Stop motion / The 50th anniversary tour

Gruppo Sportivo celebrates its half-century anniversary in 2026. It is also the year in which the band, originally from The Hague, embarks on a final tour of pop venues and festivals. “We are still in good shape and want to bid farewell to the stage at a high point. That is why we are doing one last round to never forget,” says singer/guitarist Hans Vandenburg. Adding his typical joke: “Stop motion before we have to be recorded for a long time...” Alongside the distinctive frontman and creative force Vandenburg, the lineup consists of singers Lies Schilp & Inge Bonthond, aka Bombitas. The keyboardist is the youthful talent Len de Quant, who took over the baton in 2024 from his proud mentor and the prematurely deceased Peter Calicher. Naturally, original member and drummer Max Mollinger and bassist Tim Barning are also back on board. Hey Girl, Beep Beep Love, Disco Really Made It, Tokyo, and Rock ‘n Roll are some of the Dutch pop classics we can expect. But knowing Gruppo Sportivo, the legendary band will also make a number of idiosyncratic choices from their extensive repertoire.