Everyone is going to dance at the Mesa Verde in Luxembourg on December 25

This is the story of a Luxembourg institution. From December 25 at 10 p.m., rue du Saint-Esprit, in the center of the capital, is so congested that crossing these 100 meters of land decorated with Asian lanterns – under which two emblematic bars of the city shine: Gudde Wëllen and Mesa Verde – can last forever.

And it's not just because the crowds make it difficult to get through. The chances of running into someone you haven't seen in a while are high, as this is where half of Luxembourg comes together on Christmas Eve to dance at one of the Grand-Grand's most iconic parties. Duchy.

The Mesa Verde Christmas party is a Luxembourg institution: “I started organizing it in 1992 and since then it has continued to grow,” explains Lucien Elsen, the owner. “At first there were 30 of us. Today, more than 500 people come here on Christmas Eve. And after 32 years, I am already welcoming the third generation of the same family. In the 1990s, the grandparents came, in 2010 it was the parents and now it is the grandchildren,” he explains.

At first, it was a private party, reserved for friends. “I had a lot of people coming from overseas to work with me, people who helped me open Mesa. I also had a club nearby, where Gudde Wëllen is today, which was called Subterrania,” says Lucien. “Everyone stayed here for Christmas, but no one had family here. That’s when I said to myself: I’m going to have a party!”

At the time – and until 2014 – it was the only bar open on the night of December 25 in the entire capital, “apart from the Gare cabarets”. Maxwell George, who would later become an emblematic DJ of Luxembourg nightlife and introduce the Grand Duchy to the house music movement which developed in London's basements, came from London for the first time.

“It was an evening that everyone loved and lasted until sunrise. We still do the same thing today. The party starts at nine in the evening and ends at eight in the morning. The only reason we don’t continue later is because I’m not old enough,” says Lucien Elsen, bursting out laughing.

A whole country dancing

The party begins at nine in the evening and, at 9:30 p.m., a tradition has been established on the first floor of Mesa Verde: a cellist, André Mergenthaler, gives a concert of liturgical music. “We have a couple of octogenarians from Luxembourg who always come here,” explains Vanessa Buffone, Lucien’s wife. “This party is for everyone, as long as you bring good energy.”

Lucien Elsen listens to him and adds: “In 32 years, we have never had any major altercations. People come to have a good experience and bring with them the spirit of the season. They have fun and, as the 26th is also a public holiday, they have time to rest.”

Then the DJs start playing. This year, there's something new in store: Sacha, the couple's daughter, is behind the decks to set the pace for the night. “The festival has grown over the years and has become an essential meeting point for several generations,” explains Vanessa. “At Christmas, many foreigners come to spend the holidays in Mesa Verde, but also many Luxembourgers who live abroad and who come to visit their families at this time. On a cold night, they know where they can see the faces of Christmases past.”

Lucien Elsen is very proud of the crowd that flocks here: “There are many friends who have lived here and who come back on purpose for the evening. Sometimes they come from London or Scandinavia, Germany, Belgium, Italy, especially for the party. And then there is a succession of well-known personalities who also show up unexpectedly at the party.

“Xavier Bettel (former Prime Minister, now Minister of Foreign Affairs) and Etienne Schneider (former Deputy Prime Minister) were frequent visitors from a very young age,” explains Ms. Elsen. “But people from Hollywood like Oliver Stone and John Malkovich also came here. And once it was reported to me that Prince Laurent, the brother of the current King of the Belgians, had arrived on the dance floor. Extraordinary, isn’t it?”

Since the opening of Gudde Wëllen in 2014, the Mesa has gained in attendance for Christmas evenings. “Today there are more places, like Rocas, for example, or Scott's. But for more than twenty years, there was only Mesa Verde,” explains Vanessa Buffone. There is also a tradition that remains unchanged in the original house: the staff dresses up.

Among the themes that marked the many Christmas parties, we can cite Vaudeville, Mad Max or the Devil's Evening, for example. And although there is no dress code, many people let their imagination run wild and dress as if carnival has already arrived. “It’s a mystical night in a way, a night of liberation where everyone can be what they want,” explains Vanessa Buffone. “That's why we have more people at Christmas than at New Year. In a way, coming here is a religious experience.”

“Entrance reserved for rabbits”

About to celebrate its 35th anniversary, Mesa Verde opened its doors as Luxembourg's first meat-free restaurant, a status it has never relinquished. “At first, a lot of people made fun of us, saying we weren't rabbits to eat an herbal meal. Years later, they came here for the Christmas party and I jokingly told them that the entrance was reserved for rabbits,” laughs Lucien Elsen today.

One of the things he misses is that his father can no longer come at the end of the party. “He used to arrive here at six in the morning pretending he wanted to help clean, but what he really wanted was to socialize with the younger kids. And he stood there chatting until we closed the doors. It was also part of the tradition.

The family sense of the celebration remains. “It’s the spirit of this celebration and it will never cease to be,” says Vanessa Buffone. Even during the years of the Covid-19 pandemic, when bars were forced to close their doors at 11 p.m., the house was full: “We started the party at 2 p.m. and finished at 10 p.m. And we danced at Christmas during the day like it was always the same night. It was spectacular,” says Lucien Elsen. For 2024, the formula is the same. So fasten your seat belts, the party is about to begin.

This article was originally published on Contact

Adaptation: Lorène Paul