True to annual tradition, American music mag Pollstar has published its Top 100 most visited concert venues in the world. The ranking is based upon ticket sales for musical activities and both AB and the Sportpaleis are included in the Top 10 of their respective categories.

AB sold 236,768 tickets in 2013, placing itself in 3rd position for the category Club Venues (capacity up to 2000), a position it maintains (as AB was also in 3rd position in 2011).

Sportpaleis sold 741,319 tickets and achieved 8th position in the category Arena Venues. On top of that, the Lotto Arena (86th position with 161,561 tickets sold) and the Grenslandhallen – Ethias Arena (94th position with 145,424 tickets sold) appear in the Top 100 of the category Arena Venues.

Dirk De Clippeleir, Director of AB: “That the AB competes amongst the world's best is important for the reputation of Flanders, Brussels and Belgium. We give many young artists the chance to present themselves to a broader audience for the first time. We provide them with opportunities to grow and often we see these artists later appear at the big Belgian festivals and in venues like the Lotto Arena and the Sportpaleis.”

Jan Van Esbroeck, Director of Sportpaleis: “Flanders proves, yet again, that it can compete with the best of the world's music industry: we participate in the champion’s league for festivals, technical facilities and infrastructure. As manager of three Top-100 world arenas, we also harvest the fruits of the pioneering work done by well working organisations like the AB – which makes it irrefutably apparent that the government subsidies are well spent. This yields a fruitful interaction, almost comparable with a public-private collaboration.”

The good ranking of both venues didn't go unnoticed by the Flemish Minister for Culture, Joke Schauvliege: “As Flemish arts institution, the Ancienne Belgique shows how a small region can be a giant in the concert landscape with such international recognition. A reputation the Sportpaleis also boldly contributes to.”

Pollstar (www.pollstar.com) closely follows the goings on in the world-wide music industry. They receive their information directly from agents, managers and promoters and concert organizers.

check out the full ranking in the January edition of Pollstar here (pages 31, 34 and 36).

Picture: Jokko