The Belgian capital was captivated last weekend by three days of sparkling entertainment on the Place de la Monnaie to celebrate the official opening of the remarkable new VIAGE entertainment center. Festivities began with a spectacular VIP Gala Opening event on 22 April and continued throughout the weekend – with lots of fun and surprises in store.
L. to r.: Andrew Webb (General Manager VIAGE), Josef Leutgeb (CFO Casinos Austria International), Freddy Thielemans (Mayor of Brussels), Paul Herzfeld (CEO Casinos Austria International)
The new VIAGE entertainment center in the heart of the city of Brussels began the celebrations for its gala opening weekend with a sparkling VIP event on 22 April 2010. Over 800 VIP guests and 130 journalists gathered for Champagne and cocktails in an enormous marquee, which had been specially erected for the weekend on the Place de la Monnaie.
They then took the short walk across the square to the impressive new 14,000 square meter VIAGE to watch Brussels Mayor Freddy Thielemans cut the red ribbon and declare the city’s new entertainment center officially opened.
The entertainment throughout the gala evening offered a real taste of the many different showtime options on offer in VIAGE, including excerpts from its very own Viage Viage Musical Dinner Show. This unique dinner & show combination features in the 1,000 person capacity Viage Theatre every Thursday from 29 April. A star-studded cast of Belgium’s finest performers, including producer Chris van Tongelen, Jan Schepens, Sasha Rosen and Fleur Brusselmans, will treat dinner guests to a rendition of famous songs from internationally renowned musicals like Evita, Grease and Mamma Mia.
Among the many invited guests at the gala event were Koen and Kris Wauters, aka Clouseau – probably the most popular Flemish singing group ever. The two brothers, who are also the stars of the VIAGE KRK Racing Team, will be launching their new tour in the Viage Theatre on 7 May 2010. Other upcoming performances in the Viage Theatre include concerts by Vaya Con Dios on 24 April and jazz legend Toots Thielemans on 15 May.
Another highlight on the gala program was a performance by VIAGE’s very own Big Band – Los Banditos de VIAGE – who treated guests to a lively show with a Latin twist and will be a regular feature in the Viage Theatre in the future. They will also be giving a live performance at the weekend which will be broadcast on a huge screen on the Place de la Monnaie.
As VIAGE General Manager Andrew Webb explained: “We wanted to make sure that everyone in Brussels had the chance to enjoy our opening weekend and see for themselves some of the many entertainment options we have to offer. In addition to the live broadcast by our very own Los Banditos de VIAGE, we also hosted a range of different fun and charity events in the marquee throughout the whole weekend.”
VIAGE also features two top-class restaurants and a choice of lounge and bar facilities. As its name suggests, the rooftop setting for Kameleon Sky offers highest quality dining with breathtaking views over the Brussels skyline. Open daily until 4 am, Saffron offers a sizzling combination of Asian and Belgian cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere in the heart of VIAGE. The entertainment center’s gaming facilities are among the finest in Europe – with a choice of 36 gaming tables (Roulette, Blackjack, Punto Banco, Brussels Stud Poker, Texas Hold’Em, Wheel of Fortune) 360 gaming machines and 100 bingo seats. VIAGE also offers a dedicated Poker Room and luxurious Oak Room salon privé with 7 gaming tables for VIP guests.
The VIAGE entertainment center is open daily from 10 am. Enjoy!