Concert halls: an overview
Selecting the best concert halls in Luxembourg is a very delicate art. They are all emblematic, whether for their history, their location or their architecture. First of all, they all have a common vocation: to offer a magical show and an unforgettable moment to the audience. Here's an overview.
Rockhal
With its three concert halls, the Rockhal has been delighting music lovers since 2005. Its Main Hall can accommodate up to 6,500 people, its Club 1,200 audiophiles and The Floor can hold up to 200 people.
Here at the Rockhal, music is experienced without restraint. Especially in the main hall, several big names from all over the world have already performed in the place where once the furnaces dominated the industrial landscape. Alicia Keys, Pink, The Pet Shop Boys, Bruno Mars, A-ha, Ben Harper, and many other international bands and artists to name but a few.
Technically, the Rockhal meets the standards and expectations of the entertainment industry. The Main Hall guarantees total flexibility for all kinds of productions. Thanks to its 17-metre height, events can be organised without any restrictions on performance. The stages and bleachers can be adapted to any desired configuration and many different stage and seating arrangements are possible for any type of event.
The Rockhal has no less than six rehearsal rooms, a recording studio, a dance room and a documentation centre. The small hall (Club) is mainly suitable for medium-sized concerts or for the production of various shows. The hall takes different forms and allows for configurations ranging from concerts to cabarets and private events.
So is the Rockhal the best concert hall in the Grand Duchy? The question is worth asking, as recently in 2020 the venue was awarded the TpBrands Award in the category 'Cultural Space'.
But we put the question to its director, Olivier Toth, who describes the success of the Rockhal.
Trifolion
Nothing beats a modern hall with good acoustics to enjoy a concert. Welcome to the Trifolion in Echternach. With around 170 cultural, conference and social events every year, this cultural and congress centre also promotes the exchange of people of different nationalities. Other rooms can accommodate up to 1,000 visitors, all with excellent acoustics.
The Trifolion is also one of the main venues for the Echternach International Festival, with annual concerts ranging from classical music to jazz and world music.
The Trifolion Cultural Centre is a major pillar of Luxembourg's cultural landscape and a place of encounter and exchange, where culture is offered in all its forms and is accessible to everyone. With our events, festivals and demonstrations of all kinds, we have as a mission, together with our dedicated team, to guarantee a high level of artistic quality for all ages and to provide unforgettable moments in this magnificent place which is the Trifolion.
Maxime Bender, director of Trifolion
Cube 521
Since its opening in 2007, the Cube 521 - Regional House of Culture has seen some of the world's greatest musicians perform. This prestigious cultural centre in the north of the country offers an interdisciplinary programme of music, dance and theatre throughout the year.
Musicians from the fields of classical, jazz and world music have delighted thousands of audiophiles.
Leading international a cappella ensembles move vocal music lovers with great performances and imaginative arrangements. Local groups use the forum for their musical performances and delight the audience with a varied repertoire.
For 13 years, the whole world has been a guest at Cube 521 - the country's highest cultural venue, which takes the public on a musical journey around the globe through all eras.
Odile Simon, Director of Cube 521
Kulturfabrik
The Kulturfabrik, also known as KuFa, is located in a former slaughterhouse dating from 1885-86. When the slaughterhouse closed in 1979, the building, which bears witness to the industrial architecture of the interwar period, quickly found new owners. The young actors of the non-profit organisation 'Theater GmbH' transformed the site into a rehearsal, performance and concert hall.
In 1996, the KuFa officially became a cultural centre with a surface area of 4,500m2, including two performance halls, a cinema, an exhibition gallery, rehearsal rooms and a brasserie.
The alternative, regional and cross-border cultural centre offers an annual programme of over 200 events! You are probably familiar with the 'Flamencofestival Esch' or other festivals like 'Out of the Crowd' or 'Bang your head'.
Because of its long history, the Kulturfabrik is a unique place. Over the past 40 years, it has left its mark on the city of Esch-sur-Alzette and a whole region and has always remained unique. Even after its transformation from a squat into an institution, it has retained its independence. The Kulturfabrik is more than a cultural centre and offers a great diversity with music, theatre, cinema, urban art, artist residences, café & restaurant and an industrial heritage.
René Penning, director of Kulturfabrik
Neimënster
The former Benedictine abbey of Neumünster is a unique area in the heart of the Grund district for unforgettable sound experiences. This open and friendly place was also used as a prison before becoming a cultural and meeting centre.
Today, the abbey hosts concerts, plays and artist residencies in its old stones, but also offers a number of free exhibitions that are open every day.
From the inner courtyard the visitor has a magnificent view of the fortress.
Jazz is part of the DNA of neimënster. The artists invited to perform on the site enjoy an exceptional setting. neimënster also hosts baroque music concerts, contemporary artists and musicians in residence.
Ainhoa Achutegui, director the Abbey of Neumünster Cultural Exchange Center
Den Atelier
Den Atelier, a small concert hall with a capacity of around 1,200, is located in the Rue de Hollerich in the Central Station district. A former car garage, it was founded in 1995 by three friends with a passion for music and the lack of a concert venue dedicated to rock and independent music in the Grand Duchy at the time. The concept of Den Atelier was inspired by the alternative concert halls in Brussels, Amsterdam and Paris.
For 10 years, Den Atelier also organised the biggest open-air festival in Luxembourg - Rock-a-Field in Roeser. Today, the team can boast of having organised some of the biggest shows and events in Luxembourg: Robbie Williams, Kings of Leon, Artic Monkeys, Sting and many more stars! To this end, concerts are organised outside the venue at the Rockhal, in Neimënster, at the Wiltz Festival, Opderschmelz in Dudelange, the Trifolion in Echternach and very recently in the LuxExpo car park! At the end of June, Den Atelier invites you to Siren's Call - a festival of music and culture in the lower town.
I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.
David Bowie quoted by Michel Welter, Managing Partner Den Atelier (A-Promotions Sàrl)
Philharmonie
The Philharmonie is a real architectural feat. The imposing structure of 823 slender white columns envelops the three very different halls in an elliptical shape. The real jewel is of course the large auditorium, which can hold up to 1,472 spectators. The corridors are bright, the lines are clear and the hall is acoustically optimised for the different types of concerts.
This is also the case for the smallest hall in the house, the Espace Découverte, which has a capacity of 180. With its bold curves and 313 seats, the Chamber Music Hall provides a setting for precise listening during chamber music evenings and recitals.
In short, the Philharmonie is a music lover's delight. But the Philharmonie deliberately opens itself up to a very wide audience, because its offer ranges from early music to remarkable creations, including jazz stars, world music discoveries, legendary DJs, traditional harmonies and young Luxembourg musicians and groups. More than 150,000 listeners come here every year.
Opderschmelz Dudelange
The site of the former forges of the city of Dudelange was revived in 2007. Since that year, the cultural centre 'Op der Schmelz' has been set up there. Open to all winds, it welcomes jazz concerts, the singer-songwriter festival, world music, contemporary theatre and children's shows in its exceptional setting.
In addition to these events, the programme is very varied, ranging from pop, rock and blues music to theatre, dance, literary events and conferences.
The cultural centre also organises the Touch of Noir and Like a Jazz Machine festivals and is responsible for the musical organisation of the Zeltik festival, the Fête de la Musique and the Summerstage.
Rotondes
The Rotondes are the talk of the town when it comes to concerts in Luxembourg. This exceptional site consists of two former locomotive sheds at the capital's railway station.
Formerly dedicated to the railways, the Rotondes now give pride of place to artists in diametrically opposed genres. They offer events in the fields of performing arts, contemporary music and visual arts.
The Rotondes also lend their walls to conferences and major social debates, participatory projects and workshops for all ages. As talent scouts, they give an important place to young people and act as an incubator for new initiatives between culture and education.
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