Auditorium Jacques Brel

Auditorium Jacques Brel is a performance hall in Anderlecht, one of the municipalities of Brussels, located on the grounds of the CERIA educational campus at Avenue Emile Gryzon 1. For decades it has served the local community as a venue for cultural, educational and conference events, and it remains one of the larger performance spaces in this part of the city.

Where does the name come from and what is the building's history?

The building was designed by the Polak brothers and officially opened in 1958 under the name Grand Auditorium. It was built as part of the wider CERIA educational complex, which from the outset combined teaching facilities with a space for public events. The hall has carried its current name, Auditorium Jacques Brel, since 2003, a year dedicated to the memory of the Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel. The renaming was part of a broader wave of tributes to the artist across Brussels, a city with which he was closely associated throughout his life.

How large is the hall and how many seats does it have?

The auditorium ranks among the larger performance venues in Anderlecht, with a total capacity of 828 seats. These are spread across three levels: the ground floor holds 474 seats, the first balcony 76 seats, and the second balcony a further 278 seats. This layout makes it possible to host anything from smaller gatherings to large-scale events with several hundred attendees at once.

What technical facilities does the stage offer?

The stage measures 12 metres in depth and 10 metres in width, allowing for a wide range of productions, from concerts to theatrical plays and larger staged shows. The venue is equipped with professional equipment operated by trained technical staff, and event organisers can count on a hall commissioner overseeing the proper running of each event. Dressing rooms are also available for performers, making the venue a practical base for visiting ensembles and soloists.

What is the hall used for today?

Given its size and facilities, Auditorium Jacques Brel serves a wide range of purposes. It hosts educational and cultural events connected to the activities of the CERIA campus, as well as seminars, conferences and academic sessions. The hall also welcomes international meetings, concerts, operettas, ballet performances, theatrical shows and film screenings. This diversity has kept the venue an important fixture on Anderlecht's cultural map for decades, bridging its role as part of an educational institution with that of a stage open to the wider public.

Where exactly is Auditorium Jacques Brel located?

The hall is located at Avenue Emile Gryzon 1 in Anderlecht (postal code 1070), right next to the metro station that shares its name, Jacques Brel. Its position within an educational campus ties the venue closely to the teaching activities carried out on site, while still keeping it accessible to organisers of outside events.

Frequently asked questions

How many seats does Auditorium Jacques Brel have? The hall has 828 seats in total, spread across the ground floor and two balcony levels.

Where does the hall's name come from? Since 2003, the year dedicated to Jacques Brel, the venue has carried the name of the Belgian artist; before that it was known as Grand Auditorium.

Who designed the building and when was it built? The building was designed by the Polak brothers and opened in 1958.

What kind of events take place at Auditorium Jacques Brel? Everything from concerts and theatrical plays to operettas and ballet performances, as well as conferences, seminars and academic sessions linked to the CERIA campus.