From Grevenmacher to Wiltz, Steinfort, Dudelange, and Luxembourg City: the new Grand Ducal couple will travel the length and breadth of the country for 12 hours on 4 October.
While over 30 musicians are rehearsing at the Luxexpo, and tram routes are undergoing simulation with hundreds of people, preparations are just as frantic in Dudelange and Wiltz, as dancers practice their routines and artists decorate plates.
Rehearsals have been in full swing for weeks, with just a week left until the new Grand Duke's coronation on Friday. His first day on the job is to be celebrated with a tour of the country.
At the Neischmelz site in Dudelange, performers at the dance school have been going through intensive rehearsals for the last few weeks. The Grand Ducal couple will be travelling to the southern municipality to take in an inclusive dance and music show. A number of artists, as well as performers from the Dudelange music and circus schools, will participate in the choreography at Place Thierry Van Werveke. But the performance will be just one part of the full programme in Dudelange.
The goal is to make the celebratory coronation tour into a huge public festival. It all kicks off at 12.30pm in Grevenmacher, where the couple will make their first stop, visiting the "Op Flohr" stadium.
A couple of hours later they travel to the castle amphitheatre in Wiltz, where a short film and three musical performances will be presented to the royals. For weeks, children and pensioners in the municipality and its neighbouring towns have been decorating plates to mark the occasion. In total, around 1,000 plates will be put to good use on 4 October for the celebration meal on Wiltz's main street. "Take a seat at our table" is the motto of the day in the north.
At around 4.20pm the couple will travel to Steinfort to visit the intercommunal hospital, before moving on to Dudelange, then to the capital for the grand finale at 8pm. A tram spectacle will take place on the Grand Duchess Charlotte Bridge, as well as a ceremony accompanied by a drone show and a concert at the Glacis car park.
This mammoth project of a 12-hour tour will be broadcast live on television. Everything must be planned and rehearsed in advance, from dances, concerts, coordinating the trams, or the special celebrity appearances.
People who cannot participate in the celebrations in person are welcome to follow along on RTL or to visit the public viewing areas in Wiltz and Dudelange.
More information can be found on the dedicated coronation website www.trounwiessel.lu
