Cultural tips for Aachen, the Aachen city region, Düren, Heinsberg, Belgium and the Netherlands

Concerts

With six studio albums and more than 100 million Spotify streams, he is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist John Smith performed in living rooms, festival tents and sold-out concert halls worldwide. In March he released his new album “The Living Kind,” recorded live at American musician Joe Henry’s home in Maine. On December 13th, the folk singer, whose guitar style was inspired by legends such as Richard Thompson, John Martyn and Ry Cooder, will present his songs live at a concert at Theater Heerlen at 8:30 p.m.

Singer and entertainer comes for his Christmas concert Guildo Horn with his band, Die Orthopädischen Stockings, on December 14th at 8 p.m. in the town hall in Alsdorf. Almonds, baked apples, cinnamon stars and coconut chestnuts are eaten, mulled punch is warmed up, and while the scent of cinnamon apples is in the air, the musicians take up their instruments for more than two hours and perform Christmas sounds in the living room during “Christmas with Guildo”: Traditional Advent songs paired with lyrically “Christmassy” rock and pop classics.

Class 2 bringing the raw energy of old-school punk to a new generation. In their songs, the trio deals with topics such as injustice, personal identity and the frustration of Generation Z. Jack Chatfield, Jacob Hull and Sid Ryan came together at the age of 14 to refine their sound by playing punk classics and develop their own style. Ten years later, the album “Grade 2” marks the current highlight of the musical journey. The band can be seen on December 15th at 7:30 p.m. at Nieuwe Nor in Heerlen.

The Belgian rock singer Romy Conzen Performs on December 16th at 8 p.m. in the Domkeller in Aachen. Growing up in East Belgium as the daughter of a Dutch mother and a Belgian father, she speaks four languages ​​fluently: French and Dutch as well as German and English. Conzen studied classical guitar at the Liège Conservatory and composes her own songs. Her debut album “Black as Night” received great attention in the Benelux countries in 2012. Her album “V for Victory” was released in 2018. That same year she was nominated three times at the Josie Music Awards in Nashville.

The British band is coming as part of the “Zero for Three” concert series October drift (photo) with their wall-of-sound guitars and the floating, lumbering vocals of Kiran Roy on December 17th for a performance at the Muziekgieterij in Maastricht. In addition to the rock formation founded in 2014, which is traveling to the Netherlands with its recently released album “Blame the Young”, two other bands will show their skills: the post-punk band Femme Fugazi from Nijmegen and the Maastricht indie quartet Shakespeare. Starts at 8 p.m., admission is free.

The British rock band October Drift will perform at the Muziekgieterij in Maastricht on December 17th. Admission to the event, where two other groups are taking part, is free. Photo: Rob Blackham

The Irish vocal ensemble Anuna I would like to put the audience in the Christmas spirit with a cappella singing, traditional costumes and flickering candlelight at the Theater Kerkrade on December 17th at 8 p.m. The internationally renowned choir, led by composer, arranger and tenor Michael McGlynn, draws inspiration from both religious sources and folk tales for their show “A Mystical Christmas”. The choir’s Christmas program, which has existed since 1987 and has been active under its current name since 1991, also includes well-known Christmas songs.

Comedy & Cabaret

There are many people, moments and emotions that we don’t really perceive the first time, says the musical cabaret artist and songwriter Lucy van Kuhlbehind which the Cologne resident Corinna Fuhrmann hides. In her new program “At Second Sight” she sings about love, age, the people who are hardly noticed in society and those who are noticed far too much. And she asks herself the question “When was the last time I did something for the first time?” – also on December 13th at the appearance as part of the “SWD.KOMMedy.Abende” at 8 p.m. at Komm in Düren.

The piano cabaret artist comes with a preview of his third stage program “Elective”. William Choice on December 19th at 8 p.m. in Wassenberg and will present the new material in the castle hall. The songs of the artist, known from the a cappella band Basta, are a mixture of poetry and comedy. The 51-year-old songwriter, who also writes children’s books with the “Ella & Ben” series, gently and lovingly illuminates human weaknesses in his piano pieces, while keeping an eye on the absurdities of everyday life with a smile.

theater

Aachen-born Delphine Gray was part of the Paris art scene in the mid-19th century as a poet and playwright. With “Lady Tartuffe” She wrote a tragicomedy about an arranged marriage, wild intrigues and a dark secret. The duo Stuhler/Koslowski brings the little-known work back to the stage. The play will be performed for the last time in the Great House of the Aachen Theater on December 13th at 7 p.m. With follow-up conversation.

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“Lady Tartuffe” triggered a cultural and historical avalanche

The author and director Wilke Weermann is known for atmospherically densely composed theater evenings; he cites genres such as science fiction and horror and counteracts them with subtle humor. At the Aachen Theater he dedicated himself to the great American master of horror literature Edgar Allan Poe and linked in “The Fall of the House of Usher” whose stories become a new horror story about dark family secrets and repressed guilt. In the coming days there will be a family performance on December 15th at 5 p.m. and December 19th at 7 p.m.

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A colorful horror delight based on Edgar Allan Poe

Elli and Robert divorced three years ago and have been living with new partners ever since. However, her three adult children don’t know anything about it yet. Once again, Christmas Eve is celebrated with the whole family, but without the current partner. But the game of hide-and-seek is exposed when Robert’s new partner shows up. She demands that the situation be clarified by dinner. But the children will also reveal secrets. The comedy “All under one tree” can be seen almost daily in the Grenzlandtheater Aachen.

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Happy Holidays or change your tree?

Exhibitions

A miniature exhibition with drawings, paintings, objects and photographs will be presented at the Logoi in Aachen from December 13th. The vernissage begins at 7 p.m. Curator Joachim Griess is responsible for the show “Small is the new big” Works by 16 international artists compiled. An appointment and by appointment (0176/22154192) invites him to visit the gallery together. (until 1/23/25)

A show with works by Simone Carole Levy (wood), Riccarda Menger (stone), Leo Horbach (stone), Herbert Leichtle (stone) and Alfred Mevissen (stone) can be seen in the Karlsgarten on Schneebergweg in Aachen until the end of January. Access to “Art in the Karlsgarten” is possible around the clock and entry is free.

It is the first time in 16 years that a major solo exhibition by Andy Warhol will be shown in the Netherlands: until March 16, 2025, the exhibition will be held at the Schunck Museum in Heerlen as part of the show “Andy Warhol: Vanitas” More than 100 works and objects from the collection of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh can be seen. The exhibition explores Warhol’s fascination with temporality, spiritualism and astrology. “Vanitas” includes paintings, screen prints and a rarely seen series of drawings of skulls and self-portraits. Warhol’s personal items such as wigs, pink corsets and Chinese astrology cards complement the exhibition.

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Spectacular Andy Warhol exhibition in Heerlen

Further information about all the events listed here and many other events in the region can be found online in our events calendar.