Belgium and Luxembourg (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

ENTERTAINMENT IN BELGIUM 307

van Dormael (Toto the Hero,

1991; The Eighth Day, 1996),

Rémy Belvaux (Man Bites Dog,

1992), Alain Berliner (Ma Vie

en Rose, 1997), Luc and Jean-

Pierre Dardenne (Rosetta,

1999), Dominique Deruddere

(Everybody’s Famous!, 2000),

Nic Balthazar (BenX, 2007)

and Gérard Corbiau (Farinelli,

1999). Actors Jean-Claude Van

Damme and Audrey Hepburn

were born in Brussels.

Most international films

shown are, of course, usually

in their original versions. If

neither dubbed nor subtitled,

they are listed as VO (version

originale) or OV (originele

versie). “VO st-bil” or “OV Fr/

NL ot” indicate a subtitled ver-

sion. There are cinemas of all

kinds, from small enterprises

to huge multiplexes. Belgium

also hosts small, specialist film

festivals, with the Flanders

Film Festival (see p34) in

Ghent being the best known.

JAZZ

Belgium’s lively jazz scene

features home-grown talent

playing in European, New

Orleans, contemporary and

fusion styles. The great jazz

guitarist Django Reinhardt

(1910–53) was born here, and

so was Toots Thielemans

(b.1922), hailed as the world’s

best jazz harmonica player.

In Antwerp, the wonderful

Art Deco Buster hosts jazz

and jam sessions, while the

Jazzcafé Hopper and De Muze,

an easy-going place with live

jazz every night, are also

excellent. Antwerp’s highly

respected biennial festival, the

Jazz Middelheim, has attracted

top international names since

1969. Equally star-studded is
      the annual country-wide Skoda
      Jazz Festival, from October to
      December. Brussels holds an
      annual Jazz Marathon (see
      p88). In Ghent, a must-visit is
      the Art Nouveau Damberd Jazz
      Café, which has live music on
      Tuesdays. The folksy Hotsy
      Totsy café is also popular.
      Bruges’s De Werf is an eagerly
      attended jazz venue.

THEATRE

There is plenty of fine theatre

in Belgium, with most plays

staged in either French or

Dutch. Many theatres feature

mixed programmes of theatre,

dance and music. The Bruges

Stadsschouwburg hosts a

blend of theatre, dance and

concerts, while the Antwerp

Stadsschouwburg is domin-

ated by musicals. The Bourla

Schouwburg, also in Antwerp,

maintains a fine programme

of plays performed mainly by

its Toneelhuis repertory com-

pany. Antwerp’s multipurpose

concert hall deSingel also runs

a highly respected theatre pro-

gramme. Other noted theatres

include Théâtre Royal de Mons

and Théâtre de Namur. The

capital also has many venues

of note for theatre (see p89).

ROCK, POP AND
WORLD MUSIC

Belgium is in the middle of
the European tour map for
top international artistes and
rock, pop and world music
bands, so the line-up through
the year is impressive. Fans
cross borders to take advan-
tage of lower ticket prices and
more intimate venues. The
biggest concerts take place
in Brussels (see pp88–9) or at
the Lotto Arena (Sportspaleis)
in Antwerp. Some are also
held at local venues such as
Hasselt’s Muziekodroom.
Belgium’s summer outdoor
rock festivals also attract great
international attention. They
frontline with the current top
international acts, and, cost-
wise, are considered a bargain.
The best known is Rock
Werchter, which takes place
close to Leuven in early July.
The mid-July Dour Festival,
near Mons, is making a name
for its techno-oriented fare.
Pukkelpop takes place in
Hasselt in late August and
attracts impressive line-ups.
Bruges holds the respected
but low-key Cactusfestival
(see p33) as well as Klinkers,
a low-cost series of concerts
held in July and August.
Fans of contemporary French
singer-songwriters attend the
Francofolies de Spa in July.

multipurpose deSingel in
Antwerp. Likewise, it is fea-
tured at key venues in smaller
cities such as the Palais des
Beaux Arts in Charleroi.
The biggest music event
in Belgium is the Festival of
Flanders (June–December).
Classical concerts, plus ballet
and opera, are performed in
historic houses, churches and
halls. The Festival de Wallonie
(June–October) is the south-
ern equivalent of this event.

CINEMA

The film industry in Belgium

is quite active, with noted

directors whose works win

international attention and

awards. These include Jaco

Jazz troupe jamming on stage during a jazz festival outside Brussels

Bright lights and energetic crowds at the Pukkelpop rock festival in Hasselt