A Spiegeltent (Dutch for "Mirror Tent", from spiegel+tent) is a large travelling tent, constructed in wood and canvas and decorated with mirrors and stained glass, intended as an entertainment venue. Originally built in Belgium during the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, only a handful of these Spiegeltents remain in existence today, and these survivors continue to travel around Europe and beyond, often as a feature attraction at various international arts festivals, including the Cork Midsummer Festival, the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe, the Melbourne International Arts Festival, the Adelaide Festival of Arts, Brisbane Festival, the Taranaki International Festival of the Arts, New Plymouth, New Zealand, the Brighton Festival Fringe, the Belfast Festival at Queen's, and in Canada at the Just for Laughs in Montreal, and Harbourfront Centre's World Stage Festival in Toronto. Two tents used by Teatro ZinZanni have been in (more or less) fixed locations in Seattle and San Francisco for several years. On April 1st 2011, Spiegelworld opened Absinthe at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas in the 26 metre Salon Marlene.
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The original Spiegeltents were constructed in the Flemish Region of Belgium in the late 19th century as mobile dance halls. They were transported around the country and assembled for town fairs in areas that did not have a proper dance hall.
Nostalgic Spiegeltents still exist today, some original:
and some new;
The Famous Spiegeltent, perhaps the most lavishly decorated of all, was built in 1920 in Belgium by master craftsmen Oscar Mols Dom and Loius Goor. Over the decades it has hosted some of the world's greatest performing artists, including German singer Marlene Dietrich, who famously performed "Falling in Love Again" in it during the 1930s.
The Famous Spiegeltent is transported from venue to venue in shipping containers, and is constructed on site at each location. It consists of about 3,000 pieces of wood, mirrors, canvas and stained glass, and is then detailed in velvet and brocade.
Construction takes about ten to twelve hours, and is supervised by two Belgian specialists. In addition, an adjacent bar is constructed, which in addition to the lighting and sound equipment takes another few days.
When constructed, the Famous Spiegeltent can hold an audience of about 300–350 people.
The Famous Spiegeltent is owned and managed by Australian pianist and theatrical producer David Bates, who first utilised the tent as a venue at the 1996 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. After a successful visit to Melbourne in 2001, Bates bought the tent from previous owners Scottish & Newcastle and set it up as a unique travelling venue.
Although its history and decor make it ideal for cabaret-style acts, the venue hosts a wide variety of genres including rock music, classical music, comedy and circus acts.
The Famous Spiegeltent currently appears at the following festivals:
The Famous Spiegeltent did not operate at the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe, due to essential maintenance being carried out.