Experience with NachtPulse: TunnuL – Experimenting Underground

With TunnuL, supported by NachtPulse, Rocco Hueting and the Hubert Foundation transformed the tunnels on the Vasim grounds in Nijmegen into a venue for an audiovisual concert. Music, light, architecture, and the audience came together in a space not normally used as a concert hall. The project not only offered visitors a unique experience but also provided creators with a space to experiment with new work.

The tunnel as part of the concert

Since 2025, the Hubert Foundation has been using the tunnels on a regular basis for art and culture. Exhibitions, performances, and other programs take place continuously, gradually developing the space further. With TunnuL, that development took on a new form. For the first time, the tunnels were used as a concert venue for experimental sets and live music. Not a traditional stage with an audience in front of it, but an environment in which the space itself became part of what the audience heard and saw.

The unique acoustics, intimacy, and architecture all contributed to the concert experience. Visitors were invited to immerse themselves in an interplay of music, light, and setting. The concept worked. Afterward, many visitors said they had never experienced the tunnels this way before and particularly appreciated the combination of the venue, the music, and the atmosphere.

A space to test new work

At the same time, TunnuL served as a space for artistic development. Daniel Heskens (Fast de) and Cas Hieltjes (CAH) presented new work, compositions, and live sets that were still in progress. As a result, the evening also functioned as a tryout. The artists were able to experiment with form and presentation and experience firsthand how their work resonated with the audience. It was precisely the unusual location that offered new possibilities for this. Not everything had to be finished yet: there was room to explore what worked, how music interacted with the space, and what forms of presentation might emerge from that.

Continuing to Develop the Tunnels

Every production staged in the tunnels provides the Hubert Foundation with new insights into the possibilities of the space. With TunnuL, too, the technical and logistical challenges proved to be greater than initially anticipated. Making a unique location accessible and suitable for the public simply requires different solutions than staging a program in a conventional venue.

These experiences are consistently incorporated into the ongoing development of the tunnels. In this way, accessibility, technical capabilities, and layout are improved step by step. TunnuL plays a valuable role in this process, precisely because it demonstrates what is possible when the space is used for live music and experimental concert formats.

TunnuL is getting a sequel

NachtPulse’s contribution made it possible to pay the participating artists fairly and to carry out the project in a way that aligned with its artistic ambitions. For the Hubert Foundation, TunnuL also confirmed that this type of programming fits within the broader development of the tunnels as a venue for art and culture. The lessons learned from this edition will be directly incorporated into future productions. And that follow-up is already in the works: a new edition of TunnuL is scheduled for November. In this way, not only does the project itself continue to grow, but the tunnels also continue to evolve as a unique space for both artists and the public.