Intermission chat 27. July 2025

#concert experience design

Not all concertgoers come with someone else - and during the intermission, people attending alone often feel left out. Intermission Chat turns this distance into true togetherness: a semi-open area in the foyer or nearby spaces, along with friendly "matchmakers," gives everyone who’s interested a chance to strike up easy conversations - regardless of whether they’re there solo, with friends, or with a partner.

The goal is to create space for genuine exchange: where classical music geek small talk and polite chit-chat usually reign, the format Intermission Chat sometimes sparks surprisingly engaging discussions. This is how you meet new concertgoers, swap thoughts on music, favorite passages, and the quirkiest concert experiences. Pre-curated "icebreaker questions" on the tables help get things started. You might head back into the hall inspired, with a fresh perspective - or simply a smile.

Prerequisites:

• Intermission Chat suits all ages and just needs a bit of openness; the ideal group size is three to five people.

• A colorful or distinctly designed, semi-separated area makes the meeting spot visible, with a matchmaker greeting and briefing at the entrance.

• Those who want to join get a raffle ball, gadget, or card with a symbol or keyword leading to the right group - or straight to a secret match with an artist.

• During the break, groups meet at their marked tables and draw inspiration from prepared Icebreaker Cards: “What touched you most today?” “Do you play an instrument yourself?”

• After 15-20 minutes, a gong signals the end - time for a quick contact exchange or a “see you later” after the concert.

Proven and flexible:
Early prototypes showed: lively conversations take place - even no-shows were covered by spontaneous participants from the waiting line, and curious glances from others turned the action into a real talking point. Not everyone’s ready for that much social energy, but those who embrace the format experience the intermission as a true space for connection.

Variants:
Whether with artists as conversation partners, as 1:1 matches, or in groups - Intermission Chat can be adapted flexibly to the audience, venue, and occasion. It’s worth joining - because the best concert moments often happen right where and when you least expect them.

This Concert Experience Design was developed as part of Inside Artists, a residency program by the Beethovenfest Bonn, supported by the Liz Mohn Foundation, in collaboration with the festival’s program team and other artists.