6 places to spend an afternoon.
De Roma is the anchor - a restored 1928 cinema that pulls crowds from across Antwerp on Friday nights. Between shows, there's Trix for louder stuff, Base-Alpha Gallery for contemporary art, and a sneaker shop next to a yarn store on the same stretch of street.
3 things to do, 3 shops, all in Borgerhout.
Borgerhout's cultural weight sits on three addresses: De Roma on Turnhoutsebaan for everything from Tuareg blues to Belgian rock under a 1928 ceiling, Trix on Noordersingel for the metal and electronic bills De Roma won't touch, and Base-Alpha on Kattenberg holding down the gallery quarter since 2007.
Art Deco performance hall on Turnhoutsebaan, originally opened as Kinema Roma in 1928 and restored by 600 volunteers in 2003. Concerts, film screenings, jazz, dance afternoons, and an intimate 50-seat side room called Amor for acoustic sessions.
Multi-stage music venue on Noordersingel programming everything from indie and electronic to metal and experimental, with rooms ranging from 100 to 1,100 capacity. Their Café Kelder nights give rehearsal-space bands a real stage, which keeps the lineup unpredictable.
Contemporary art gallery on Kattenberg, founded in 2007 and one of the first to stake a claim in what's now a proper gallery quarter. Open Thursday to Saturday afternoons, free to walk in, with a focus on young Belgian artists alongside international names.
Borgerhout's retail leans maker-direct: Tapis Plain hand-tufts rugs from deadstock wool, BorGerHub packs 40-plus local makers into a former courthouse on Turnhoutsebaan, and Dizzy Optiek stocks frames from Dick Moby and Waiting for the Sun. Small shops, specific obsessions, no filler.
Community concept store and coffee bar inside the former Justice of the Peace courthouse on Turnhoutsebaan, housing over 40 local makers selling everything from natural cosmetics to ecological candles. Bar+Plant handles the coffee, and the 1930s building hosts workshops and exhibitions throughout the year.
Hand-tufted carpet workshop producing wall hangings and floor pieces from recycled yarns, deadstock wool, and other residual materials. They run regular workshops at BorGerHub and take bespoke commissions if you want something custom.
Axel spent 20 years in eyewear before opening this Borgerhout shop stocking only sustainable indie brands like Dick Moby and Waiting for the Sun.
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