bottle, unless a particular event says otherwise. Eat before you come: Basta Resto is 200 metres away at Zuidstationstraat 2, Boutique et Boissons is at Vlaanderenstraat 66, and Mister Spaghetti (Botermarkt 2) and Modest (Brabantdam 50) are in the centre. The venue's food page lists the rest.
Bags, lockers and cloakroom at Capitole Gent
A backpack larger than A4 must go into a locker outside, opposite the box office and to the left of the entrance; a handbag or small backpack up to 21 x 30 x 10 cm may go into the hall.
A locker costs €2.50. You choose a medium or large one, pay with the QR code at the locker and open it with a code you choose yourself. In spring and summer the cloakroom is open and unattended; in winter and when it rains there is also an attended cloakroom at €2 per coat, with umbrellas, helmets and pushchairs free. Umbrellas and helmets may not go into the hall.
Doors usually open an hour before the performance and the bars open at the same time; the exact time appears on the event page a few days ahead. The hall is air-conditioned and smoking is not allowed. Pets are not admitted, except guide dogs, which you should announce in advance.
Accessibility at Capitole Gent
Wheelchair users enter through the main entrance like everyone else, and a wheelchair place includes room for one companion; book it by phone or through the contact form.
Come at least 40 minutes before the start, when volunteers take you to your place. There is a hearing loop on the parterre (set your hearing aid to T) and you may bring an interpreter. A visual step-by-step plan for autistic and sensitive visitors can be downloaded before your visit.
With a European parking card for people with disabilities you can use reserved spaces in Interparking Gent Zuid (3, 150 m), Parking Reep (3, 600 m) and the surface car park at Hubert Frère-Orbanlaan 1 (2, 200 m). In Gent Zuid the lift is at the Administratief Centrum on the Woodrow Wilsonplein; level -4 has no lift.
Getting to Capitole Gent: tram, bus and train
Tram T1 and T2 and fifteen bus lines stop at Gent Zuid on the Woodrow Wilsonplein, next to the hall; from the train, Gent-Dampoort is the closest station at 1.5 km.
From Gent-Dampoort, buses 6, 33, 70, 71, 76, 77 and 78 run to Gent Zuid. From Gent-Sint-Pieters, 2.5 km away, tram T1 and buses 70, 71, 76, 77 and 78 do. The walk from Dampoort takes about 18 minutes and from Sint-Pieters about 30, so the tram or bus saves most of it.
At Gent Zuid the stop is beside the hall and the last leg is under a minute. The lines at the stop are 5a, 5b, 6, 16, 33, 40, 41, 42, 55, 56, 70, 71, 76, 77 and 78; De Lijn's route planner has the timetables and any diversions. Most trams and buses run until 01:30 during the week and 02:15 on Friday and Saturday, with the last bus on Sunday at 23:30.
By car, Capitole Gent lies inside the R40 city ring and the low-emission zone. Four of the Park and Rides outside the zone are free, with a tram or bus to Gent Zuid; P+R Ledeberg is paid. Interparking Gent Zuid is 150 metres from the door.
Parking at Capitole Gent: Interparking Gent Zuid and Parking Reep
The closest car park is Interparking Gent Zuid, 150 metres from the door under the Woodrow Wilsonplein; Parking Reep is 600 metres away at Seminariestraat 9.
Interparking Gent Zuid charges €2.60 for the first hour and €18 for a day. Between 19:00 and 07:00 twelve hours cost €6.60, which covers an evening at the theatre, except during the Gentse Feesten and the Lichtfestival. The garage has 1,043 spaces and 67 charging points and is open 24 hours a day.
Parking Reep is 600 metres away and open 24 hours with 470 spaces. The first hour costs €3 from Sunday to Friday in the daytime, €4 on Saturday and €2 at night; at night a stay costs €6 up to 3 hours, €7 up to 3 hours 30 minutes and €8 up to 4 hours. Interparking's €6.60 covers twelve evening hours, so Reep is cheaper only for stays of up to 3 hours; for a normal evening of three and a half to four hours it costs €7 to €8, more than Interparking, and adds an eight-minute walk. Both garages are inside the low-emission zone.
The cheapest option is one of the four free Park and Rides outside the zone, such as P+R Gentbrugge Arsenaal at Brusselsesteenweg 602 (tram T2), with a tram or bus to Gent Zuid; P+R Ledeberg is paid. Visitors with a European parking card for people with disabilities have reserved spaces in Interparking Gent Zuid (3, 150 m), Parking Reep (3, 600 m) and the surface car park at Hubert Frère-Orbanlaan 1 (2, 200 m).
| Car park | Address | Walk | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interparking Gent Zuid | Zuidparklaan, 9000 Gent | 2 min | €2.60/hour; €18/day; 12 evening hours €6.60 (not during Gentse Feesten or Lichtfestival) |
| Parking Reep | Seminariestraat 9, 9000 Gent | 8 min | €3 first hour Sun-Fri day; €4 Saturday; night €6 up to 3 h, €7 up to 3 h 30 min, €8 up to 4 h |
Capitole Gent contact and box office
Capitole Gent is at Graaf Van Vlaanderenplein 5, 9000 Gent, next to the Woodrow Wilsonplein; the box office by the main entrance is open Wednesday to Friday 12-18 and Saturday 12-16, also on days without a show.
Official links
Capitole Gent's history: from cinema to art deco theatre
Capitole Gent opened in 1932 as a cinema behind an 1850 neoclassical facade, stood empty for 14 years after 1986 and reopened as a theatre on 28 October 2001 with the musical Camelot.
Geo Henderick built the cinema hall behind the existing facade for the arrival of sound film. It was considered one of the most beautiful and largest cinemas in the country, with an eleven-metre stage tower that also made live shows possible; artists from Josephine Baker to Johnny Hallyday performed here.
After the cinema closed in 1986 the hall stood empty for 14 years. Geert Allaert bought it and reopened it in 2001, later adding a larger stage, backstage space, Premium rooms and bars. In 2008 came a theatre tower with 48 computer-controlled flies, and in 2009 a new stage and an acoustic orchestra pit for 64 musicians. be•at took over the daily running on 6 January 2014.
Where to stay near Capitole Gent
The venue's Overnachten page names one hotel, NH Collection Gent at Hoogpoort 63, about 15 minutes on foot from the hall in the historic centre.
That is the only hotel the page recommends; for more choice it sends visitors to Visit Gent. If you want the shortest walk back after the show, look around Gent Zuid and the Woodrow Wilsonplein: those are the streets closest to the hall.
Photos
Photo credits
The hall of Capitole Gent during the Jacques Brel tribute concert.: Haggis MacHaggis · CC0 · Cropped
The neoclassical facade of Capitole Gent on Graaf van Vlaanderenplein, with its pediment and columns.: MADe · CC BY-SA 3.0
The stage end of the hall at Capitole Gent during the Jacques Brel tribute concert, seen from the audience.: Haggis MacHaggis · CC0 · Cropped
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Frequently asked questions about Capitole Gent
How many seats does Capitole Gent have?
1,700 seats: 970 on the parterre, 398 on balkon 1, 268 on balkon 2 and 64 in the balkonloges.
Where is Capitole Gent?
At Graaf Van Vlaanderenplein 5, 9000 Gent, next to the Woodrow Wilsonplein and the Gent Zuid tram and bus stop.
What is the best way to reach Capitole Gent by public transport?
Tram T1 or T2, or one of fifteen bus lines, to Gent Zuid next to the hall. From Gent-Dampoort take bus 6, 33, 70, 71, 76, 77 or 78; from Gent-Sint-Pieters tram T1 or bus 70, 71, 76, 77 or 78.
Where can I park near Capitole Gent?
Interparking Gent Zuid, 150 m from the door, costs €2.60 an hour and €18 a day, with twelve evening hours for €6.60, except during the Gentse Feesten and the Lichtfestival. Parking Reep at Seminariestraat 9 is 600 m away. Four Park and Rides outside the LEZ are free, with a tram or bus to Gent Zuid; P+R Ledeberg is paid.
What time do the doors open at Capitole Gent?
Usually an hour before the performance, and the bars open then too. For an evening show the doors are typically 19:00, the hall doors 19:30 and the show 20:00; the event page gives the exact time.
What time do shows end at Capitole Gent?
Most evening shows end between 21:40 and 22:45. The event page gives the expected end for your show.
Can I bring a backpack or bag?
A handbag or backpack up to A4 size (21 x 30 x 10 cm) may go into the hall; anything larger goes into a locker outside for €2.50. Umbrellas and helmets are not allowed in the hall.
Is there a cloakroom at Capitole Gent?
Yes. In spring and summer the cloakroom is open and unattended; in winter and when it rains there is an attended cloakroom at €2 per coat, with umbrellas, helmets and pushchairs free.
Can I eat or drink in the hall?
No. Food and drink, including an empty bottle, may not be brought in. The Koepelbar and the foyer stands sell drinks and snacks before the show, and all payment is cashless.
Is Capitole Gent accessible for wheelchair users?
Yes. You enter through the main entrance, a place includes room for one companion, and you should arrive 40 minutes early so volunteers can take you to your seat. Book by phone or through the contact form.
Is there air conditioning in Capitole Gent?
Yes. The hall is cooled before the doors open and ventilated during the performance.
Does my child need a ticket?
Yes, every child needs their own ticket. Pushchairs and nappy bags can go in the cloakroom, and the toilets have a changing cushion and a nappy bin. Children under 12 are only admitted with an adult.
How do I buy tickets for Capitole Gent?
Through the venue's calendar, be•at Tickets or Ticketmaster. The box office is open Wednesday to Friday 12-18 and Saturday 12-16, and phone sales on +32 (0)3 400 40 41 run on weekdays.
What is the seating plan of Capitole Gent?
Four levels: the parterre (970), balkon 1 (398), balkon 2 (268) and 64 balkonloges. Your ticket names the zone (Jardin, Center or Cour), block, row and seat.
Sources: History of Capitole Gent (November 9, 2026) · Seating plan and zones (November 9, 2026) · Public transport to Gent Zuid (November 9, 2026) · Interparking Gent Zuid rates (November 9, 2026) · Bars, payment and nearby restaurants (November 9, 2026) · Lockers, cloakroom and house rules (November 9, 2026) · Accessibility and wheelchair places (November 9, 2026) · Overnachten in Gent (November 9, 2026) · Tickets and box office (November 9, 2026)
