Candlelight: Queen vs. ABBA

Rebelle is an event and concert venue in the centre of Maastricht, housed in the Augustijnenkerk, the former Augustinian church. The building is a 17th century national monument, and it opened under the name Rebelle in October 2015. It stands on Kesselskade, on the banks of the Meuse, a short walk from other Maastricht music spaces such as the Muziekgieterij. The conversion left the church's character largely in view. The interior is a single large, tall space with a high ceiling and big windows, which gives the room its atmosphere and sets it apart from a standard club or hall. The floor area is roughly 500 square metres, and the venue can hold between 800 and 850 guests depending on the setup. That flexibility is part of its profile: Rebelle is run as part of Event Management Group and is used for concerts and parties as well as dinners, weddings, conferences, exhibitions, fairs, product presentations and pop up restaurants. On the music side, the programme leans toward concerts that suit a monumental room. The venue regularly hosts candlelight concerts, with programmes built around the music of Hans Zimmer, Ludovico Einaudi, Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Queen and ABBA, and Ed Sheeran and Coldplay. A jazz evening themed around New Orleans has also been listed there. The combination of church architecture, soft lighting and acoustic or classical material is what most visitors can expect from a night at Rebelle, in contrast to the louder, standing club format found elsewhere in the city.