1993 : quand la nuit belge faisait la une
In the early 1990s, Belgium was one of the epicentres of electronic music in Europe. Thousands of clubbers gathered every weekend at venues that have since become legendary, while House, Techno and new electronic sounds transformed an entire generation. But in 1993, Belgian nightlife was also going through a particularly turbulent period.
In this archive footage from the RTBF news, the cameras look back at the situation of Belgium’s major nightclubs at the time, against a backdrop of police controls, controversies and closures that would leave a lasting mark on the history of clubbing in Belgium.
Legendary names such as Boccaccio and Cherry Moon were then at the centre of the news.
Above all, the video offers a glimpse back into the very particular atmosphere of that era: a time when electronic culture, still young and sometimes misunderstood by the general public, was gradually moving out of the underground and becoming a genuine social phenomenon.
The footage is also accompanied by a report from the legendary Belgian magazine OUT SOON, founded by Eric Rozen. A true reference of 1990s club culture, OUT SOON was at the heart of the scene and documented it from the inside: clubs, DJs, producers, parties and new musical trends.
Today, these images are a valuable testimony to a pivotal period in the history of Belgian nightlife.
🎥 The News – RTBF, 1993
📖 OUT SOON report – Eric Rozen
More than thirty years later, the clubs have changed and some have disappeared, but their names and music continue to resonate in the memories of an entire generation.
RetroHouse – The memory of Belgian nightlife.
