Close your eyes and imagine... Instead of cheering crowds and concert posters, cyclists are racing around an indoor track. Long before it became one of Brussels’ biggest concert venues, Forest National was... a velodrome. 

At the beginning of 1970s, the municipality of Forest decided to give the building a second life. On 8 October 1970, the Béjart Ballet became the first to perform there. Soon, some of the world’s greatest artists took to its stage. Ella Fitzgerald, The Beach Boys, Queen, Bob Marley, The Rolling Stones and U2 all left their mark. 

But the venue is more than a concert hall. It is also part of Brussels’ cultural history. Behind the stage hides a surprising gallery covered with thousands of artists’ signatures collected over the decades. A living wall where Stromae, Angèle and Lost Frequencies stand alongside international legends. 

Today, Forest National is always buzzing. Last year alone, more than 570,000 people attended a show. Its popularity had made it one of Brussels’ most iconic venues. 

Every concert night, thousands of people come to Forest National, from Brussels and far beyond. Its name now appears not only on tickets, but also on a bus stop. Proof that, in Brussels, music and the city move to the same beat.