The Afrikapaleis can be hired for company events, galas, symposia, product launches and weddings, with seated dinners for up to 300 guests and cocktail receptions for up to 600. It stands in Tervuren, just outside Brussels, next to the park and attached to the Royal Museum for Central Africa. The palace is always rented as a whole, so your group has all three halls to itself.
Seminars and company events
The venue lists networking events, symposia, workshops, product presentations, receptions and benefit evenings among its uses, alongside galas and company parties. For a conference, the Historic Ballroom takes 280 people in theatre layout, the Winter Garden takes 100 and the Hobé room takes 40. The Hobé room has a projector, a sound system and fast wifi, which suits presentations, webinars and workshops. It can also work as a breakout space next to a larger hall.
Weddings and receptions
Civil ceremonies and wedding parties are part of the offer, in the Historic Ballroom or the Winter Garden. A large summer terrace faces Tervuren Park and gives you an outdoor space for drinks. The Winter Garden has a night permit and live music facilities, which matters for evening receptions.
Rooms and capacities
The Historic Ballroom is a neoclassical hall with tall columns and high ceilings. It seats 250 for a banquet, 280 in theatre layout and 400 standing for a reception. A basic light and sound set is installed, with microphones and a standard DJ set, and it can be extended through the venue's technical partners.
The Winter Garden is a glazed room with daylight and views of greenery. It holds 80 at a banquet, 100 in theatre layout and 200 for a reception.
The Hobé room is the compact option: 40 for a banquet, 40 in theatre layout and 80 for a reception.
Technical plans for the ground floor and the Hobé room can be downloaded from the venue's website. The building is accessible by wheelchair through a separate entrance, with lifts to all event rooms and adapted toilets.
Catering
Catering is provided exclusively by Huis Van Dijck, the caterer that also runs the venue. Formulas are discussed once you send a request. If your event needs an outside caterer, ask before you plan around it.
History and setting
King Leopold II commissioned the building in 1897 for the first Congo exhibition, and the Museum of the Congo opened on the site the following year. The current neoclassical museum building was inaugurated in 1910 by King Albert I. After the museum's renovation and reopening in 2018, the former Colonial Palace was renamed Afrikapaleis. The venue's own history page presents this change as a recognition of the painful colonial associations of the place.
Getting there
Tervuren lies next to Brussels and can be reached by car, public transport and bicycle. A free car park holds more than 280 cars, and bicycle racks are nearby. The address is Paleizenlaan 1, 3080 Tervuren.
