20 Years of Café DeLux: A Home for Everyone, in the Heart of Antwerp

On August 10, 2006, Luc opened his café on the Lijnwaadmarkt in Antwerp. No rainbow flag on the facade, no overt “gay bar” image—but a large bar, open windows, a double terrace, and a steadfast commitment to being a place for everyone. Twenty years later, Café DeLux has grown into one of the most beloved and enduring hospitality concepts in Antwerp’s queer scene. And that calls for a celebration.

From Bacchus to the Lijnwaadmarkt

Luc’s story doesn’t actually begin at the Lijnwaadmarkt. He ended up in Antwerp in the early 1990s—already the epicenter of Belgian nightlife at the time—and soon found himself at Bacchus, a legendary late-night bar on Van Schoonhovenstraat that had been the hub of Antwerp’s gay scene since the 1980s. Bacchus was the bar where you’d have a few drinks before heading to GOC or La Bamba, and where the leather queens wouldn’t show up until around 3 a.m. for a party that lasted until the early morning.

In 2003, Bacchus closed its doors. Luc was evicted to make way for a housing development, took a short break, and moved to downtown Antwerp. That’s when he spotted a former Italian restaurant in the perfect location. The owner had other plans for the space, but in early 2006, Luc took the plunge and convinced the owner of his new project. After several months of extensive renovations, the big day finally arrived: on August 10, 2006, Café DeLux opened its doors, and after just a few weeks—as Luc himself puts it—it was “really taking off.”

Straight-friendly from day one

“I wanted a straight-friendly café,” says Luc. “Not a place where you have to fly the flag outside. We were coming out of a period where we were all pigeonholed, and I didn’t think that was necessary anymore. The location also lends itself to a broad audience: both many Antwerp residents and tourists pass through here.” That transparent concept—both literally and figuratively, with the open-concept building and the double terrace—turned out to be a huge hit. Thanks to Luc’s previous stint at Bacchus, news of Café DeLux’s opening spread like wildfire—even without social media. DeLux thus became a gathering place for the LGBTQI+ community, who often bring their family and friends here. The threshold was deliberately kept low.

Continuity as a hallmark

While cafés come and go in Antwerp, Café DeLux is always there. Seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays and until 2 or 3 a.m. on weekends. In twenty years, the café has been closed for only a handful of days. Only during the COVID-19 pandemic, one day after a small fire, one day before the installation of a new tap system, and one day when all the employees were sick at the same time. “I used to always open and close the place myself,” Luc laughs. “I’ve since learned not to do that.” The traditions, however, remain intact: on January 1, DeLux opens at 2 p.m. with pistolets. It’s completely packed, year after year.

It’s no coincidence that Luc deliberately chose younger employees. “They bring a youthful energy,” he says simply. The clientele has changed over the past twenty years, but the core has remained the same: people looking for a home—and finding it here. When asked what has kept him going all these years, Luc answers without hesitation: the people. The regulars you can count on, the moms and dads who come along to the café, the young staff members who breathe new life into the place. And the little square that fills up every summer.

Grew Up with Pride

In 2007, Bart Abeel came forward with the very first sponsorship contract for Antwerp Pride. Since then, the bond between DeLux and Antwerp Pride has only grown stronger. What began as a Sunday event expanded into a Saturday-Sunday format, and for the past four years, the Pride@deLux program has spanned no fewer than four days. The small square in front of the café is completely packed every year. This year, Pride@deLux will take place from August 6 through 9, 2026, as part of Antwerp Pride (August 5–9). The theme of this edition is “Fearless,” because Pride is more relevant than ever.

20 Years of DeLux: The Celebration Lineup

Luc isn’t celebrating his 20th birthday alongside Pride—two parties in one night just isn’t his style. Instead, he chose his own birthday, July 4, as the centerpiece of a three-day celebration. From Friday, July 3, through Sunday, July 5, 2026, DeLux took over the Lijnwaadmarkt.