A pole dancer left mourners astonished after performing a racy routine to Queen's “The Show Must Go On” at a funeral where a nightclub boss, exhumed 31 years after his death, was reunited with his newly deceased wife. The unusual send-off took place at Amsterdam's De Nieuwe Ooster Crematorium, honoring a couple who ran a legendary nightclub in the city's red light district.
Unconventional Tribute to a Nightclub Legacy
Footage captured the erotic dancer writhing on a pole in front of attendees, paying homage to the couple's life work. The husband died in 1993 and was exhumed so the couple could be cremated together. Funeral director Iede Hoorn shared the video on Instagram with his 89,000 followers, where it quickly went viral with 3.6 million views and thousands of comments.
“The pole dancer was not meant to shock, but was a loving tribute to two people who together ran a legendary nightclub on the Wallen,” Hoorn said. “It was precisely as they wanted. As a funeral director, I thought I'd seen it all, but then came the phone call from a couple asking if we could exhume the wife's father - buried since 1993 - and have him cremated so that he and his wife could be scattered together.”
Personal and Dignified Farewell
The family had run a well-known nightclub in Amsterdam for generations, one built around erotic entertainment. “A true family business, spoken of with pride, even though they had always kept work and private life carefully separate,” Hoorn explained. When he gently suggested reflecting the parents' life's work in the funeral, the family initially hesitated but later decided to hire a pole dancer.
Hoorn described the dancer's performance as “intimate, dignified” and “meant for no one but the two people who had passed.” He added: “The professional dancer - who, as it happens, was terrified of death herself - delivered a striking tribute to the couple who had built their lives around exactly this craft. It was moving, brave and heartfelt - and, to me, it was proof that a funeral never has to be 'standard'.”
Viral Reaction and Social Media Response
The video garnered widespread attention online, with one viewer joking: “Please respect our culture. We do this with every funeral. Its tradition.” Another commented: “Iconic!” A third simply said: “The show must go on.” Hoorn noted: “This video is just one of many extraordinary farewell stories I share on Instagram. My account offers a unique look at how funerals can become deeply personal celebrations of life, showing that every farewell can reflect the unique person being remembered.”
