Brussels nightclubs to receive better protection from noise complaints

Nightclubs in Brussels will receive greater protection from noise pollution complaints under a proposed new ordinance, with proponents citing a need to preserve culture and nightlife in the city.

Brussels nightclubs have come under fire in recent years for noise pollution, Bruzz reports, with complaints filed mainly by people who move into a neighbourhood with an existing nightclub.

The crux of a proposal from MP Pascal Smet (Vooruit) is that noise-proofing measures must be taken by whoever moves in last.

"It’s common sense," he said. "If you come to live near a nightclub, you know you risk noise pollution. It’s therefore your responsibility to insulate your home adequately."

Likewise, if a new nightclub opens, the onus is on the club to comply with noise standards.

“The reference radius for this will probably be set at around 20 metres from the club, which can then be checked with decibel meters,” Smet said.

Anyone planning a residential project near an entertainment venue will have to demonstrate in advance that comfortable noise levels for new residents is guaranteed.

The legislation does not have retroactive effect and therefore only applies to new clubs or new neighbours, meaning the rules would not apply to complaints already received by existing clubs.

Fuse nightclub encountered legal trouble regarding noise pollution in 2023 after someone new to the neighbourhood moved in and filed a complaint.

While the nightclub had existed since 1994, a temporary closure resulted from the new complaints.

The 16-year-old Spirito nightclub, located in a former Anglican church, is shutting its doors in April 2026 for similar reasons.

The building requires substantial investments to address recent noise complaints, which Jérome Blanchart, chief executive of the Art Blanc group that owns the site, finds too risky to make.

“After Covid, we got a new neighbour, three apartment blocks away, who complained about the noise,” Blanchart told Bruzz.

“We turned down the volume, but quickly lost 30% of our clientele. That's not sustainable, so I decided that the investment of about €1 million that the club needed was not worth the risk.”

Only 28 nightclubs remain in Brussels. In addition to Fuse and Spirito, La Cabane and Mirano are also threatened by complaints.

Sector federation Brussels By Night is enthusiastic about the legislation, but said that it was still not sufficient.

“The costs of insulation are on top of those for energy, the building, staff, artists and security,” says representative Nathan Pujadas.

“Our sector is not receiving enough support in this regard. That's a shame, because we create a lot of jobs and nightlife is the fourth most important reason for tourists to visit Brussels. Without concrete political measures, this pattern will continue and we run the risk of waking up to a lifeless Brussels.”

Alya Dirix of the Brussels Night Council, the regional platform for the management of nightlife, said a positive dynamic had been set in motion since the problems at Fuse and that steps are being taken, including the recognition of Brussels nightlife as cultural heritage, though this is largely a symbolic measure.

“We’re also involved in the reform of the regional zoning plan, on which Perspective.brussels is working hard under the banner ‘Share The City’,” Dirix said.

“In the long term, we hope to find a better place for nightlife between the different functions of the city.”

The new proposal has been co-signed by MR, PS, Les Engagés, Vooruit, Open-VLD and CD&V and will need to be passed by the plenary assembly in the coming weeks. The aim is to have the new regulations come into force in January 2026.