Gay Antwerp

Sportpaleis Antwerp

Entertainment

The Antwerps Sportpaleis, also called Sportpaleis Antwerpen, Sportpaleis Merksem or simply the Sportpaleis, is an are…

Antwerp, Belgium

DARKLANDS Antwerp 2026

DARKLANDS is Europe's largest fetish event, drawing the global leather, rubber, and kink community to Antwerp each March for a week-long takeover of the city. The event fills the historic Hotel Julien and multiple venues across Antwerp's gay village with workshops, parties, darkrooms, and community gatherings. Since its founding in 2006, DARKLANDS has grown to attract over 5,000 participants from more than 50 countries, making it the pre-eminent European gathering for the fetish community. Events run morning to night across the week: daytime workshops and educational sessions give way to leather parties, gear demonstrations and late-night events. Antwerp itself is a perfect host: the city's compact gay scene in the Schuttershofstraat area comes alive for the week, and the beautiful Flemish city provides an unexpectedly elegant backdrop for Europe's kinkiest gathering.