Get Your Tickets for ‘Freddie’s Dinner’
We’re organizing Freddie’s Dinner again this year!
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The Origin Story
The idea for an annual memorial dinner to honor our great musical hero Freddie Mercury was born in 2002. After the singer’s death from AIDS-related complications on November 24, 1991, a few Dutch Queen fans wanted to raise money for HIV and AIDS research. That’s how Freddie’s Dinner came to life — a gathering featuring a three-course meal, a live tribute band, and the chance for Queen fans to share their memories and create new ones together. The first edition in 2002 was small-scale. Founder and long-time organizer Martin Huizinga gradually expanded the event over the years. In 2006 and 2007, Freddie’s Dinner even went national, with no fewer than seventeen Dutch vocational colleges (ROCs) participating and hundreds of guests attending. In the following years, Queen fans Rinus and Marijan Walstijn hosted smaller, more intimate editions. In 2022, Martin Huizinga and Edger Hamer took the reins once again, and since 2023, Freddie’s Dinner has been part of the events organized by the Fans Will Be Friends Foundation.
Patron
From the very beginning, Peter Freestone, Freddie Mercury’s personal assistant, has attended every edition of Freddie’s Dinner. He also serves as the event’s patron. “I receive invitations from all over the world to attend memorial evenings for Freddie on November 24, but I have a special bond with the Dutch fans. As long as they organize this dinner, I’ll be there,” says Peter. Speaking about the emotional nature of the evening for everyone who holds Queen close to their hearts, he adds: “I’ve moved beyond the sadness. I always remember the happy man I knew. For me, this day is a celebration of everything he gave us over all those years.”
AIDS Fund Netherlands
Since its inception, a large portion of the proceeds from Freddie’s Dinner has gone to AIDS Fund Netherlands. Over the past decades, Queen fans have raised more than €155,000 for the cause. “At AIDS Fund, we’re truly grateful for this support of our dream: to end AIDS and ensure proper care for everyone living with HIV.”
