Muziekcafé Helmond

Muziekcafé Helmond is a pop and rock concert venue and café located on the Zuid Koninginnewal in the city centre of Helmond, in the Dutch province of North Brabant. Together with De Nederlandsche Cacaofabriek, it forms one of the two music stages in the municipality. The venue comprises a bar and a stage, with bands performing weekly across genres such as hard rock, rock, metal, rockabilly, blues, and other styles. The concert hall has a capacity of 220 visitors, and around 200 bands perform there each year. Performances and parties have a strong (supra)regional character. The programming is managed by Stichting Cultuur in Helmond, while the bar is operated by vof Muziekcafé Helmond. Since 2016, the activities of Stichting Cultuur in Helmond for Muziekcafé Helmond have been documented by Fonds Podiumkunsten. As of 1 January 2020, the venue was designated as a Kernpodium C by Fonds Podiumkunsten. Muziekcafé Helmond was founded in 1996 on a location that had previously housed various hospitality venues, including Club Zazou, Chic, Charlees Too, and De Schob. After a change of operators in 2014, the programming was transferred to Stichting Cultuur in Helmond. The venue hosts weekly activities including pop and rock concerts, jam sessions, Stage Experience open stages, and dance parties featuring techno, drum-'n-bass, 80s nights, and funk. Notable artists who have performed there include Anneke van Giersbergen, Blaze Bayley, Dick Dale, Jan Akkerman, and Nick Oliveri. Dutch radio and television presenter Frits Spits began his career at De Schob, a predecessor of Muziekcafé at the same address.

Muziekcafé Helmond was founded in 1996, filling a gap in Helmond for a pop venue aimed at somewhat older youth. Until the mid-1990s, the city lacked such a venue. Helmond did have a relatively new youth centre called "Plato", which had emerged from the youth club "Roadhouse", but it became a target of organisational and political wrangling. Plato was renamed "Lakei" in 2009/2010, which in turn transitioned in 2014 to Popzaal De Cacaofabriek. In 1996, Muziekcafé was born at a location that had previously housed various hospitality venues, including Club Zazou, Chic, Charlees Too, and De Schob. After a change of operators in 2014, the programming was transferred to Stichting Cultuur in Helmond. Since 2016, the activities of Stichting Cultuur in Helmond for Muziekcafé Helmond have been described at Fonds Podiumkunsten. As of 1 January 2020, the venue was designated as a Kernpodium C by Fonds Podiumkunsten. The Dutch radio maker and television presenter Frits Spits began his career at De Schob, a predecessor of Muziekcafé at the same address; he refers to this several times in his book Zestig strepen: De soundtrack van mijn leven.

• 2020

  Designated as Kernpodium C by Fonds Podiumkunsten as of 1 January 2020.

• 2016

  Activities of Stichting Cultuur in Helmond for Muziekcafé Helmond documented at Fonds Podiumkunsten.

• 2014

  After a change of operators, programming transferred to Stichting Cultuur in Helmond.

• 1996

  Muziekcafé Helmond founded at a location previously housing Club Zazou, Chic, Charlees Too, and De Schob.

A low-threshold café and pop venue with a strong regional and supra-regional draw, hosting over 200 national and international bands annually.

• Pop and rock concerts

• Jam sessions

• Stage Experience open stages

• Dance parties (techno, drum-'n-bass, 80s, funk)

1. 1Poppodium Muziekcafé Helmond – Vol gas!muziekcafehelmond.nl
2. 2Muziekcafé Helmondwikidata.org
3. 3Muziekcafé Helmondnl.wikipedia.org