The History Of The Spiegelpaleis

The magnificent mirror tents were first built in Belgium around 1900 and used as travelling dancehalls. They were legendary in their day, and became a symbol of the wild fin-de-siecle nightlife of the period. When a young bachelor from Holland, Willem Klessens, moved to Belgium, he encountered Oscar Horbeke with his amazing tent of mirrors and was immediately intrigued.

Not long after, Oscar decided to sell and Willem acquired his dream, lock stock and barrel. And so began the era of the legendary Spiegelpaleis which has thus far endured and enchanted for over a century.

Throughout the 1900's, the company toured the fairgrounds of Belgium, first run by Willem and then by his son, August. In 1984, when Willem’s grandson, Rik took over the reins, the tents began to cross borders and move further afield, diversifying to include festivals, company functions and private events.

Thanks to the Klessen family, these regal tents from a bygone era have retained their splendour of yesteryear and continue to enthral and entertain across countries and continents. At last Riks long-standing dream of reaching all seven continents was recently fulfilled when Madame Zingara brought the magnificent Victoria to African shores.