Grand Hotel Amrâth Kurhaus

In 1964, the Rolling Stones played just a seven-minute concert inside Scheveningen’s Kurhaus.

On August 8, the band took the stage in the hotel’s grand concert hall before a crowd that quickly became impossible to control. Fans surged forward, chairs and bottles began flying, and police struggled to keep people away from the stage.

The Stones managed one song at full volume before the power was cut. Bill Wyman later recalled that they attempted two more using only maracas and tambourines, but the chaos continued. Chairs were ripped from their fittings, tapestries were pulled from the walls, and furniture was hurled toward the chandeliers. Within minutes, the band was escorted out and the concert was over.

It was a particularly unruly night for a place built to embody seaside elegance. The Kurhaus had opened in 1885 as a grand hotel and entertainment complex overlooking Scheveningen Beach. After a devastating fire the following year, it was rebuilt and reopened in 1887, later hosting generations of performers beneath its ornate dome.

Today, the Grand Hotel Amrâth Kurhaus still stands along the North Sea, carrying on a long tradition of seaside glamour, grand performances, and at least one concert that became far more memorable than anyone intended.