Published
Fri, Jan 13, 2023, 00:01
- The regional government has imposed conditions on the 29-year-old club that owners say makes it impossible to continue.
Fuse, Belgium's best-known nightclub and a staple of the Brussels scene for decades, says it will close starting today, January 12th.
The club shared the information on social media, saying the move came as the result of complaints from a single neighbour. According to Fuse, this neighbour had bought a house next to the club "some years ago," and though mitigation and soundproofing work had been done over the years, it didn't "solve the issue."
The Brussels government has ordered Fuse to cap volume at 95 dB and close its doors at 2 AM each night, which the club says makes it "impossible" to stay open. The decision to close is effective immediately and will go on indefinitely, though Fuse says it has lodged an appeal that should be returned by January 25th.
"It is very regrettable that an iconic club gathering thousands of music lovers and artists, employing ten people during the week and 80 employers during the weekend, is put at stake because of one neighbour," the club said in its statement. "It is clear that the closing of Fuse Club and the parties it hosts also has an impact on the local economy, foreign tourism and Brussels cultural life."
The 800-capacity club opened in the Belgian capital back in 1994 at the site of a long-running former cinema. Current residents include DC Salas, Altinbas and Hadone.
Sign a petition to support Fuse.
Update, January 13th: This piece has been updated with a link to the petition in support of Fuse.