The Cactus Club in Oudergem (Brussels) is closing for good on 2 January. After 40 years of partying, the nightclub wants to call it a day whilst it’s still at the top of its game. “The years ahead would look catastrophic,” says owner Philippe Harlet.
Cactus Club in Oudergem closes after 40 years: “Partying in nightclubs is out of fashion”
Published:
Party-goers in the south of Brussels will soon have one club fewer to choose from. The Cactus Club is closing because it takes a bleak view of the future. “We want to end on a high rather than face catastrophic years ahead,” says owner Philippe Harlet.
The club emphasises that the closure is not due to financial difficulties. However, Harlet has noticed a gradual decline in visitor numbers. “Fewer and fewer people want to party in a nightclub,” says Harlet. “They prefer a bar or a café.”
Cactus Club revellers mainly come from municipalities in the south of Brussels. “Tourists struggle to find their way here from the Brussels downtown. That’s always been the case. So, the location was never an obstacle to filling our club.”
From 2027, a ban on smoking and vaping will apply on all outdoor terraces. Public smoking rooms will also be banned. “That’s going to have a major impact,” says Harlet. “Party-goers will no longer be able to use our indoor smoking room.”
Club history
With 24 evenings still to come, the Cactus Club will not let its final months pass quietly. On 10 November, it will celebrate its 40th anniversary. On 2 January, a final party takes place, marking the end of four decades of club history.
Afterwards, the building on Vorstlaan in Oudergem will be put up for sale. “The asking price is not yet known, but I hope it will be put to good use,” concludes Harlet.
Brussels’ nightlife has been under severe pressure for some time now. Nightclubs Spirito in Elsene and La Cabane in Watermaal-Bosvoorde were forced to close last year.