Sharing a July 20, 2026 article from De Nieuwe Ster, by Peter Eberson July 20, 2026 Translated by Diana D. Le André Rieu: "It was an honor" He doesn't want to, but André Rieu deserves it. A large statue on the Vrijthof. 15,000,000 people have attended his concerts around the world over the years. On Sunday [July 19, 2026], he finished his annual concert series at the Vrijthof and there, he showed with his orchestra what a world star he is. The basis of the success of the Vrijthof concerts is not in Maastricht, but in Kerkrade. In July 2004, Rieu gave a one-time open-air concert at the stadium of Roda JC. With the emphasis on "one-time", because the then mayor of Maastricht, Gerd Leers, thought that Rieu should give an open-air concert in Maastricht. That was the case a year later. The Vrijthof series got off to a very cautious start in 2005 with three concerts. The rest is history. The Rieu family has borne—and continues to bear—all the risks associated with the concerts on its own. In 2005, the city of Maastricht was happy to have Rieu give a few concerts on the Vrijthof, but it was unwilling to provide a subsidy. The city did, however, purchase 200 tickets for the concerts to help Rieu get started. Big business We are now more than twenty years on. There is no longer a collapsed provincial town in the summer. Rieu is big business, which benefits the entire city. You have to see it to believe it. You have to be there to realize it. Do those people really come from South Korea, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, Colombia, Poland, Germany, Peru, Canada, and England to "our" Vrijthof to see Rieu play in his hometown. Yeah, it's true. Coaches The hospitality entrepreneurs at the Vrijthof benefit from the cooperation with Rieu when it comes to the terrace packages; on the days Rieu performs, hotels in the area—and even far beyond—are fully booked, with prices significantly higher than during the rest of the year. Dozens of coaches from home and abroad drop visitors at the Market within walking distance of the Vrijthof. The regular catering industry is extremely busy during the day thanks to the thousands of visitors to the Rieu concerts. Taxi companies do good business and students are assured of a side job in the summer at the Vrijthof. Rieu is the best global marketing campaign for the city, as it turned out in the past three weeks. And Rieu himself? When he is asked through son Pierre for a response about the past 12 concerts at the Vrijthof, he says: "Very simple: It was an honor!" Christmas concerts We don't have to think about the "what if" question yet. The question "what if Rieu no longer gives his concerts on the Vrijthof," is not relevant if it is up to Rieu himself. On Sunday evening, the always optimistic almost 77-year-old orchestra leader announced that he will continue for at least forty years. The dates for the next series are already fixed. From 1 to 18 July 2027 at the Vrijthof.

photos by Sally Hodges

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Frans Theunisz (80) at home

Sharing a July 20, 2026 article from L1 Nieuws Henk Hover © Jean-Piere Geusens Frans Theunisz (in uncomfortable shoes) took the stage 12 times with André Rieu Over the past few weeks, Frans Theunisz has taken the stage no fewer than twelve times at André Rieu’s Vrijthof Concerts. He performed alongside Dorona Alberti, John Tana, Phil Bee, and Emma Kok—affectionately dubbed “The Limburg All Stars” by André Rieu. Frans is still basking in the afterglow of this adventure. As is customary with Rieu, the guest artists also dress up for the concert series in Maastricht. “When I was asked to perform at the Vrijthof Concerts, I had to wear a tailcoat, complete with those pointy patent leather shoes. I’d never worn anything like that before. And those shoes were incredibly tight on my feet, but I was happy to put up with it.” Reactions As he scrolls through his phone, which is filled with reactions from fans, friends, and acquaintances, the now 80-year-old singer finds himself at a loss for words to describe this experience. “I had the privilege of sharing the stage with someone who brings joy to people all over the world with his music. I keep replaying the events of the past few weeks over and over in my head. It all comes flooding back.” Even though Frans Theunisz has performed on many stages, this one is one for the books. “I was there at five o’clock every day to experience it all. Eating with the whole crew at the theater, the performance, and then the fun after-party until 2 a.m.—I really wanted to be there for it all. I already miss all those wonderful colleagues I got to work with—not just the musicians, but also the technical crew behind the scenes.” Attention to Detail Frans praises Rieus musicality and attention to detail. “During the tenth of the twelve performances, I was just a beat too late with my entrance on the song ‘Sjogkel sjogkel.’” Frans mimics the conductor’s stern look at that moment with one eye half-closed. “After the concert, he came over to me and said, ‘You were a bit late again, weren’t you, young man?’ Not a single detail escapes him, but I’d gotten it right nine times before that.” An international career? When asked whether an international career lies ahead for Theunisz after these Vrijthof concerts, he answers in the negative. “I don’t expect André to take me along on his international tour now. When you consider the luminaries Rieu has already brought to the Vrijthof, I can only be very proud.” A Loving Singer Due to his concert tour, the Maastricht native has had to cancel a number of performances. In any case, the fame hasn’t gone to his head. He still wants to stay close to his fans. He concludes by saying, “I consider myself a loving singer. If you love people, people will love you back.”

By Wensambulance Limburg. Make a wish. André Rieu Concert, Vrijthof Maastricht July 16, 2026, About Mrs. Jacomine Steendam – van Stratum. Wensambulance Limburg provides many people with a unique experience that can be requested by loved ones. My mother was offered a special evening at the André Rieu concert at the Vrijthof in Maastricht. This was requested by Lisette, who works at the Bosscherhof in Herkenbosch (nursing home). She felt this evening was fitting for our 107-year-old mother, who always enjoys beautiful music. The evening at the Vrijthof was a fantastic three-hour evening for her, moving along to the music. We, the support staff, her son, and daughter felt this evening was special, as we were able to experience this together with her one more time. We are very grateful to the volunteers of Wensambulance Limburg, Nel and Paul in particular, for this, and hope that the foundation can continue to fulfill other people's special wishes for many years to come. Kind regards, Franca Veraa-Steendam and Wim Steendam.

July 21, 2026, De Nieuwe Ster Text and photo: Marianne Lubrecht Thank you, Mr. Rieu. “It was the evening of my life” Wensambulance Limburg gives Mrs. Guldemond a wonderful evening. On Sunday evening, July 19, 2026, Mrs. Ria Guldemond-Diependaal from the North Limburg church village of Castenray and her two daughters were part of a global concert audience that had gathered at the Vrijthof to experience the final evening of the twentieth edition of the Maastricht Rieu concerts together. It was certainly emotional, but that is the case for almost every visitor to a greater or lesser extent. For Mrs. Guldemond, this was especially true because she, a severe lung patient, was picked up and dropped off by the Wensambulance Limburg Association. Wish Ride Daughters Jolanda Smedts and Jacqueline Hendrikx were made aware of the possibility of taking a wish ride by Annelie from Wensambulance Limburg. The choice immediately fell on attending an André Rieu concert, who makes a number of tickets available every year for the sick and their caregivers. Speechless I have been a fan of André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra from the very beginning, in the late eighties. Although I knew his music well from the radio and TV, I have never attended a concert,’ says Mrs. Rieu before the start of the concert. ‘And the fact that I can finally go there now, at a time in my life when everything has become more difficult, I have no words for that.’ Two of the three daughters who share the caregiving responsibilities for their mother were also able to focus entirely on being with her at the Vrijthof; the medical aspects of the care were in the hands of nurse Annelie, and the transport – a journey of over an hour each way – was taken care of by ‘a sweetheart of a driver’. Nothing but praise The day after the open-air concert, Mrs. Guldenmond finally finds the words that were missing earlier. She is full of praise. The atmosphere, the lighting, the beautiful dresses, the dancing couples, the confetti, and above all: André Rieu and his orchestra. ‘It is Rieu who has made a beautiful classical repertoire accessible, and that is an unprecedented gift,’ she believes. ‘The evening of my life’ ‘This wish ride has done our mother so much good,’ says Jolanda Smedts. ‘We have been receiving messages from our mother all day. That she was so well cared for by “her girls”, the driver and Annelie. That she had the evening of her life. That no one can take that away from her anymore. And the wonderful ride in the ambulance. An extra blanket, or something to drink, exactly on time…’ Would André Rieu know what it means to someone like me, Mrs. Guldenmond wondered last night. He is, of course, well aware of the connecting role of music, of the atmosphere during his concerts, but still… ‘Would he be thanked enough?’ Surely, was the collective answer. But after today’s blossoming of zest for life and vitality, it seems a good idea to express that gratitude once again: “A very big thank you, Mr. Rieu. It was the evening of my life.”

After 36 years, Marcel Falize bids farewell as a conductor of Marching Band “Edelweiss”. L1 news, July 19, 2026. Click on the picture to read the article.

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L1 Nieuws July 23, 2026 Silvinio Osante © Jean-Pierre Geusens André Rieu once again worth his weight in gold for Maastricht: concert series brings the city tens of millions André Rieu's annual Vrijthof concerts have once again given Maastricht a significant economic boost this year. The series of twelve concerts attracted approximately 150,000 visitors. Hotels were virtually full, terraces filled with concertgoers, and many guests turned their visit into a multi-day outing. Maastricht Marketing, the organization responsible for marketing the city, therefore looks back on the concert series with satisfaction. "The impact on our city is significant. Hotels are offering special packages, shop windows are specially decorated, and the terraces are full of André Rieu enthusiasts," says Director Guy Vroemen. 95 percent According to Vroemen, the occupancy rate of hotels and other accommodations from Wednesday through Sunday was around 90 to 95 percent. This applied not only to hotels in the city center but also to accommodations on the outskirts of the city. Longer stay According to Vroemen, the concerts do not only result in full hotel rooms on the concert days. "Many visitors stay longer in Maastricht and also head into the city on the days before or after. They visit sights, go shopping, and dine in restaurants and cafes," the director indicates. According to him, visitors to the Sunday concerts, in particular, stayed an extra day in Maastricht. Comparable to other years It is not yet known exactly how much the Vrijthof concerts generated this year. A study by Hogeschool Zuyd from a few years ago showed that the concert series generated over thirty million euros for the provincial capital. Maastricht Marketing estimates that this year's revenue is comparable to previous years: Rieu has therefore once again brought Maastricht tens of millions of euros. **Platform for the Bokkenrijders** It was notable this year that Rieu also made his stage available for a performance by the Bokkenrijders. This could not take place at De Geusselt stadium due to poor weather conditions. Organizer Magisch Maastricht Vrijthof sacrificed a day of its own event period for this purpose. According to Vroemen, this underscores that organizations in the city know how to find and support each other.

Sunday express, July 26, 2026, sent by June Shute André Rieu: 'My parents didn't believe in me' The King of Waltz André Rieu on the importance of family, his humble beginnings and why music should touch the heart They say that an Englishman’s home is his castle. Yet for acclaimed Dutch orchestra leader and violinist André Rieu his castle is his home. The 76-year-old lives in De Torentjes (The Turrets), a stunning 16th- century castle in his hometown of Maastricht, the Netherlands. And when we chat, he is in a room with plush antique chairs and a sense of grandness. But André, known as the King of the Waltz, is anything but that. Charming and debonair, the multi-million selling artist said to be worth £30million, is as humble about his success today as his beginnings. By a beautiful twist of fate, this castle set him on the road to being a musician. “I had my first piano lessons here up in the tower when I was six,” says André. “I still don’t like to play the piano because she was a b***h! I enjoyed the violin more.” Why is the violin so special? “Because it gives so much feeling for me,” says André. “With the violin you can make the girls cry. It’s the sounds, the vibrato, things that you cannot do on a piano. I cannot sing so I sing with the violin. It really touches your soul. I started with a Stradivarius from 1668. Stradivari was in his twenties when he made it. It was a small violin and in that period the violins then got bigger because the halls got bigger.” Since then, he has bought and sold other violins and is currently playing a Guarneri from 1742. It’s not lost on him all the people who have played his violins before. “It’s a great honour that I can take it out of the case, put it under my chin and play. I bought it but I feel that I’m the caretaker too. We are now studying who has played it before me. There are a lot of famous people.” With a busy life André keeps fit with a personal trainer and regular gym sessions. Next year [2027] marks 40 years since André founded his Johann Strauss Orchestra. What started with just 12 people is now an orchestra of 60. André says: “I remember 1987 very well. It was midwinter, it was very cold and I went to a school to ask if we could do the rehearsal of the first Johann Strauss Orchestra. There were just 12 of us. The caretaker said, ‘Here’s the key’. But he didn’t tell me because it was the Christmas holidays that he had turned off the heating! So it was terribly cold and after five minutes we had one musician who stood up and said, ‘I’m not crazy, bye bye’. Now we are 60 people and I love that. Do we want to do 40 years more? Yes!” His shows are known for their lavishness with orchestra members in Disneyesque ballgowns and a sense of fun, while still taking the music seriously. They have broken world records both in sales and audience attendances. And André puts that down to the feeling they generate, particularly at a time when the world is going through turmoil. “You can really switch off,” he explains. “People love to have three hours of simply beautiful music and be touched. I make them laugh, I make them cry, I make them dance. They go home with a smile on their face and it’s important. We are a big family and the audience feels that.” There have even been romances in the group – André says there are 15 couples, some married with children. “I have two families - my own and my big orchestra family.” Family is hugely important to him. He has been married to wife Marjorie for over 50 years and the couple have two sons Pierre and Marc. “From the moment I saw her I knew that she was going to be my wife,” he says. Marjorie, who works behind the scenes with André in the orchestra, was instrumental in him buying the castle, which featured prominently in Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers. “I was walking by with Marjorie and we saw it,” says André. “I said, ‘It would be nice to buy it’ and she said, ‘Sell some more records!’ Marjorie believed in me and I blossomed.” To date he has sold more than 42 million albums. André had a difficult relationship with his parents – his father Andries Rieu was the principal conductor of the Maastricht Symphony Orchestra. “They didn’t believe in me. My mother was a cold person and my father was conducting. They were not very interested in me.” Did they get to see his success? “No. My father had died just before. My mother saw it but she never gave me a compliment.” André was determined not to be like that with his own children. He lights up when talking about them and his five – soon to be six – grandchildren. “I’m very proud of them. I’ve just heard I’m going to be a grandfather for the sixth time in December. They are all musical and even like my music!” YouTube and Spotify have brought him to a younger and even bigger global audience. “Once we landed in Montreal and I was tired sitting in the lobby, waiting,” says André. “There was an Inuit couple who came in and they recognised me. I asked ‘How do you know what we do?’ They said, ‘Through YouTube’.” He has also noticed more children coming to his gigs and he’s glad they are embracing his sound. He is back in the UK in September playing dates everywhere from Aberdeen to Manchester, Nottingham to London – and loves playing to British audiences. “They are full of humour and that is so nice.” André, who is fluent in five languages, will add in songs to suit the audience where possible, and Johann Strauss is a mainstay. Strauss is a hero of André’s. “Viennese culture is a mix of melancholy and joy. That is very nice in a waltz, he beams. “All these waltzes by Strauss have this combination. He was a genius to compose the Blue Danube.” Does he waltz himself? “No. I play, you dance! I only play music that touches my heart. That sounds a cliché, but it’s true. My concerts are always a joy for me because I love it. And if I love it, then I know the audience will love it. “People can sense if you are on automatic pilot. I never am. I am always nervous before I go on stage. You have to build up, to give them that feeling that I was really there for you for the whole evening.” If you haven’t managed to get tickets for André’s September gigs, you can see his Viva Maastricht concert in cinemas next month [August]. The film was shot in Vrijthof Square in his home town and features songs from My Fair Lady and Les Misérables and, of course, The Blue Danube. “Maastricht has got a special place in my heart,” says André. “I was born here, I live here and I feel good here. Do you remember the series Cheers, where the people know your name, it’s a little bit like that. That’s important for me. Home is very important because I travel so much. I love travelling but it’s really fantastic to come home.” Being on the road so often, André ensures he looks after himself. “I do my sport. I have a personal trainer, I use weights. I’m careful with what I eat. I grow my own vegetables and fruits without pesticides. “I haven't drank alcohol for 15 years. I was in the middle of a glass I was drinking and just said, ‘I don’t like it’. I have good willpower. I stopped smoking in the middle of a cigarette when I was 25. Once I want to do something, I go after it.” He is also a good baker. After our interview, he is off to make an apple pie, which he and Marjorie can enjoy together in his castle. Is it difficult to upkeep a castle? “Never buy a castle!” he jokes. “It’s very expensive and it costs a lot of time and money. But it’s romantic.” Very much like André himself. • André Rieu’s 2026 Maastricht Concert – Viva Maastricht! is in over 600 cinemas across the UK on August 8 and 9, tickets are on sale now at andreincinemas.com He is also tours the UK in September

Photo: Janita Sassen