Zillion, the short but intense story of Antwerp’s most famous nightclub

The beginnings of the project

In 1996, Frank Verstraeten — owner of a computer company that had gone bankrupt a few months earlier following rumors of VAT fraud — bought a sports hall in the southern part of Antwerp, with the goal of transforming it into a mega nightclub.

Zillion opened its doors on October 16, 1997, and quickly became famous for its impressive technical setup, with mind-blowing figures to match.

A quick tour of the venue

Originally intended for sports and cultural events, the building included: 4 rooms, 1 restaurant, 1 cybercafé, 1 VIP area, and dressing rooms for the many artists who performed there.

In terms of equipment, Zillion was also ahead of its time — featuring 70,000 watts of sound, 1,250,000 watts of lighting (over 500 lighting effects), 3 color lasers, televisions, snow machines, huge fans (the main one now located in a nightclub near Lokeren), confetti showers, indoor fireworks… all mounted on a massive motorized structure rotating above the crowd.

Even more surprising, the club featured a dance floor mounted on a hydraulic system that could rise and lower by 25 cm, as well as a 40,000-liter aquarium where dancers would regularly perform.

The venue was also frequently used for major television events by TMF and other youth-oriented channels. For instance, the MTV Music Awards were held there on November 13, 1998, with Prince Laurent as guest of honor. The Antwerp mega club also served as the setting for the music video of the Dutch group Vengaboys’ hit song “Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom“.

The rise and controversies

Behind its dazzling façade, serious problems were lurking. Safety issues, repeated violations of licenses, and fraudulent activities — including cases of money laundering and drugs — tainted the club’s reputation.

Frank Verstraeten had, among other things, applied for a building permit to transform a sports complex into a multipurpose venue, with the nightclub supposedly being only a small part of it. A maximum capacity of 1,500 visitors was planned. In reality, the promised sports and theater halls never existed, and the venue hosted up to 4,000 people. The very month it opened, reports were filed for building permit violations, fire hazards, and noise complaints.

Porn-themed parties — called Zundays — were also organized, leading to controversy and legal action.

The club was even temporarily shut down in 1998 after police, during a raid, discovered 20 boxes of fireworks and illegal weapons hidden under the dance floor. The owner ultimately won the trial due to procedural errors.

The beginning of the end

In 2001, troubles continued for Frank Verstraeten, who was placed in pre-trial detention on suspicion of attempted murder, fraud, assault and battery, violations of construction and environmental laws, public indecency, a dubious home-jacking case, threats, storage of fireworks, human trafficking, and attempted corruption. He was also suspected, along with his mother, of money laundering and tax fraud.

In October 2001, the mega club was sealed following a raid carried out by investigators from the financial unit of the federal judicial police.

Despite an illegal attempt to reopen in 2003, the club ultimately closed for good. Frank Verstraeten, the mastermind behind the project, faced charges of tax fraud and other offenses, which led to prison sentences and fines.

What remains today?

Physically, not much! After being abandoned for nearly 15 years (a treat for urban exploration enthusiasts), the building on Jan Van Gentstraat was demolished in 2017, making way for a residential complex and a gas station.

The spirit of Zillion has lived on several times, whether through DJ sets at events like the Kamping Kitsch Club, or through “reunion” parties organized at Antwerp’s SportPaleis, each gathering around 10,000 people. Official Zillion parties are still regularly organized in Flanders and the Netherlands.

A movie was also released at the end of 2022, retracing the short but intense history of this extraordinary and legendary landmark of Antwerp’s nightlife.