Key Figures:
In 2024, Bozar welcomed 625,840 visitors.
- 323,459 visitors attended Bozar's exhibitions, a 56% increase compared to 2023, which had nearly 207,000 exhibition visitors.
- 152,715 visitors attended Bozar's 227 concerts.
- 29,041 visitors participated in Bozar's lectures and debates.
- 12,040 visitors attended Bozar's 106 film screenings, including 17 premieres.
- 18,277 visitors attended nocturnes and performances.
Additionally, 90,308 visitors attended external productions held at Bozar, such as the Queen Elisabeth Competition.
Exhibitions
In 2024, more than 323,000 visitors attended Bozar's exhibitions.
With Histoire de ne pas rire. Le surréalisme en Belgique, Bozar celebrated 100 years of surrealism. The exhibition was well-received, attracting nearly 120,000 visitors who enjoyed its witty and often provocative humor. It ranks as the fourth most visited Bozar exhibition ever, following those of Keith Haring, David Hockney, and Michaël Borremans. The augmented reality tour on surrealism, Ceci n’est pas une exposition, attracted about 2,500 visitors.
With James Ensor, Maestro and Chantal Akerman: Travelling, Bozar showcased Belgian art during Belgium's presidency of the EU Council. Together, these exhibitions attracted around 75,000 visitors. The British art magazine Frieze even placed the Akerman exhibition in their "Top 10" best exhibitions of 2024 in Europe.
The autumn season focused on love and artistic couples. The exhibition Love is Louder, featuring 80 artists highlighting love from the late '60s to the present, attracted about 50,000 visitors. Bozar Arcade, the interactive space with video games and media art, returned with Love and Emotions in Video Games, drawing nearly 6,000 visitors. Finally, around 52,000 visitors attended the exhibition Hans/Jean Arp & Sophie Taeuber-Arp. Friends, Lovers, Partners, which ran until January 19.
The exhibition Rotor. Entangled Matter, about the reuse of building materials and resources, brought 18,500 visitors to Bozar.
Music
In 2024, Bozar welcomed 152,715 visitors to its 227 concerts.
Bozar presented an impressive program featuring international orchestras, star conductors, and a mix of world-renowned artists and emerging talents. Conductors like Klaus Mäkelä and Iván Fischer led unforgettable concerts, while stars like Rufus Wainwright, Anoushka Shankar, Pat Metheny, Caroline Shaw, Bryce Dessner, and many others captivated the audience.
The iconic Henry Le Boeuf Hall, Belgium's largest concert hall, sold out 39 times. Additionally, Bozar opened the Terarken Hall last year. The former underground parking, later a multipurpose hall, was renovated in early 2024 into a unique venue for underground and electronic concerts. With a busy schedule of 38 concerts, the hall was an immediate success.
A Multidisciplinary Palace
In 2024, Bozar brought notable voices of the 21st century, including Thomas Piketty, Emmanuel Carrère, Eileen Myles, Edouard Louis, Geoffroy de Lagasnerie, Didier Eribon, Stefan Hertmans, and Ovidie to the Writers & Thinkers stage. They engaged with the audience on today's major themes. In total, 29,041 visitors attended the 45 lectures and debates.
Bozar opened a new cinema hall, De 23, at the end of 2024. The name refers to Bozar's house number. The hall has 75 seats, features a modern design, and uses the latest technology. In 2024, Bozar programmed 106 film screenings, including 17 premieres. In total, Bozar Film attracted 12,040 visitors to the Palace.
Bozar organized six nocturnes titled Bozar All Over The P(a)lace. These events brought together 4,027 visitors for a multidisciplinary program of exhibitions, concerts, talks, film screenings, tours, performances, and DJ sets.
In 2024, Bozar presented a series of 9 intimate performances in the Horta Hall. Internationally renowned performers like Mette Ingvartsen, Alessandro Sciarroni, Boris Charmatz, and Eszter Salamon immersed 3,378 visitors in an intimate dialogue between movement, architecture, and music.