live: Blues Rock Empire (NL)

Lokaal42 is a live music venue in Helmond, in the Noord Brabant province of the Netherlands. It is located at Markt 42, a historic building on the central market square of the city, an address the venue takes its name from. Before settling at this location, it previously operated at Houtse Parallelweg 19, making its current home on the Markt a notable step toward the centre of Helmond's public life. The venue presents a broad programme of concerts spanning a wide range of genres, from rock and metal to more intimate singer songwriter performances. Past acts have included Dutch artists such as SPAWN (NL), Lemon and Slack Bird, as well as tribute productions like The Magical History Tour, a Beatles tribute that has performed there on multiple occasions. This mix reflects the venue's role as a stage for both local and regional talent alongside national and international touring acts. Within Helmond's live music landscape, Lokaal42 functions as one of the key gathering points for concertgoers in the city. While larger productions in the region may find a home at venues like De Cacaofabriek, Lokaal42 offers a more direct and personal setting, suited to the kind of show where the distance between performer and audience is small. That character, combined with its central location on the Markt, gives it a distinctive place in what Helmond has to offer for anyone looking to catch live music.