Centre culturel de l'Arrondissement de Huy

Centre culturel de l'Arrondissement de Huy is the leading cultural institution serving Huy and the wider Huy-Waremme district in Belgium's Liège province, housed in a historic building that once served as the town's theatre. While today it is best known for its varied program of performances, concerts, and workshops, its story stretches back to a stage that once hosted some of the era's most celebrated performers.

What stood on this site before?

The original Theatre of Huy welcomed musicians and actors of national and international renown for decades, including violinist Eugène Ysaÿe and actors José Dupuis and Suzanne Reichenberg, both fixtures of the Belgian and French stage. On the night of 19–20 April 1925, a devastating fire destroyed the theatre, shaking the local population, for whom the building had long been a symbol of the town's cultural life. A new structure rose on the same site, designed by architect Michel Polack in the Art Deco style then coming into fashion, completed around 1926. That building, with its distinctive 1920s lines, remains the centre's home today.

When did it become a cultural centre?

The transformation from theatre building into a dedicated cultural institution came decades after reconstruction. On 1 July 1989, the non-profit association (ASBL) Centre culturel de l'arrondissement de Huy was formally established and officially recognised as a cultural centre by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, the body overseeing cultural policy in French-speaking Belgium. From that point, the centre has operated as a regional cultural hub, extending its reach beyond Huy itself to fourteen affiliated municipalities across the district.

What does the centre offer today?

The main performance hall seats around 900 people, making it one of the larger venues of its kind in the region. Programming spans theatre productions, concerts, film club (ciné-club) screenings, visual arts exhibitions, and workshops and training sessions for residents of all ages. As the cultural anchor of the Huy-Waremme district, the centre organises events both at its main venue and in partnership with the associated municipalities it serves.

Why is it worth a visit?

Visitors can appreciate not only the current artistic programme but also the building itself, a well-preserved example of regional Art Deco architecture born directly from the tragedy of the earlier theatre's destruction by fire. It is a place where the memory of Huy's older theatrical life meets the practical, modern role of a multidisciplinary cultural centre serving an entire district.

Frequently asked questions

Is the current building the original 19th-century theatre? No. The original theatre was destroyed by fire on the night of 19–20 April 1925. The present building, designed by architect Michel Polack in the Art Deco style, was constructed on the same site around 1926.

Since when has it operated as the Centre culturel de l'Arrondissement de Huy? The managing association was founded on 1 July 1989 and was officially recognised as a cultural centre by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation at that time.

How many seats does the main hall have? The main performance hall has a capacity of around 900 seats.

What area does the centre serve? It serves the town of Huy along with fourteen affiliated municipalities within the Huy-Waremme district, coordinating cultural events across the wider region.