The legendary gay party La Demence is inviting you to the Easter edition. "The name La Demence describes the event perfectly," adds the organiser with a laugh
The nightlife of the gay community has gone through a long evolution - from hiding, to defiance, to a genuine "party-night-life", and now even to a stage where many speak of its decline. After all - nowadays it is not really necessary to go to clubs that are specifically designed for a particular section of society, sexual orientation being a factor of "difference". While in the Czech Republic we can talk mainly about specific (often small) clubs in connection with LGBT (or especially gay) nightlife, not far across the Czech border, in Brussels, the situation looks diametrically different.
It is in the Belgian capital that the spectacular gay party La Demence has a nearly three-decade-long tradition, which is also associated with the Fuse club and, in recent years, with the Palais 12, Belgium's largest concert hall with a capacity of up to 15,000 visitors. What makes this event so specific and how do its organisers manage to continuously increase the number of participants?
A party with roots in the early nineties
The first La Dementia party was organised by its founder Thierry Coppens 29 years ago in Kortrijk, Flanders, but at the time it was a regular "Sunday party". Two years later, La Dementia moved to Brussels, where the event has taken root and is held monthly. In addition to its founder and organiser, the event is also associated with the Brussels club Fuse, although in the last five years - also for capacity reasons - some events have also been held at Palais 12. A year later, that number reached towards a hundred. They came from abroad, stayed for several days - and wanted to experience the original party at Fuse as well. But because we couldn't fit the club in, we decided to open it four nights in a row," explains Coppens, who still owns Fuse with his colleague Peter Decuyper and is also behind its transformation. As a gay club, Fuse operates exclusively when hosting La Demence parties.
Easter party weekend
International DJs, three rooms with different music production from techno to house, that's what Fuse Club looks like when La Demence Party takes place in its premises. Regularly on Fridays - once a month, three times a year in addition to an extended format that also includes a "main night" at Palais 12 in the Brussels EXPO centre. One of the extended party (Easter) weekends then also falls in April, specifically on 19-21 April 2019. And according to Coppens, the event will be spectacular again - for the main party, which will take place on Saturday 20 April 2019. 4. at Palais 12, will see 60 professional dancers, a team of go-go dancers and countless other artists showcasing their skills on stage. This time, visitors will also enter Wonderland...
La Dementia connects
So, while nightlife is gradually becoming too fragmented by the LGBT community somewhere, Brussels' La Demence has a recipe for success. "Other gay parties tend to target only a certain part of the community. But La Demence simply attracts everyone, regardless of age or nationality. This unique diversity creates a unique family atmosphere without any ATTITUDE. It is the openness at our events that is our 'trademark', the reason for our success," explains Coppens. With a laugh, he also explains the rather unconventional name of the event - the name La Dementia supposedly came about very simply when he opened a French dictionary and the word just appealed to him ... "I think this word reflects our party perfectly," he sums up.
For more information about the event, visit its official website or Facebook profile.
