Baroeg is the oldest podium in Rotterdam as it celebrates its 40th birthday this year. Dig it Up (a gallery & heritage lab) exhibits countless posters, set lists, and a lot of other archive material to tell the story of this legendary place in the south of the city.
Baroeg is the only Dutch venue that has for decades offered a structural range of established, innovative and talented bands in the hard and alternative genres of pop music. Fans of (hard) rock, metal, gothic, emo, hardcore, punk, psychobilly, electro and industrial music fans will find plenty to do in Baroeg.
Baroeg became increasingly important
Baroeg came into existence as an institution for youth work in the Rotterdam Lombardijen district in Rotterdam. On 6 May 1981, the current pop podium, with a capacity of 350 visitors, was founded under the auspices of the local authorities and got the name Stichting Open Jongeren Centrum Baroeg. Over the years, and especially from the 1990s onwards, Baroeg’s stage function became increasingly important.
World famous bands like Volbeat, Within Temptation and Epica got invited to play for only 200 paying customers. A lot of artists played there before they rose to stardom.
Besides the expo the anniversary is celebrated with a book, special concerts and special shoes. Mascolori (the specialised shoemaker from Rotterdam) and Monkidoe (the art collective who made the characteristic graffiti on the Baroeg building) have designed special footwear.
Treasure trove
Dig it Up has made a name for itself as an important treasure trove for Rotterdam’s city culture. Unknown image and sound material is ‘dug up’ and made accessible for all time as the unique heritage of the city. An important part of the exhibitions is that the main contributors are always directly linked to the subject. There have been expos about breakdancing in Rotterdam with Maikel Walker and Lloyd Marengo, BlueTiek-in (a nightclub in the 1980βs), the Holland Pop Festival (the βWoodstock of Rotterdamβ), the 1985 new wave pop festival Pandoraβs Music Box and Out in Rotterdam about the gay history in Rotterdam.
You can visit Dig it Up in the former premises of Black Widow on Nieuwe Binnenweg 13b.
