One of Brussels’ majestic landmarks is the green dome on top of the Botanique building. You can see it from far away. Inside, hanging down from a long rope attached to the dome’s oculus, a disco ball spins.

I spend quite some time under its rotating reflections because one of my favorite locations in Brussels is here: the Rotonde.

The Rotonde for me is the most intimate venue of the Botanique’s three concert halls (next to the Orangerie and the Witloof Bar). A maximum of only 300 people is allowed in. The space is small and – obviously – circular, which makes for excellent acoustics and a lot of close interaction between the artists and the public.

A couple of concerts take place in the Rotonde every week. The bands are mostly underground, beginning or upcoming, so tickets are always quite cheap. The fine setting and well-picked bands ensure that I’ve captured some of my most memorable concerts here. A fun extra of the Botanique site is that you can go outside in the garden to catch some fresh air during breaks or after the show. You’ll find yourself in the middle of an unexpectedly sweet paradise in the middle of the city.

Nevertheless, the luminescence coming from the giant vertical display of the Finance Tower on the far end of that garden will quickly make you want to go back inside. Back to that rotating disco ball…