Was Stromae recording his new video in Brussels this weekend?

The arch and surrounding areas in the Cinquantenaire Park in Brussels were sealed off and mysteriously covered over the weekend as rumours spread that Belgian singer Stromae was recording a new video on the site.

A heavy police presence and the deployment of drones to keep curious bystanders away only heightened the belief that the singer was filming behind the blackened facades.

Earlier this month, a dance school from Woluwe-Saint-Lambert held auditions for extras and dancers for a new video for Stromae.

After the singer surprised viewers of the French channel TF1 earlier this month by debuting a section of his new song, L'Enfer, in which he talks about suicidal thoughts, expectation for a new release – some eight years since his last album Racine Carrée – began to grow.

It was then revealed that the singer’s new album, Multitude, is scheduled for a 4 March release. A tour in support of the new album will then follow.

The first three shows are scheduled in Brussels on 22 February, in Paris on 24 February and in Amsterdam on 27 February. Those shows were immediately sold out. On 19 June he will also play at Werchter Boutique and he will also return to Palais 12 in Brussels on 15, 16 and 17 March 2023.

Stromae retreated from the spotlight after the huge success of his previous album and the subsequent world tour which led to him suffering burnout. He released his first song since 2015, Santé, in mid-October.