Club Open Air 2021 : supporting the scene after COVID
In 2021, as nightlife spaces across Brussels remained largely closed and cultural activity was still heavily constrained, Brussels By Night launched Club Open Air : a timely initiative designed to take advantage of the only viable format available at the time: outdoor events. At a moment when clubs, collectives, and freelance workers were facing unprecedented uncertainty, Club Open Air provided more than entertainment. It created work opportunities, restored visibility to the scene, and reactivated public space for electronic culture during a fragile recovery phase.Held over ten consecutive weekends at the Dalle Administrative, the project offered a sustained platform rather than a one-off intervention, a rhythm that allowed audiences to return, organisers to plan ahead, and professionals to regain momentum.
Our Contribution
Creating an emergency recovery platform
Club Open Air was conceived first and foremost as a relaunch tool for collectives and operators whose activities had been brought to a standstill.BBN designed a model in which the vast majority of revenues were channelled back to the participating organisers, ensuring that the initiative functioned as a real economic lifeline rather than a symbolic showcase. This approach supported promoters, artists, technicians, bar staff, security teams, and production crews — helping sustain the ecosystem at a critical moment.
Earning institutional trust
Both the City of Brussels and the Brussels-Capital Region placed their confidence in BBN to coordinate the full operation: programming, production standards, safety protocols, crowd management, mobility, and dialogue with authorities.This level of trust reflected BBN’s growing role as a reliable intermediary between the nightlife sector and public institutions - capable of delivering complex projects in a responsible and structured way, even under exceptional conditions.
Transforming public space into cultural infrastructure
By activating the Dalle Administrative over ten weekends, Club Open Air demonstrated how underused urban spaces could temporarily become high-quality cultural venues. The initiative offered a real-life testing ground for managing sound, flows, neighbourhood relations, and security in open environments.
Laying the groundwork for future formats
Club Open Air is now widely seen as the precursor to the Brussels Open Air Festival. It established operational frameworks, built confidence among authorities, and proved that large-scale outdoor electronic music events could be organised responsibly in the heart of the city.