A pole dancer performed a provocative routine at a funeral in Amsterdam, Netherlands, for the husband-and-wife owners of a red-light club. The performance, set to Queen's iconic song "The Show Must Go On," was filmed and has since circulated widely online, drawing millions of views.
The dancer, scantily clad, performed spins and inversions on a pole positioned behind the two caskets during the memorial service. The late couple had owned a red-light club, and the funeral director, Lede Hoorn, stated that the unusual request came from the couple's children.
Hoorn, who aims to make funeral services "memorable," described the request as a surprise, even to him. "When I gently asked whether something of the parents’ life’s work might be reflected in the funeral, they hesitated," Hoorn told RTL. "But a few days later, I got a call – they’d decided to hire a pole dancer."
The nightclub boss had originally died in 1993, but a joint ceremony was held when his wife recently passed away. According to Hoorn, the service was seen as a fitting tribute that reflected the couple's lives. "The visitors were surprised, but it didn’t surprise them," he said. "Everyone in the auditorium knew the couple’s story. It suited the people we were saying goodbye to completely."
Social media users reacted to the video with a mix of amusement and awe, with some making lighthearted jokes referencing the Queen song and others expressing a desire for their own funerals to be similarly extravagant. The video was shared widely, with many users commenting on the unconventional nature of the tribute.