TivoliVredenburg has been in existence for ten years and is celebrating it for ten days with a diverse anniversary programme. With the motto Music sounds better with you! you will see new festivals and special performances from Friday, May 24 to Sunday, June 2.
TivoliVredenburg started in 2014 as a merger of pop venue Tivoli and Muziekcentrum Vredenburg. On June 21, 2014, 6,000 visitors opened the new building, where more than forty performances took place spread over five halls. Ten years later, TivoliVredenburg has grown into a stage that is unique in its kind. Every year, approximately 1.3 million visitors attend 1,800 concerts, festivals, debates and events.
Director Jeroen Bartelse: “Ten years of radical openness: accessible and accessible to people from all corners of society. That openness starts with a building that is inviting and accessible. TivoliVredenburg as a transparent beacon. Whichever side the visitor comes from: that’s where you want to go, where you can be who you are. And when a country is in serious discussions with each other, TivoliVredenburg is a place where people can find each other again.”
During the ten-day anniversary celebration, TivoliVredenburg will show a cross-section of what the music venue has to offer. Several new festivals are being launched and a whole range of music types are featured. Although the anniversary is almost a ‘normal’ ten-day event for TivoliVredenburg, Bartelse does not take this for granted: “Every day our teams set up a cycle of performances, change-overs, atmosphere management, food and drinks, communication and logistics, light and sound. When those wheels mesh, something magical happens. With a bit of luck, you will leave afterwards as a better person – lifted up by the music and the audience.”
Anniversary programme
The anniversary opens with the brand new Nawafiz نوافذ: the first Utrecht festival for Arabic music. Also new is the science festival KennisKnetters, where children are playfully introduced to science. ‘House musicians’ are given space to experiment, play together and develop new forms. Jazz saxophonist Kika Sprangers expands its regular Large Ensemble on a one-off basis Thomas Azier, Maya Fridman and the National Women’s Youth Choir. And the successful ones classical-meets-pop-evening Pieces of Tomorrow Festival continues to grow into festival format.
The first edition will take place following Utrecht Pride Wild ‘n Sweet festival that represents queerness in the broadest sense of the word: from edgy live acts to pop hits to a cunty club night and a drag paradise extravaganza.
To conclude the anniversary ten-day event, the Icelandic multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Olafur Arnalds its festival OPIA to Utrecht, where all aspects of ambient, jazz, electronics and minimal are discussed.
The complete anniversary program can be found at tivolivredenburg.nl/10jaar.
On display: ten years of TivoliVredenburg, Friday May 24 to Sunday June 2, 2024 @ TivoliVredenbur
Tags: TivoliVredenburg celebrates tenth anniversary tenday anniversary program Utrecht
