Forest National

Forest National / Vorst Nationaal
Exterior view of venue
Interactive map of Forest National / Vorst Nationaal
AddressAvenue Victor Rousseau / Victor Rousseaulaan 208
Location1190 Forest, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium
Coordinates50°48′35″N 4°19′34″E / 50.80972°N 4.32611°E / 50.80972; 4.32611
OwnerMusic Hall Group
Operatorbe•at
Capacity8,400 (7,868 seated)
Construction
Opened8 October 1970 (1970-10-08)
Renovated1994–95, 2014
Tenant
Brussels Royal IHSC (1983–2008)
Website
www.forest-national.be/en

Forest National (French) or Vorst Nationaal (Dutch) is a multi-purpose arena located in the municipality of Forest in Brussels, Belgium. The arena holds up to 8,400 spectators (7,868 seated) and can be scaled down to about 3,000 to 4,000 spectators for smaller events. It hosts indoor sporting events as well as concerts by a wide variety of artists.

The arena, which opened in 1970, is a member of European Arenas Association (EAA). Known for its circular interior, it is owned by Music Hall Group and operated by be•at (formerly Sportpaleis Group).

History

Interior of the arena

Forest National opened on 8 October 1970 with a performance by Maurice Béjart's Ballet of the 20th Century. Originally, it had a capacity of 5,500 seats. A renovation followed in 1995, which increased the capacity to 8,400 seats and improved lighting and sound systems. On that occasion, the façade was renovated, the foyer was expanded, and a new stage adjustable in height and width was also installed.

In 2005, there were plans for a new venue on the border with the Flemish municipalities of Drogenbos and Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. It was to be almost twice as large (12,000 to 15,000 seats) and should have been opened in September 2010. However, on 3 September 2008, it was announced that the owner, Music Hall Group NV, had decided not to build a new concert hall.

In 2013, Sportpaleis Group took over the operation of the hall, while Music Hall Group remained as the owners. The takeover took effect on 1 October 2013 under a framework agreement and a long lease (erfpacht) between the two companies. The following year, renovations followed, with the seats numbered and new foyers provided. One of these foyers is located in an old backstage room where a 'Wall Of Fame' was created because artists wrote personal messages on the wall. This can be visited by the public. The renovation works were carried out in 2014 by Mathieu Gijbels and ABV + Architecten. Sportpaleis Group was acquired by Live Nation in April 2019 and renamed be•at in 2022.

Events

Forest National has hosted sports competitions such as the Donnay Indoor Championships tennis tournament from 1981 to 1992 and the Belgian Basketball Cup since the 2014–15 season. It was the home arena for Brussels Royal IHSC ice hockey team until 2008. Between 18 and 20 September 2015, in front of a total of 17,000 spectators, a new record attendance record for the Davis Cup tennis event in Belgium was set in the semi-final between Belgium and Argentina (3:2). On 17 March 2025, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) recorded an episode of WWE Raw live for Netflix from the arena.

Noted performers

International artists that performed in Forest National include:

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "In Vorst Nationaal zie je de grootste artiesten live in de gezelligste concertzaal!". www.vorst-nationaal.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 March 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Forest National Brussels Venue Rental | be•at Business | Event location | Business". www.business.beatvenues.be. Retrieved 6 November 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Capacity and history". www.forest-national.be. Retrieved 6 November 2026.
  4. 1 2 "La patinoire de Forest-National ferme ses portes". FRBHG. 2 January 2008. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  5. ↑ "FOREST NATIONAL – EAA". Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  6. ↑ "Béjart - IXe Symphonie Beethoven". www.forest-national.be. 15 November 2016. Archived from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  7. ↑ "Nieuw Vorst Nationaal verdubbelt capaciteit". Bruzz (in Dutch). 28 September 2005. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  8. ↑ "Nieuwe concertzaal Vorst Nationaal open in 2010". Bruzz (in Dutch). 1 March 2007. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  9. ↑ "Nieuwe Vorst Nationaal niet naar Bemptwijk". Bruzz (in Dutch). 3 September 2008. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  10. ↑ Mast, Toon (12 September 2013). "Sportpaleis Groep gaat Vorst Nationaal uitbaten". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  11. ↑ "Antwerps Sportpaleis neemt Vorst Nationaal over". Bruzz (in Dutch). 12 September 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2026.
  12. ↑ "Rénovation Forest National". architectura.be. Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  13. ↑ Maerevoet, Ellen (11 April 2019). "Live Nation neemt Sportpaleis over". VRT NWS (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 November 2026.
  14. ↑ "Belgian basketball cup becomes Lotto Basketball Cup for men and women". Lotto Basketball Cup. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
  15. ↑ "Lotto Basketball Cup 2024". www.forest-national.be. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
  16. ↑ "Sport.be". www.sport.be. 21 September 2015. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  17. ↑ Konuwa, Alfred (17 March 2025). "WWE Raw Results, Winners And Grades With Heel John Cena". Forbes.com. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  18. ↑ "Vorst Nationaal / Forest National Vorst / Forest Concert Setlists". www.setlist.fm. 27 May 2023.
  19. ↑ "Hunting High and Low Tour 2019 – 2022 | a-ha live".
  20. ↑ "World tour 1986 – 1987 | a-ha live".
  21. ↑ "Analogue Tour 2005 – 2007 | a-ha live".
  22. ↑ "Ending on a High Note – Farewell Tour 2010 | a-ha live".
  23. ↑ "Black Celebration Tour". Depeche Mode. Retrieved 25 July 2021.