The Hangar reinvents electronic music in Belgium and beyond
Since its inception, The Hangar has grown from a bold vision for Brussels nightlife into a full-fledged creative platform redefining the electronic music experience. We speak with the team behind The Hangar to explore how iconic locations, cultural collaborations and a flexible, trend-sensitive approach have made them one of Belgium’s most dynamic voices in music and event production. From raves in historic monuments to parties on public transport, their work blurs the lines between entertainment, identity, and cultural impact.
How would you describe The Hangar in one sentence to someone who’s never heard of it?
The Hangar is all about electronic music experiences that bring people together in both iconic and unexpected locations across Belgium and beyond.
What was the initial vision behind The Hangar, and how has it evolved since then?
The initial vision was to innovate within the Brussels nightlife scene, elevate the customer experience, and make raves more accessible to a wider audience. We also noticed that while Belgium had plenty of summer festivals, winter was limited to club shows. So we came up with the idea of an indoor, multi-stage festival during the colder months — with high-level production and a diverse line-up of big names. The concept has since evolved into year-round electronic music experiences, ranging from 1,000 to 20,000 attendees, indoors and outdoors, day and night — always in incredible locations.
“The concept has since evolved into year-round electronic music experiences, always in incredible locations.”
Your approach seems to blend strategy, aesthetics, and bold storytelling. How do you define your creative process internally?
We’re not the most strategic thinkers. We have a general sense of what we want to do or what our DNA is, but we’re very opportunity- and trend-driven. We prefer to keep our options open and adapt to how the industry and people’s tastes evolve. That’s the only way to stay relevant.
Can you share a project that you feel particularly proud of — and tell us why it stands out?
There are many… but I’d say the Cinquantenaire events stand out, as everything just seems to align perfectly. The location is incredible, the performances have been outstanding, and we’ve consistently sold out. We also gained significant international coverage and praise.
If we’re talking beyond events, then I’d highlight our collaboration with the public transport network STIB — we took over a tram for a month, fully branded it as Hangar, and hosted a party inside. It was fun, innovative, and really made us stand out.
How do you balance local identity with global relevance in your work?
Through locations and collaborations. Our venues are iconic Belgian monuments, buildings, and spaces — they help put Brussels on the map. We’re proud to be a Belgian concept and very grateful to the City of Brussels for supporting what we do. Collaborations with Belgian brands (Rambo, STIB, Café de la Presse, etc.) and local suppliers are also hugely important to us.
In a time when everyone is “creating content,” how do you maintain authenticity and originality?
Trial and error. No one really knows how content will perform online until it’s posted. You have to try as many different approaches as possible. Some things will work, some won’t. We just try to create content that we genuinely like and appreciate — and hope others feel the same.
What inspires you outside the creative industry? Are there books, places or experiences that shape your team’s vision?
Travel. Other cultures, different ways of thinking, food, places… there’s no better source of inspiration. There’s so much to learn from how others approach things.
How would you describe the creative scene in Belgium today?
There are a lot of talented creatives in Belgium — in music, fashion, art… Belgian creatives also enjoy a strong reputation internationally. That said, there isn’t much money in creative work here, mainly due to the size of the country and market. Financially, it’s often more viable to work with international brands abroad — if you want to make a living from it.
What’s something about The Hangar that people might not expect or know from the outside?
The amount of time we spend on continuous improvement and internal reflection. We take criticism seriously and work hard to improve our events every single year.
What’s next for you — any exciting projects, collaborations or evolutions on the horizon?
We’ve got a very exciting collaboration coming up at the end of the summer with two Belgian institutions. Both are fashion-related, but very different in terms of audience and design. We can’t wait to see them come to life.
(*) Photos provided by The Hangar.
