Entertainment In Antwerp

Antwerp is a very lively city with plenty of nightlife options, quality performing arts and enthralling annual festivals and events. Much of the focus is centred on the Grote Markt and the surrounding Oude Stad district, where there are hundreds of venues lining the streets and lanes. Antwerp publishes a free weekly English language magazine called the Bulletin, which has up-to-date details on events and nightlife across the city.

Nightlife

With beer being the favourite national beverage, Antwerp is full of cafés dedicated to pouring the best brews the city has to offer, which include locally produced ales as well as the famous Belgian brands. Many of these ‘brown cafés’ are located in and around the Grote Markt, and they are complemented by a wide selection of vibrant discos, lively clubs and great bars with fantastic live bands. Most nightlife venues open around 22:00 and don’t close until the early hours of the morning.

While the Grote Markt is the place for soaking up great atmosphere, the waterfront has its own nightlife scene centred on dozens of the hottest clubs, albeit mixed in with plenty of red-light establishments. Two of the more popular waterfront districts for clubbing are Vlaamse Kaai and Waalse Kaai.

Theatre and music

With Antwerp being the Cultural Capital of Europe, it’s no surprise that some of Belgium’s best performing arts companies are based in the city. These companies include the world-renowned Royal Flanders Ballet, Flanders Philharmonic Orchestra and the Flanders Opera. Traditional theatre and folk productions are also on offer, with events held during most weeks of the year. The Stadsschouwburg Performing Arts Centre hosts most of the large productions, while music events are held at the Queen Elisabeth Concert Hall. Check the Bulletin for performances scheduled during your stay.

Festivals

Antwerp has a wealth of annual events and festivals, many of which are unique to the city or which celebrate the Flemish culture and traditions. Festivities are generally very lively and loud, and lots of fun to participate in. Music festivals are very popular, as is the year-end book fair, which draws crowds from all over Europe.

• Sinksen Fair: held on the waterfront at Vlaamse Kaai and Waalse Kaai, this local Christian festival is extremely popular and runs for five weeks from the date of the Christian celebration. There is a wide variety of attractions, not least of which are live music concerts, amusement parks and of course, plenty of clubbing (June).
• Elfdaagse: this event commemorates the 1302 Guldensporenslag Battle that pitted the Flemish army against the French, with the former having won despite the presence of hundreds of heavily armoured French knights. Some years, celebrations feature a re-enactment of the battle by medieval enthusiasts from across Europe, who dress up in period clothing and armour, carrying weapons (June/July).
• Rhythm and Blues Festival: a favourite summer music event that features some of the best R&B bands from not only Europe, but the United States as well. Each year sees a quality programme that attracts thousands of revellers (July).
• Summer of Antwerp Festival: this annual festival has countless attractions and is fun for all ages. The event has live music, circuses, amusement rides and one of the most magnificent carrousels in the world (July/August).
• Jazz in het Filmmuseum: lasting for a week, this unique festival celebrates jazz films and showcases at least six films annually in the lead up to the famous Jazz Middelheim Festival (August).
• Jazz Middelheim Festival: held in the great setting of Park den Brandt, this event draws quality jazz musicians from all across the world, in addition to hordes of live music fans (August).
• Navigaytion: fascinating for people of all persuasions, Navigaytion is one of Europe’s largest gay and lesbian festivals, which takes place at Willemdok yacht harbour. The event features hundreds of people partying on the decks of boats, both moored and offshore, and includes various fun competitions (August).
• Rubensmarkt: this annual market and festival is held in honour of Rubens, where vendors dress up in period costumes and are much livelier than usual in promoting and selling their wares. While most markets squares in the city celebrate the event, it is best experienced at the Grote Markt (August).
• Boekenbeurs: one of the most important book fairs in Europe, the Boekenbeurs attractions thousands from all over the continent and beyond. The books are displayed in a huge trade hall and in addition to the Dutch language editions, there are plenty of English, French and other language titles to peruse. This is a great place to pick up rare and limited edition works that are unavailable at major booksellers (November).