Leo & Marius Blokhuis

The Stadsgehoorzaal is the municipal theatre of Kampen and the main stage for live performance in the city. It stands at Burgwal 84, where the Burgwal, the Burgel canal and the Nieuwe Markt meet, and it opened to the public in 1891. The building was designed by the architect Vidal de St. Germain. It is owned by the municipality of Kampen and carries the status of a national monument, registered under monument number 512043. Since the day it opened it has served without interruption as a cultural centre for entertainment in the town. The main hall seats 470 people, a scale that suits theatre, cabaret, concerts and touring shows aimed at a regional audience. Visitors who describe the building tend to dwell on its age and atmosphere: the interior is said to carry its history in every corner, and the red plush seats are mentioned as part of the experience of an evening there. Concert listings for the venue show a steady programme of live music alongside stage productions. The theatre also serves purposes beyond the evening programme. The corridors around the auditorium hold changing exhibitions, which can be viewed during opening hours and on performance nights, so a visit to a show can include a look at local or visiting artwork. The Stadsgehoorzaal is also one of the locations designated by the municipality of Kampen for civil wedding ceremonies, which makes the nineteenth century building a place for personal occasions as well as public ones. Its position within the historic Hanseatic city of Kampen places it close to the canals and old town streets that define the setting.