Daddy Cool Turns 50

The EKP building sits beside the railway line on the Kade in the centre of Roosendaal, and its origins are written into its name. Constructed in the 1980s as an Expeditie Knooppunt Post, it served as a postal sorting hub for the region before eventually falling empty. That industrial past has given way to a gradual cultural reawakening: the building is now being transformed into a mixed use space for creativity, entrepreneurship and urban living, with plans for a green roof and planted exterior alongside workspace for startups and possible student housing. The most concrete cultural function to date arrived in September 2025, when the ground floor became the temporary home of theatre De Kring while that established Roosendaal theatre undergoes a major renovation. This arrangement has cemented the EKP as a live performance space, and the concert programme that has grown around it reflects a broad range of tastes. Chamber ensemble Kamerata Zuid has appeared here on multiple occasions, pairing with guests such as Eloi Youssef and the Grijs Gedraaid project. Other bookings have leaned toward popular appeal, including a tribute show dedicated to Adele, a Celtic folk evening with The Dutch Dubliners, and a night centred on the music of André Hazes. Singer songwriter Herman van Veen was booked for an April 2026 date, underlining that the venue is attracting acts with genuine national profiles. What distinguishes the EKP is the ongoing nature of its transformation. It is not a finished venue with a settled identity but a post industrial building in active reinvention, taking on cultural life piece by piece while plans for the wider site continue to develop.