HeadQuarters, commonly shortened to HQ, is a small live music venue and nightclub in Aarhus, Denmark. Located in the basement at Valdemarsgade 1A, close to Musikhuset Aarhus and the Scandinavian Congress Centre, it has room for around 150–180 guests.
The venue presents a broad programme of original music, with indie, jazz, electronic music, experimental sound art, punk, hardcore and metal all forming part of the calendar. Its size places the audience close to the stage, making it well suited to emerging artists, niche bookings and smaller underground shows.
HeadQuarters grew out of informal concerts and parties in an apartment that was partly set up as a music studio. A group of musicians used the flat for live music, records and gatherings, and people began referring to it as “the Headquarters”, or simply HQ. When a permanent venue opened in central Aarhus in 2011, the name followed.
Ole Løhde and Amira Gluhic still own and operate HeadQuarters. Løhde serves as creative director and CEO, while Gluhic is responsible for music direction and curation. The original stage was very small, but it was later enlarged as the concert programme developed.
The interior has a clear 1970s influence, shaped by soul, funk and Motown culture. Warm colours, retro furniture and a living-room feel give the basement a character that differs from many darker underground venues, even when heavy bands are playing on stage.
After concerts, HeadQuarters often turns into a nightclub. On Friday and Saturday nights, the late programme continues until 5 am, with disco, funk and soul forming the main dance-floor identity.
Metal is not the only focus at HeadQuarters, but it is a regular part of the venue’s programme. Earlier concerts have included Orm, Cartographs and Ultra Silvam, while later bookings have covered black metal, death metal, doom, hardcore and other heavy styles.
Bands appearing at HeadQuarters have included Of Feather and Bone, Civerous, Atomic Aggressor, Ectovoid, Crocell, Krallice, Strychnos, Sepulchral Curse, Panzerfaust, Nexion, Pustulant Flesh and Speedslut. Punk and hardcore shows are also a frequent part of the calendar.
The building forms part of the former Brobjergskolen complex, a historic school site in central Aarhus now used for cultural activity. HeadQuarters shares this setting with other arts and performance spaces, including the neighbouring dance venue Bora Bora.
ADDRESS:
Valdemarsgade 1A, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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