Bij’ De Vieze Gasten

Bij' De Vieze Gasten is a socio-artistic cultural venue in the Brugse Poort neighborhood of Ghent, located on Reinaertstraat next to the 't Pierkespark park. Its name traces back to the theatre troupe Vuile Mong en zijn Vieze Gasten, founded in the early 1970s by Mong Rosseel together with Magda Demeester, Jan Van Daele, Guido Schiffer and Fabien Audooren. Before finding a permanent home, the group spent years as a travelling theatre company, building a reputation for socially engaged street performances and cabaret. In 1974 the troupe even scored a radio hit with "Het Apekot," cementing its place as a voice of popular, socially committed culture in Flanders.

A turning point came in 1999, when the group settled permanently on Reinaertstraat, right in the middle of the working-class Brugse Poort neighbourhood. Since 2001 the venue has served as a beating cultural heart for the district, offering a theatre hall and a meeting space for residents from widely different backgrounds. Rather than a conventional performance venue, it functions as an incubator — a "broedplaats" — for artistic projects created jointly by neighbourhood residents and professional artists.

The programme covers theatre, family shows, music concerts, cabaret and comedy. The organisation's stated mission is to reach people who rarely engage with culture on their own initiative, which is why ticket prices are kept as low as possible. Its socio-artistic projects are participatory by design: they are produced through collaboration between local residents and professional artists, setting the venue apart from institutions focused solely on staging finished productions for a paying audience.

Brugse Poort itself, the neighbourhood housing Bij' De Vieze Gasten, is one of Ghent's characteristic 19th-century working-class districts, shaped during the industrial revolution. From the 1830s onward, textile factories were built here continuously, giving the area its dense, multicultural, working-class character that persists today. The neighbourhood's name comes from a former city gate that remained in use until 1860. It is against this social backdrop that Bij' De Vieze Gasten pursues its mission: using art and culture to help build an open, curious community that shows understanding and respect for diversity, offers opportunities to every resident, and works toward cooperation and social justice.

For visitors to Ghent, the venue offers something different from the usual historic-centre sightseeing — an authentic window into the cultural life of one of the city's most multicultural working-class neighbourhoods, with a varied programme of events running throughout the year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is Bij' De Vieze Gasten located? In the Brugse Poort neighbourhood of Ghent, on Reinaertstraat, near the 't Pierkespark park.

Where does the name come from? From the theatre troupe Vuile Mong en zijn Vieze Gasten, founded in the early 1970s by Mong Rosseel and collaborators.

Since when has it been at its current location? The group settled on Reinaertstraat in 1999, and it has operated as the neighbourhood's permanent cultural centre since 2001.

What kind of events does it host? Theatre, family shows, concerts, cabaret and comedy, often produced as socio-artistic projects involving neighbourhood residents.