Wikipedia

Forest National

Forest National(French) orVorst Nationaal(Dutch) is a multi-purposearenalocated in the municipality ofForestinBrussels,Belgium. The arena can hold more than 8,000 people. It hosts indoor sporting events as well as concerts done by a wide variety of artists.

Forest National / Vorst Nationaal
Exterior view of venue
Map
AddressAvenue Victor Rousseau/Victor Rousseaulaan208
Location1109Forest,Brussels-Capital Region,Belgium
Coordinates50°48′35″N4°19′34″E/ 50.80972°N 4.32611°E/50.80972; 4.32611
OwnerMusic Hall Group
OperatorSportpaleis Group
Capacity8,400
Construction
Opened8 October 1970(1970-10-08)
Renovated1995, 2014
Tenants
Brussels Royal IHSC(1983–2008)[1]
Website
Official website

The arena, which opened in 1970, offers between 2,500 and 8,000 seats, depending on the event and is a member ofEuropean Arenas Association(EAA).[2]Known for its circular interior, it is owned by the Music Hall Group and operated by the Sportpaleis Groep.

History

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Forest National opened on 8 October 1970 with a performance byMaurice Béjart'sBallet of the 20th Century.[3]Then it had a capacity of 5,500 seats. A renovation followed in 1995, which increased the capacity and improved lighting and sound systems.

In 2005, there were plans for a new venue on the border withDrogenbosandSint-Pieters-Leeuw.It was to be almost twice as large (12,000 to 15,000 seats)[4]and should have been opened in September 2010.[5]However, on 3 September 2008, it was announced that the owner, Music Hall Group NV, had decided not to build a new concert hall.[6]

In 2013, the Sportpaleis Group took over the operation of the hall, while Music Hall Group remained as the owners.[7]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.[8]

Events

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Forest National has hosted sports competitions such as theDonnay Indoor Championshipsfrom 1981 to 1992 and theBelgian Basketball Cupsince the 2014–15 season. It was the home arena forBrussels Royal IHSCice hockey team.

Between 18 and 20 September 2015, in front of a total of 17,000 spectators, a new record attendance record for theDavis Cupin Belgium was set in the semi-final betweenBelgiumandArgentina(3:2).[9]

Noted performers

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International artists that performed in Forest National include:[10]

Sinead O’Conner

See also

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References

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  1. ^"LA PATINOIRE DE FOREST-NATIONAL FERME SES PORTES".FRBHG.2 January 2008.Retrieved20 July2019.
  2. ^"FOREST NATIONAL – EAA".Retrieved20 July2019.
  3. ^"Béjart - IXe Symphonie Beethoven".forest-national.be.15 November 2016.Retrieved20 July2019.
  4. ^"Nieuw Vorst Nationaal verdubbelt capaciteit".bruzz.be.Bruzz.28 September 2005.Retrieved20 July2019.
  5. ^"Nieuwe concertzaal Vorst Nationaal open in 2010".bruzz.be.1 March 2007.Retrieved20 July2019.
  6. ^"Nieuwe Vorst Nationaal niet naar Bemptwijk".bruzz.be.3 September 2008.Retrieved20 July2019.
  7. ^Mast, Door: Toon (12 September 2013)."Sportpaleis Groep gaat Vorst Nationaal uitbaten".Het Laatste Nieuws(in Dutch).Retrieved20 November2023.
  8. ^"Rénovation Forest National".architectura.be.Archived fromthe originalon 20 July 2019.Retrieved20 July2019.
  9. ^"Sport.be".sport.be.21 September 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 28 September 2015.Retrieved20 July2019.
  10. ^"Vorst Nationaal / Forest National Vorst / Forest Concert Setlists".setlist.fm/.27 May 2023.
  11. ^"Hunting High and Low Tour 2019 – 2022 | a-ha live".
  12. ^"World tour 1986 – 1987 | a-ha live".
  13. ^"Analogue Tour 2005 – 2007 | a-ha live".
  14. ^"Ending on a High Note – Farewell Tour 2010 | a-ha live".
  15. ^"Black Celebration Tour".Depeche Mode.Retrieved25 July2021.
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