70th anniversary of the Hnita Jazz Club

The current name ‘Hnita Jazz Club’ dates back to the early 1960s, but the organisation's roots go back to 1955, when Juul Anthonissen (1931-2008) founded the Heistse Jazz Club with a few music-loving friends.

Seventy years later, the Hnita Jazz Club is Belgium's oldest active jazz club and enjoys international renown. Last season, this club, which is mainly run by volunteers, organised 109 concerts and other activities, selling nearly 8,700 tickets. 

To celebrate its 70th anniversary, the club has deliberately chosen to programme only Belgian artists. In addition to jazz, indie and blues/roots are also on the bill, allowing the programme to offer a glimpse of the diversity of directions taken by the club since the reopening of the Hnita-Hoeve.

The festivities will kick off with a one-off screening of “Juul's Ears”, the 2017 documentary by Philippe Cortens, Bob Maes and Carlo Dieltjens about Juul Anthonissen and the Hnita Jazz Club.

With Bruno Castellucci, 81, and Roland Van Campenhout, who just turned the same age, two living legends of Belgian music are on the bill. In addition to the glorious past and present, the future of Belgian music will also be in the spotlight. 

Find the full programme of festivities, which will take place from Wednesday 10 September to Sunday 14 September 2025, via the link below.