In exactly one week, Herrensauna will join us in the Muzentuin for Holy Pink. In anticipation of our collaboration, we spoke to founders Cem and Nicolas about their personal perspectives on event curation and creating good dancefloor experiences.
Herrensauna has grown into a space with its own energy. A space that feels both raw and soft, wild and intentional. What feels most important to you about where it is right now?
Nicolas: What has always been the most important to us is to be authentic. It’s what we aspire to be and what we demand from the artists we admire. In whatever context that is – on a professional and personal level – authenticity is key.
What kind of atmosphere do you aim to create when you imagine a perfect day/night at Herrensauna?
Nicolas: A good party needs to be lawless. Time should never matter.
There’s a beautiful duality to what you do: the sound is hard and uncompromising, but the feeling is often incredibly soft, emotional even. Is this consciously curated? How do you think music can hold both of those states at once?
Nicolas: You’ll probably find this duality entangled like a red thread in every aspect of our lives. As you can tell – also from our visual aesthetic – we like a bold statement, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have feelings. In fact, I think it’s this duality of seeming opposites that creates a sense of harmony.
How has your vision for Herrensauna changed, or deepened, over the years? Are there elements that have become more important to you as the collective has grown?
Cem: Working on something over a long period of time inevitably shifts your understanding of it. Whatever fixed ideas I might have had at the beginning have been replaced by a more responsive approach. The vision isn’t just static and moves with context, necessity, and input from others, which is invaluable. What’s become most important is staying open to those shifts and being able to adapt without losing what brought us all together to do this in the first place.
The shift from your Berlin basement vibes to the outdoor space of Tilburg – how does that affect what you do or how people experience it?
Nicolas: One of the exciting aspects of running and curating Herrensauna in so many different places is to experience it differently in each space. But even the same space can evolve and create new experiences over time. We love outdoor events and new occasions like this one because they allow us to play music that’s different from our usual sets, which tend to be designed for sweaty, dark club nights.
When you think about creating a space where people can truly let go (whether emotionally, sexually, creatively) what are the elements you prioritize, beyond just the line-up?
Nicolas: There needs to be a sense of intimacy and not too much sense of responsibility. People need to feel they can let go and truly be free in those hours they spend with us – yes, we try to set as good an example of this as we can.
Looking back on our past collaborations (Draaimolen Festival 2021 and 2022, ADE 2021 and 2022) what moments stood out to you? Did any of those experiences shape the way you approached Holy Pink this time?
Cem: There were a lot of standout moments! Designing the stage together for Draaimolen ’22 was a major one, and seeing some of Milo’s and our unexpected b2b pairings unfold in real time really stuck with me.
For Holy Pink specifically: what was the vision behind the line-up? Any artists you want to highlight?
Cem: Those kinds of surprises, where structure meets spontaneity, definitely shaped how I approached Holy Pink. It reminded me that curation doesn’t always have to be overly planned to be intentional. Sometimes leaving space for things to emerge creates the most impact.
Holy Pink takes place during Tilburg’s annual pride celebration. Entrance is completely free, but full = full so come early!
See you there ❤️🔥
