De Roma

De Roma is a 2,000-capacity standing concert hall in Borgerhout, Antwerp, operating inside the former Kinema Roma. Its distinguishing fact sits in the scale of its past: Jean Baptist Romeo’s 1928 film-and-feast hall, designed by Alfons Pauwels, held 2,000 seats and ranked for a long period as Antwerp’s largest cinema. A stage tower and side stage were built for revues alongside films, leaving De Roma unusually suited to a full-scale concert room.

A cinema rebuilt by its neighbourhood

In 1958, Georges Heylen of the Rex cinema empire took over the hall. Concert bookings expanded during the 1970s, then De Roma closed to the public in 1982 as the building declined. Local culture workers began planning a revival in 2002, with hundreds of volunteers clearing rubble and preparing the hall for use. Theatre-maker Paul Schyvens led the early renovation, and De Roma reopened in May 2003 before completing a further three years of winter repair work. Since 2006, the venue has run year-round; its volunteer force has grown to more than 600 people, with 30 to 50 on duty for a sold-out event. A later restoration renewed the roofs, façades and interior in its original style, finishing in 2015.

The room today

De Roma’s programming puts young local performers alongside international artists and ranges through pop, rock, jazz and classical, with concerts sharing the building with film, talks and community events. The 675-square-metre main hall holds up to 2,000 standing or 1,340 seated, with theatre and cabaret configurations available. Expect a large single room with a bar, rubber floor and ground-level wheelchair access; seated shows gain the cinema’s generous scale, while standing gigs use the open hall to full effect.