DI-RECT to tour the Netherlands in a circus tent next year

Dutch band DI-RECT will tour the Netherlands in a circus tent next year, with a show built around the group’s new music and designed to offer audiences a break from everyday life.

The tour, called *The Getaway – A DI-RECT Circus*, is scheduled to visit at least five cities: Nijmegen, Zwolle, Eindhoven, Rotterdam and Utrecht. The band announced the plans on Monday. Tickets go on sale on Thursday 12 November.

Lead singer Marcel Veenendaal told ANP the group wanted to create “a place where reality is briefly let go and the impossible seems possible”. He said the new music would be at the centre of the shows.

Veenendaal said the idea fulfilled a long-held wish of his. While DI-RECT played three sold-out nights at Rotterdam’s De Kuip stadium last year, and has six performances at the city’s Ahoy arena across this week and next, he said he was looking forward to a more intimate setting. The band is involved in the creative process, including the set and masks; the tent is being designed by artist Jamel Armand, who has worked with the group before.

Veenendaal also said he was looking forward to staying in each city for an extended period, creating activity around the tour. He said the timing felt right after the band’s recent experiences and travels.