The City of Antwerp has launched a call for a new concession holder for the large shell space beneath the railway bridges of Antwerp-Central Railway Station, currently occupied by Club Ampère. The entrance to the venue is located at Simonsstraat 21, and the site forms part of the Kievit II urban development project that significantly reshaped the station area between 2016 and 2022.

With the current concession agreement expiring in 2026, city development agency AG Vespa is inviting proposals for a new operator. The city intends to continue using the centrally located venue as a key nightlife and event space, reinforcing its role in Antwerp’s cultural and night-time economy.

Koen Kennis (N-VA), chairman of AG Vespa and Antwerp Alderman for Property and Local Economy, said: “Our nightlife is not standing still; it is constantly renewing, changing and improving. This call will hopefully ensure that the future of this ideal event location is secured once again.”

The venue

The venue consists of two zones with a total surface area of approximately 1,521 square metres. The new concession will run for a period of 17 years, until 30 June 2044, signalling the city’s intention to secure a long-term operator capable of investing in infrastructure, programming and management. 

AG Vespa is organising a competitive bidding procedure with sealed bids, allowing all eligible candidates to submit proposals. Interested parties must submit a detailed business plan and a price proposal by 25 March, with all conditions and supporting documents available via the AG Vespa website.

Club Ampère

Club Ampère opened in 2013 and has become one of Antwerp’s best-known electronic music and nightlife venues, hosting international DJs, concerts, corporate events and cultural programming. 

Its location beneath the railway infrastructure of Antwerp-Central Railway Station has given it exceptional accessibility and visibility, making it a landmark venue in the city’s cultural landscape. 

Kievit

Over time, the club has also contributed to activating the Kievit neighbourhood, which historically functioned primarily as a transit zone, by extending urban activity into the evening and night-time hours.

The venue is part of the broader Kievit II redevelopment project, implemented between 2016 and 2022, which focused on redesigning public space, improving pedestrian and cycling connections, and integrating commercial and cultural functions around the station. 

A key objective of Kievit II was to reuse underutilised infrastructural spaces beneath railway viaducts and bridges, transforming them into economically and socially active urban environments. The event space under the station bridges was conceived as a flagship example of this adaptive reuse strategy.

Antwerp’s broader nightlife and urban policy

The concession call fits into Antwerp’s broader nightlife and urban policy framework, which increasingly recognises nightlife as part of the city’s cultural infrastructure and visitor economy. 

In recent years, the city has developed governance structures to manage night-time activity, balancing economic development with public order, noise regulation and residential quality of life. 

Nightlife venues are subject to zoning and licensing regimes, while night-time mobility, policing and safety policies are integrated into wider urban strategies.

By offering a long-term concession, the city aims to attract a professional operator capable of investing in soundproofing, crowd management, security, and high-quality programming, while also engaging with local residents and stakeholders. 

The approach reflects a growing recognition that nightlife venues require stable governance frameworks and long-term planning to remain sustainable and socially acceptable.

European trend

Antwerp’s concession model aligns with broader European trends in managing cultural and nightlife spaces within publicly owned infrastructure. 

In cities such as Berlin, London and Amsterdam, long-term leases and concessions are used to activate former industrial or infrastructural sites, combining public ownership with private or non-profit cultural operators. 

Antwerp’s use of AG Vespa as a municipal property agency reflects a similar strategy, whereby the city retains control over strategic assets while outsourcing programming and commercial operations.

The new concession raises broader strategic questions about the future role of the venue and Antwerp’s nightlife ecosystem. Decisions about programming, pricing, inclusivity and community engagement will shape whether the space functions primarily as a commercial club, a hybrid cultural venue, or a broader public event space. The increasing residential development around Antwerp Central Station also means that the future operator will need to carefully manage noise, crowd flows and neighbourhood relations.

With a concession running until 2044, the selected operator will play a significant role in shaping one of Antwerp’s most prominent night-time venues for nearly two decades, at a time when European cities are increasingly debating how to balance cultural vibrancy, urban regeneration and liveability.