A Belgian Magic Mirror tent

A family tradition since 1920

Around 1900 "Magic Mirror Tents" or "Spiegeltents" as we call them in Flanders, were built to be used as travelling dance halls.

The numerous mirrors made it possible to make discreet eye contact with other visitors. The Magic Mirror tents were the domain of the night owls, heartbreakers and dream chasers. They were legendary and are a symbol of the wild "fin-de-siècle" nightlife.

In 1912 Willem Klessens, a young man from Holland, crossed the border and headed for Lommel in Belgium, where he later married Amelia Kaers. He earned a living as a cartwright and cabinetmaker.
One day Oscar Horebeke from Antwerp arrived with his Magic Mirror tent and his dance organ. He didn't just run the funfair, he also put it all up for sale.
Wim, who originally was only interested in the organ for his café and dance hall, bought the whole lot and it all started from there.

In 1920 the first Magic Mirror Tent was completely restored and christened "Het Kempisch Danspaleis". This Spiegeltent travelled from fairground to fairground in the Lommel - Mol - Balen region.

It was not long before a new Magic Mirror tent was built. In 1930 work started on the "Nova Danssalon", the showpiece that was soon to be admired all over Flanders.
Son August took over the Magic Mirror tent company and, together with his wife Lucienne and their nine children, travelled from one fair to another for many years.

They mainly ran the tents themselves and initially played "De Kempenaar", a large Decap organ.
After the war, with the emergence of live music the Magic Mirror tents experienced a boom by inviting the best orchestras from home and abroad to play in them.

They bought some more tents, "De Lust", "Cristal Palace", "Pigalle" and "Victoria". August was promptly christened The King of Magic Mirror tents.

In 1984 Rik Klessens took over from his father and, together with his wife Liliane, no longer travelled from fairground to fairground but across the border, going further and further afield in search of new horizons where they could offer their beautiful examples of bygone popular entertainment to the organisers of festivals, company paries and private events or as a restaurant theatre for a dinner show.

If you want further information on renting a Magic Mirror Tent,  contact us.