Forest National opened on 8 October 1970 with a performance by
Maurice Béjart's
Ballet of the 20th Century. Originally, it had a capacity of 5,500 seats. A renovation followed in 1995, which increased the capacity to 8,400 seats and improved lighting and sound systems. On that occasion, the façade was renovated, the
foyer was expanded, and a new stage adjustable in height and width was also installed. In 2005, there were plans for a new venue on the border with the
Flemish municipalities of
Drogenbos and
Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. It was to be almost twice as large (12,000 to 15,000 seats) and should have been opened in September 2010. However, on 3 September 2008, it was announced that the owner, Music Hall Group NV, had decided not to build a new concert hall. In 2013, the Sportpaleis Group took over the operation of the hall, while Music Hall Group remained as the owners. The following year, renovations followed, with the seats numbered and new foyers provided. One of these foyers is located in an old backstage room where a 'Wall Of Fame' was created because artists wrote personal messages on the wall. This can be visited by the public. The renovation works were carried out in 2014 by Mathieu Gijbels and ABV + Architecten. ==Events==