The FAN Dinner history In 2005 was the first concert (out of 3) on the Vrijthof and the first fan dinner. A mere 25 persons attended this dinner arrangement on the second floor of the restaurant D’n Ingel (Vrijthof restaurant). The staff provided us with a TV screen in the room, since we could not see the stage due to the many trees in front of the restaurant. We stayed there all night until the concert was over, and there were 4 nationalities: The Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and the USA. In 2006, 2007 and 2008 we organized the fan dinner to take place on the first floor of the Restaurant “Charlemagne” on the Onze Lieve Vrouwe Plein (Our Dear Lady Square), from 5 to 8 PM. The number of participants grew every year. And with 65 fans (from 8 nationalities) in 2008, we reached the maximum for this location. In 2009 (5 concerts) the fan dinner (buffet style) was held for the first time on one of the river Maas (Meuse) cruise ships, the “Scheldevallei”, from the Stiphout Shipping Company. It was a big success! We had 90 participants from 14 nationalities. For the first time we welcomed guests from Hong Kong, Brazil and South Africa. In 2010 (6 concerts) we welcomed 105 fans from 13 nationalities on the ship, and for the first time we welcomed fans from Malta and New Zealand. Ship: “Scheldevallei”. In 2011 (6 concerts) we welcomed 94 guests with 13 different nationalities. Less than the year before, since the concerts (and the attending fans) were divided over two weekends. For the first time we had guests from Argentina attend. Ship: “Scheldevallei”. 2012 (5 concerts) was a difficult year. Due to a sudden change of concert dates from July to June and concerts for only one long weekend, many fans had to cancel. Many new fans signed up, and all in all we ended up with 150 fans from 18 nationalities on the ship! This time Japan was present! Ship: “Scheldevallei”. In 2013 there were 6 concerts on the Vrijthof square. The fan dinner took place on July 5th, where 122 persons from 15 nationalities had signed up. For the first time fans from Ireland and Poland joined us. Ship: “Scheldevallei”. In 2014 there were 8 concerts on the Vrijthof square, spread over 3 weekends!! 160 persons from 18 nationalities had signed up for the fan dinner on July 11. For the first time: Estonian and Spanish fans joined us. This time, due to the large number of fans attending, we changed to a larger ship, named the “Geulvallei”. In 2015 there were 7 concerts on the Vrijthof square which took place over two weekends, including the Thursday in between. 135 adults and 2 children signed up for the fan dinner on Friday July 10, from 17 nationalities. For the first time we welcomed one lady from Uruguay. Ship: “Geulvallei”. In 2016 there were 7 concerts over two weekends, again including the Thursday in between the two weekends. 143 fans from 15 nationalities attended the fan dinner on Friday July the 8th. Carmen Monarcha and Gary Bennett joined us, being followed by a camera crew. Ship: “Scheldevallei”. New for this year: AIRCO added to the ship!! In 2017 there were 10 concerts over three weekends. 135 fans from 16 nationalities attended the fan dinner on Friday July 7th 2017. Gary Bennett came aboard to greet the fans. Ship: Scheldevallei. In 2018 André Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra performed 13 concerts, spread over three weeks. 104 fans from 15 nationalities attended the fan dinner on Friday the 6th of July 2018. Ship: Scheldevallei. In 2019 we had 75 guests, due to a malfunction of the concert ticket sales, so that most of the hard core fans could not buy concert tickets for the first weekend, had to come to Maastricht the second or third weekend, and missed out the fan dinner. We had 13 nationalities on board and for the first time one lady from Lebanon. The fan dinner took place at Friday July 5th 2019. Ship: Scheldevallei. We celebrated that 10 years in a row Shipping Company Stiphout hosted our fan dinners with excellent buffets. 2020 & 2021: All concerts and of course also the fan dinners, had to be cancelled, due to the worldwide Corona (Covid-19) virus lockdown.

The three course dinner will be BUFFET STYLE with open seating. Registration and payment in advance is needed. Access to the ship starts at 4.30 PM. A professional photographer is at the entrance. The Buffet is served from 5.30 PM to 8.00 PM. At the end a group photo will be made by Al Girard. The Vrijthof concert starts at 9.00 PM. André will be at the theater steps as from 8.45 PM. There is plenty of time to go to the Vrijthof square to attend the concert in time (a 15 minutes walk).

You will be welcome on the ship at 4.30 PM and please check in with Ruud and Ineke at the reception table, where we can check our participation list, so we may know that the proper people are on board. We’ll give you two more drink coupons per person, i.e. tea, coffee, sodas, beer, or wine. Additional drinks or drinks such as cognac, whisky etc. may be ordered on a cash only and pay as you go basis. Ruth’s badges are available for free.

Location: Rederij (Shipping company) Stiphout, Maaspromenade 58, Maastricht, the Netherlands (close to the ancient Servaas-bridge). You'll recognize the ship with the André-decorations!

Traditionally Ruud and Ineke organized ONE fan dinner during the Maastricht concert series in July, on the first Friday of the concert-series as announced by André Rieu. Due to the two-year (2020-2021) global Covid-19 pandemic, the 2022 fan dinner only saw 50 participants, hence the dinner was not held on one of the river cruise ships, but at the “Riverside Lounge” restaurant, also owned by the shipping company. To see photos of the fan dinner 2022 at the Riverside Lounge, click HERE: In consultation with the shipping company, the fan dinners of 2023 (40 persons) and 2024 (29 persons) took place on a smaller ship: the “Jekervallei” (See picture below). Extra surprise: we also went sailing!!

In the meantime, Ludo Mesters, with whom we had done business for 10 years with the fans dinners, retired. In July 2020 we said goodbye and thanked him for all he had done for us.

2022. Finally the (15!!) Vrijthof concerts could go on in July 2022. We did not have many participants for the fan dinner this year, due to the Covid-19 virus which lasted for two years all over the world. Many countries still had restrictions and the fans hesitated to book. Was Holland safe? With crowds on the Vrijthof? The concerts were spread over 4 weekends and the fans were spread over 4 weekends. That’s why the shipping company offered us an alternative for the ship: their new restaurant “Riverside Lounge”, with a maximum capacity of 50 fan dinner guests. The new contact person of the shipping company to deal with us was Jerom Roosen. We agreed and we could fill the max of 50 seats, with 12 nationalities. We had a wonderful dinner in a great atmosphere and we thank Stiphout for their offer.

If you like to see pictures of the fan dinner 2023, click HERE and 2024, click HERE. For the 2025 fan dinner we could not guarantee the shipping company the minimum number of 25 participants, so we decided to stop organizing the fan dinner.

2024, with 12 concerts on the Vrijthof square. For the 13th year a fan dinner at the Stiphout company. Unfortunately, we have to conclude that the number of fans who register for our fan dinners is decreasing every year. (This also applies to the visits to the fan picnics in the park on Saturday afternoons). There are various reasons for this, but it is a fact. This year we came together with 29 fans of 8 nationalities on the ship “Jekervallei”. The shipping company requires a minimum of 25 participants for making a ship available. We see the future changing. AR Travel is developing further and further by offering fun activities/arrangements for the fans and perhaps it is time for us to make way. That is not a problem, we are also getting older..... We’ll see what the future will bring. We’ll let you know. Que sera, sera. It is always nice to talk, eat and (this year also) sail with fan friends, whether there are 160 (in 2014!) or 29 (in 2024). Watch the pictures. Happy faces.

Flags made by the Leung family from Vancouver, Canada.

Party manager Jerom Roosen

2024: Unfortunately, we have to conclude that the number of fans who register for our fan dinners is decreasing every year. (This also applies to the fan get-togethers in the park on Saturday afternoons). There are various reasons for this, but it is a fact. In 2024 we came together for the fans dinner with 29 fans of 8 nationalities on the ship “Jekervallei”. The shipping company requires a minimum of 25 participants for making a ship available.

The video below is part of the roadsoap “Welcome to my world 2, episode 10: my musical year”. The images of the fan dinner and fan picnic were recorded in July 2016. It is not guaranteed that soloists or JSO members will appear to meet the fans. We never know what will happen. Cardboard André will always be there!