Beat Venues

be•at venues (formerly Sportpaleis Group) is a Belgian live entertainment company that operates a portfolio of major arenas and theatres in Flanders and Brussels. Headquartered in Antwerp, the company organises hundreds of events each year and is a subsidiary of Live Nation, the global live entertainment giant. Its venues include AFAS Dome (formerly Sportpaleis), Lotto Arena, Stadsschouwburg Antwerpen, Vorst Nationaal in Brussels, Capitole in Ghent, Trixxo Arena and Trixxo Theater in Hasselt, and the Proximus Pop-up Arena in Middelkerke. The company traces its origins to 1997, when the Antwerp Sportpaleis was acquired by the Antwerp provincial government and private partners after the venue went bankrupt. Over the following decades, it expanded through acquisitions and rebranded as be•at in 2022. Today, be•at venues is a key player in Belgium's live entertainment market, hosting concerts, comedy shows, theatre performances, and corporate events. The company also runs be•at tickets, a ticketing platform, and has received recognition for accessibility and sustainability initiatives, such as the CAP48 award for Vorst Nationaal and an award for the AFAS Dome's smart mobility route planner.

The history of be•at venues begins with the Antwerp Sportpaleis, a landmark arena that went bankrupt in 1996. The curators approached the organisation behind Night of the Proms to manage the venue for one year. In 1997, the Sportpaleis was purchased by the Antwerp provincial government and private partner Antwerp Sportpaleis Beheer. The province became the owner, while nv Antwerps Sportpaleis was founded for its operation in collaboration with PSE-Belgium (the organisation behind Night of the Proms), Ahoy Rotterdam, On The Rox (Herman Schueremans' organisation, later merged into Clear Channel Entertainment), and MOJO Concerts. Following the takeover, the building was renovated, expanded with a new front building, and a hospitality centre was constructed. The final step of this expansion was the opening of the Lotto Arena on 10 March 2007. In January 2012, nv Antwerps Sportpaleis took over the operation of the Grenslandhallen with the Ethias Arena in Hasselt, leading to the creation of the Sportpaleis Group. In 2013, the group expanded by taking over the daily management of Vorst Nationaal, which remained owned by Music Hall Group. A year later, it acquired the Capitole and the Stadsschouwburg Antwerpen. This made the Sportpaleis Group one of the market leaders in Belgium in arena operation. By 2018, the organisation was led by Jan Van Esbroeck and Jan Vereecke, also the organisers of Night of the Proms. On 11 April 2019, it was announced that Antwerps Sportpaleis nv was acquired by Live Nation. Other parts of the Sportpaleis Group fell outside the agreement. On 29 April 2022, the Sportpaleis Group announced a rebranding and name change, becoming be•at. The company continues to operate major venues in Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Hasselt, and Middelkerke, hosting hundreds of events annually.

• 2022

  Sportpaleis Group rebrands as be•at on 29 April.

• 2019

  Antwerps Sportpaleis nv acquired by Live Nation on 11 April.

• 2014

  Acquires Capitole and Stadsschouwburg Antwerpen.

• 2013

  Takes over daily management of Vorst Nationaal in Brussels.

• 2012

  Sportpaleis Group formed after taking over operation of Grenslandhallen with Ethias Arena in Hasselt.

• 2007

  Lotto Arena opens on 10 March as part of the Sportpaleis expansion.

• 1997

  Antwerp Sportpaleis purchased by Antwerp provincial government and private partner; nv Antwerps Sportpaleis founded for operation.

Leading Belgian venue operator and live entertainment group, part of Live Nation, offering diverse event spaces from arenas to theatres.

• AFAS Dome

  Main arena in Antwerp, formerly known as Sportpaleis.

• Lotto Arena

  Arena in Antwerp, opened in 2007.

• Vorst Nationaal

  Concert hall in Brussels.

• Stadsschouwburg Antwerpen

  Theatre in Antwerp.

• Capitole

  Theatre in Ghent.

• Trixxo Arena

  Arena in Hasselt.

• Trixxo Theater

  Theatre in Hasselt.

• Proximus Pop-up Arena

  Pop-up arena in Middelkerke.

1. 1be•at venues official websitebeatvenues.be
2. 2Beat Venues - Wikipedianl.wikipedia.org
3. 3Beat Venues - Wikidatawikidata.org