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Magic Men - World Tour prt.1
  • Nina Cornelia Schilp
  • Nina Cornelia Schilp

Magic Men - World Tour prt.1

Het is weer zover… ik ga weer op tour 😅
Deze keer met de Australische stripper act Magic Men
Het wordt een lange tour van 2 maanden door Noord-Europa:
Finland, Zweden, Noorwegen, Denemarken, België en Nederland Read more
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  • Trip start
    April 20, 2026
    Nina Cornelia SchilpMagic Men - World Tour prt.1Traveler
    3
    3

    TD1: Bye ysselsteyn, hello Belgium

    April 19 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Today, like most days this past week, I was woken up by the construction of two neighboring houses. And by “I,” I mean Charlie (Sjoerd’s cat) and me, Sjoerd left yesterday on holiday to Tunisia with his best friend, and I got to stay in his house until I have to leave.

    Last night, I prepared all the tags for the stand and made sure everything was ready to be packed.

    I felt quite relaxed, since we’re leaving a day later than planned. Suddenly, I had extra time to pack and unwind. The only thing left to do was ship out Austra’s merchandise, seven big boxes, ready to go.

    After slowly finishing my packing, doing my last laundry, and giving Charlie some extra cuddles (while making sure he’s well taken care of), I also prepared some meals for my long drive to Finland.

    But first, I’ll drive to Belgium. Near Ghent is the Starstruck bus service, where I’ll stay tonight. That way, I’ll have the whole morning to sort the merch and can leave early in the afternoon.

    The bus driver and I will be together for this long journey and an even longer ferry ride (30 hours!). I’m a bit nervous about the boat, but I made sure to bring enough ginger and medication to (hopefully) keep the seasickness away.

    When I arrived at Starstruck, the owner opened the gates for me remotely and gave me instructions for the apartment. It’s so kind of them to let me stay here before the tour, there’s a lot of trust in that.

    Not long after, a little furry fluff ball appeared, the cutest cat. We cuddled for a bit before I went to bed.    Read more

  • Nina Cornelia SchilpMagic Men - World Tour prt.1Traveler
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    TD2: pre production & travel to ferry

    April 21 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    I set my alarm for 08:30, figuring the employees at Starstruck would start around 9 and they did. I greeted everyone, then took a shower and washed my hair… because you never know when the next proper shower will be.

    I had some nice chats with everyone really friendly people, good company. It also became pretty clear how disorganized the tour still is. No one really knows everything yet, but we’ll make it work.

    I had 15 boxes to count and sort, so I made that my priority instead of setting up the display. I’d rather be sure the quantities are right. I also packed what I needed for the first show.

    We had to leave earlier than planned because of traffic and the risk of missing the ferry. So no time for the display, just rush straight onto the bus.

    It turned into a long drive with the bus driver, Matthias. It’s nice to have another Dutch-speaking person on tour, and it’s good to bond a bit with the driver that always matters.

    I started my motion sickness plan early so I’d have a good base for the 30-hour ferry… but of course, the pills made me sleepy right away. Around 21:30 I went to my bunk and slept until 00:30 time for my first “big” pill before boarding.

    That was also when we arrived at the port. It was all pretty unclear where to go we had to check in with the cargo. We stood there for a while with no guidance, just trucks moving around us. At 01:55 we were still waiting, and the ferry was leaving at 02:00…

    So we just started driving and asked another Finnish truck driver. Turns out we had to just drive on ourselves. We barely made it. Second to last on the ferry.

    We found our cabins, but all the bars were closed, so no beer for Matthias… until we showed he was a driver, and suddenly he could get some bottles. Welcome to Scandinavia, where alcohol rules are a bit different.

    I went to bed, took my last pills, and completely knocked myself out.
    Now hoping for the best 30 hours on a ferry, with potential seasickness… let’s see how this goes.    Read more

  • Nina Cornelia SchilpMagic Men - World Tour prt.1Traveler
    22

    TD3: The ferry

    April 23, Oostzee ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    I woke up a few times during the night, but so far not because I felt sick which is good news. I had set alarms to take my pills on time, so that helped.

    Around 10:30, they announced that the lunch bar was closing and that the sauna and massage facilities were open. I was still too tired to care and went back to sleep probably still feeling the pills.

    Around 13:00, I properly woke up. Last night I paid for WiFi, this isn’t a fancy ferry, more of a cargo type. For a decent connection, you either have to sit in the bar or pay €35 for 35 hours (for two devices). I decided to go for it since it’s basically my only form of entertainment, and I’m supposed to do some admin work before the shows.

    The connection is… just okay. Good enough to listen to a podcast and open some simple files. WhatsApp calls are a bit rocky, but doable if you’re patient.

    I’m very happy I brought a big food stash, because the one time I tried to walk around, I got dizzy and didn’t feel steady at all. So I quickly went back to my cabin and embraced full cave-woman mode.

    The views outside are stunning, though…

    Now I’m ready for more sleep. The waves feel stronger, so I’m very glad the pills are doing their job.    Read more

  • Nina Cornelia SchilpMagic Men - World Tour prt.1Traveler
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    SD 1: Seinäjoki Arena

    April 23 in Finland ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Around 08:30 we were woken up by the captain only 1.5 hours left until docking. Since I wasn’t going to the breakfast area, I took it slow: showered and got ready.

    We drove as fast as possible towards Seinäjoki because otherwise my ETA would have been really late… and I still had to set up the entire display.
    But of course, we got stopped by the police for a bus check. It felt more like they were just curious and wanted to look inside than anything else.

    I already started preparing some things on the bus. As soon as we arrived, I switched straight into work mode. I quickly checked in with Roulie, Tobias, and Sofia, and got started.

    Only one hour left to get everything set up and the payment system runninh which was a bit of a struggle.
    In the end, everything was ready. Not perfect, but good enough. I quickly grabbed a healthy food bowl and started selling.

    As soon as the show started, I was honestly amazed by the acrobatics and dancing. I didn’t really know what to expect, and I’m not even sure how to describe it—but the audience loved it.

    Merch sales were okay for the first night.
    I packed up and counted everything super quickly… which felt a bit strange.

    Had a nice tea, and was ready for bed by 02:30.    Read more

  • Nina Cornelia SchilpMagic Men - World Tour prt.1Traveler

    SD 2: Helsinki Veikkaus Arena

    April 24 in Finland ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    I arrived in Helsinki in the morning. Load-in is every day at 9. I’ve been here befor3e, back when it was still called Hartwall Arena, so it was nice to be in a familiar place again.

    Today is a concession show with Aniiya from SCM, someone I’ve worked with a few times over the past years. Always good to see familiar faces.

    They were arriving around 15:00, so I had some time to help out with a few TM-assisting tasks. The coffee machine had broken, so my job was to go out, buy a new one, and make sure there was coffee for the team.

    I didn’t mind the 20-minute walk at all, it gave me a chance to get some sunlight, have a small moment for myself, and grab a coffee at Fazer.

    The SCM team arrived. I handed over my boxes and counted everything in with them. They’re always great to work with, and it’s nice to have that kind of connection on tour.

    Everything went smoothly, and they set up the stand beautifully. Sales were a bit slow, but at least I got to catch parts of the show.

    There’s a bit of tension in the group at the moment, mostly because the tour isn’t very well organized from the promoter’s side. But the crew is really doing their best to make it work.

    Let’s see how the next few days unfold…    Read more

  • Nina Cornelia SchilpMagic Men - World Tour prt.1Traveler

    SD 3: Turku

    April 25 in Finland

    Woke up just as the bus arrived in Turku at 09:00. I went straight into the venue to help the guys with load-in. Even though I’m technically not allowed to do those tasks, the promoter asked me to help out.

    That caused a bit of confusion, and I had to set some clear boundaries I said no. I’m not doing work I’m not allowed or insured to do.

    So instead, I found a better way to help: taking care of breakfast and evening snacks, doing the shopping, and making sure there’s coffee ready for everyone.

    Around 14:00, I finally had time to set up my own stand later than planned. I was placed in the hallway where the merch usually is. Not the ideal location, but it was what was allowed.
    During the show, the promoter wasn’t happy with the setup location, and after some discussions with the venue, I ended up moving to the main hall during the show.

    Let’s just say the promoter and I still need to find a balance in how we work and communicate but I’m sure we’ll figure that out soon.

    At least now I could actually watch the show from up close.    Read more

  • Nina Cornelia SchilpMagic Men - World Tour prt.1Traveler

    SD 4: Lathi

    April 26 in Finland

    Today’s venue is a beautifully restored building, with a great spot for the merchandise.

    I started with my “hospitality” tasks, and later had a meeting with Diana about how to better navigate working with the promoter.

    After that, I decided to refresh my setup rearranged everything and even steamed the shirts. I also finally had more time to properly talk with Sofia, the TM/promoter assistant. It turns out she’s dealing with many of the same struggles on this tour, so it was good to connect and bond a bit more.

    You can really feel the crew starting to come together now, and even the dancers are slowly connecting more with us.

    Tobias (the promoter) and I had a good conversation about new ideas, one of them being to have Caesar, one of the performers, help me sell merch.
    And honestly… it worked. Finnish audiences can be a bit socially reserved, but he came in shouting, “Hello ladies, we have merch! Come and buy my shirt!” and literally sold the shirt off his own body.

    We still need to refine the selling dynamic over the next shows, but I like how things are slowly taking shape on this tour.

    Since we now have a day and a half off in Lahti before heading to Sweden, most of the crew went home. So it’s just Matthias (the bus driver) and me staying on the bus.

    Honestly… really nice to have a night’s sleep without an alarm.    Read more

  • Nina Cornelia SchilpMagic Men - World Tour prt.1Traveler
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    OFFD1: Lathi windy day

    April 27 in Finland ⋅ 🌬 7 °C

    Today I woke up in an empty bus well, almost empty, just Matthias (the driver) still here.

    I took it very easy this morning and allowed myself some extra sleep, no alarm, finally.

    About 400 meters away there was a really nice little coffee place, so we went there together. One of those spots where, as soon as you walk in, you’re hit with that warm cinnamon smell. Everything is homemade, and you can really tell the quality. It’s cozy, a bit old-fashioned in the best way,set in an old station building.

    After that, I spent some time catching up on admin from the first shows. I sat upstairs in the bus, which has skylights, so I could enjoy the sun. It was very windy today, especially being so close to the lake.

    Later, I rented a scooter and went to a shopping center to slightly upgrade my wardrobe, picked up two new pairs of pants and some shirts. I was running a bit short for tour, and it’s always nice to get something new.

    In the evening, Matthias and I took the scooters to a restaurant. After a week of takeaway meals (since catering hasn’t really been arranged here), we really wanted a proper dinner. We went to El Niño for a good piece of meat.

    Snails, a bottle of red wine, and a steak later, we walked back towards the bus, taking in a bit more of Lahti. Back on the bus, we chatted some more and had another glass of wine.

    Went to bed on time, since tomorrow is a travel day, but luckily, a relaxed one.    Read more

  • Nina Cornelia SchilpMagic Men - World Tour prt.1Traveler
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    TD 3: Another ferry towards Umeå

    April 28 in Finland ⋅ 🌬 4 °C

    Because that coffee place was so good, I went back again this morning, after another lovely sleep-in.

    I couldn’t choose between the sandwiches, so I got a few extra to take with me for the journey.

    We were set to leave at 14:30, so I spent about two hours relaxing in the castle nearby and browsing the little crafty gift shop next to it.

    On the way to Vaasa, where the ferry departs to Umeå in Sweden, we picked up the Finnish crew in Tampere. Everyone came back onto the bus refreshed and in good spirits.

    During the ride, I got some more prep work done.

    In the evening, I already started taking my motion sickness pills since we’d be spending about five hours on the ferry overnight. I was supposed to share a cabin with three others, but in the end it was just me and Matti, so we had plenty of space.

    The ticket also came with food coupons, so we grabbed a quick midnight snack at the buffet before heading straight to bed.    Read more

  • Nina Cornelia SchilpMagic Men - World Tour prt.1Traveler
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    SD 5: Umeå folkets huse

    April 29 in Sweden ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    I woke up just after the guys left for load-in. I usually wait until the bus is empty so I have some space to move around. I made them coffee and set up a small snack table.

    I wanted to start early with the merch, but the venue had another event, so I couldn’t set up until 15:00. Instead, I did a few other tasks and took a walk around town, trying to find some thrift stores. I found two, but nothing really tempted me except for a beautiful Kenzo jacket that was, unfortunately, way too small.

    Only about 700 tickets were sold, so it wasn’t a very busy show. I had Caesar helping me sell merch during the first break, but sales weren’t great this time.
    Load-out was a bit chaotic, but I still managed to break everything down quickly and do my counts.

    The guys finished earlier than I did I was still doing the accounting when they got back on the bus. At least I managed to squeeze in a shower somewhere during the day.

    Overall, an easy day.    Read more

  • Nina Cornelia SchilpMagic Men - World Tour prt.1Traveler

    SD 6: Gävle suddenly its summer

    April 30 in Sweden ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We arrived early at the venue. For me, it was an easy load-in and load-out. It’s a small town, but it’s the first venue with a washing machine so of course I went for it. Finally, some clean clothes!

    For the Finnish crew, it was a long day. The stage had to be built, and the local crew wasn’t the most efficient.
    The audience was small tonight, which gave us the chance to try having Caesar sell merch with me, and it actually worked. It was fun!

    Since I was set up in the hall, I could also watch parts of the show and even have a little dance myself. You can really feel that the tour has finally started, mentally, for everyone. We’re becoming a fun group, laughing a lot, and the dancers are starting to open up, at least to me.

    I can already feel myself slipping into that “glue” role between everyone, like I often do.

    As for the promoter, I’m starting to understand him better. Let’s just say… he’s an interesting character. I’ve noticed that joking with him, but also putting him in his place actually helps get things done. I might be the only one who dares, but it feels like I’m earning his respect. I'm just again too straight forward and don't deal with hierarchy well, and why would I we are all there to make a good production in the end.

    Let’s see how this develops.

    Oooooh and Monica which I toured with on the tour with Eivør last year is now the starbus busdriver. Nice to see an another familiar face on the road.    Read more

  • Nina Cornelia SchilpMagic Men - World Tour prt.1Traveler
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    SD 7: Stockholm waterfront 1

    May 1 in Sweden ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Last year Magic Men played here and sold out the show, so this year we have two shows at the same venue. That also means we can fully set up today and leave everything in place overnight.

    You could really feel the excitement in the air. It suddenly hit 25 degrees, it’s the 1st of May, one of the biggest celebrations for the Finns and the venue is super nice and well organized.

    Even though I overslept, everyone was in a good mood. The venue even provided caffee, so that made people extra happy.

    I went to the supermarket with Rauli to get some food for the crew, and we had a nice chat during the walk.

    Later in the afternoon, I started setting up the merch after getting to know the local venue manager, Pernilla. It honestly felt like I made a new friend, we really connected over production, experiences, and how we both see this industry. She’s amazing, and I hope to see her again after this tour.

    The local crew had to make some extra stage pieces.

    We had burgers for lunch, I really need to take better care of my food, but things are still a bit unorganized. Still, you eat what’s available.

    Sales were okay, and the show was going well… until some of the dancers got food poisoning. They had to improvise on stage, which was wild.

    On top of that, I found out that Caesar, one of the main performers and the guy helping me with merch, wasn’t feeling well. When I asked him later, he told me he has Multiple Sclerosis.

    We were both like… what?! We ended up having a really good talk. It’s honestly so special to have an “MS buddy” on tour. He’s currently going through chemo while touring and gets sick quite often. Now he knows there’s someone here who truly understands what he’s going through.

    You can really feel the whole production getting tighter and more connected now, which is such a good feeling. Also 2 tech guys are now doing the ticket scanners and they look good in their new outfits and roles.

    In the evening, we finally had some time to go for a drink. Like Matthias said, for him, the tour really starts today. You can feel it: everyone is settled, and things are finally coming together.

    After one drink, I was exhausted and went back to the bus to sleep.

    What a day.    Read more

  • Nina Cornelia SchilpMagic Men - World Tour prt.1Traveler
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    SD 8: Stockholm waterfront 2

    May 2 in Sweden ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Today was an easier day. Since this was the second show at the same venue, the setup was already done and ready to go. Honestly, such a relief. It gave me extra time in the morning and afternoon to head into Stockholm.

    The morning itself was easy and relaxed. Me and Ollie even did face masks together before starting the day, which somehow felt both ridiculous and very necessary after the past week of touring.

    I really wanted to buy the matching skirt for the denim jacket I found in Finland—and I succeeded! Now I have a really cute set together, and with the beautiful weather, I could wear it straight away.

    I spent almost three hours walking through the city in the sun. Found a nice coffee spot too, partly for the coffee, partly because I desperately needed a toilet break.

    Before the show, I finally started connecting more with Tobias, the promoter, and also with the dancers. We were all laughing because they were sitting in the crew dressing room eating while I was getting ready.

    Part of that connection also came from hearing more about the completely out-of-hand hotel party they had the night before, where even people from the venue got involved. After hearing their side of the story, I responded pretty honestly to the promoter.

    And to be fair, that earned me quite a bit of respect. I’m not really someone who stays quiet when I think something could be handled better or when people cross certain lines.

    During the show, I’ve now also become part of the front-of-house “podcast” team basically us commentating on the show like it’s Eurovision. Making dramatic reviews, random comments, and laughing the whole time. It’s honestly hilarious. Tonight, me, Ollie, and Samuli were the hosts.

    The show itself was much better than yesterday, and sales were better too. Load-out was quick because everyone had good energy and worked well together.    Read more

  • Nina Cornelia SchilpMagic Men - World Tour prt.1Traveler
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    SD9: Sundsvall Tonhallen

    May 3 in Sweden ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Today was a smaller venue with a smaller crowd than yesterday. We arrived again at 09:00, but everyone was still in good spirits, probably because tomorrow is finally a day off.

    My merch stand was set up in the lobby this time, which was definitely a tighter space, but I adjusted the setup a bit and it still ended up looking good. Today was the day I would wear my squeaky pants.

    Niko and Massa had a slightly easier day on tour today. Usually, they help with ticket scanning, but that task got taken away from them this time… so they unofficially became my security guards instead, haha.

    Caesar is helping me with sales every night now, and it’s honestly becoming more fun with every show. After the performance, the artists always do a meet-and-greet, which I also handle merch for. Caesar completely matched the vibe tonight with his outfit.

    After yesterday’s conversations with Tobias, the promoter, we’ve also started building a bit of a friendship or connection. He keeps sending me music to listen to actually some really cool stuff.

    After the show, I went out with the crew. We only had about an hour, but these are Finns… they can fit quite a lot of drinking into one hour.

    When the bar closed, there were still a few girls hanging around with our group. After a quick stop at a gas station, we tried to get a taxi back to the bus, but Sundays in Sundsvall aren’t exactly lively. The only taxi driver had already stopped working.

    In the end, I rode back on one electric scooter with Niko. Otherwise, it would’ve been a 25-minute walk, which honestly also wouldn’t have been the end of the world.

    Another full tour experience.    Read more

  • Nina Cornelia SchilpMagic Men - World Tour prt.1Traveler
    1

    OffD 2: Sundsvall thrifting and games

    May 4 in Sweden ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Today was another day off. Every Monday on this tour is an off day.

    First, Ollie, Samuli, and I took the scooters into the city center to grab some lunch. It was already a bit later in the day since everyone had slept in properly.

    We ended up at a lunch place that felt very typically Scandinavian: for €15 you got a lunch buffet with salads, warm dishes, free coffee, and drinks. It was amazing and finally something healthy. Tour food has mostly been junk food, and I can really feel my body changing because of it.

    After that, I met up with Sofia. Finally, the two women on tour got some proper bonding time together. We went thrift shopping and realized how much we actually have in common. Super fun. We also bought water for the artists’ bus. That turned into a funny moment too—we literally dragged a shopping cart full of water bottles through the lobby of their fancy hotel.

    Later, I went back to the bus where I learned a new game. Played a few rounds and laughed a lot.

    In the end, I ordered food, way too expensive, honestly, but I really couldn’t be bothered going outside again.

    After that, I went to bed nice and early.    Read more

  • Nina Cornelia SchilpMagic Men - World Tour prt.1Traveler
    1

    SD 10: Västerås

    May 5 in Sweden ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    I also Today was another easy show day. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a big audience, which of course isn’t great for merch sales.

    I took some extra time for myself today because I haven’t been feeling very fit, and the food on tour is only making me feel more unhealthy.

    Sofia and I agreed that she would send me the meal options Rauli comes up with, and then I can choose a buyout instead if I want. I did that immediately today and went with Matthias to one of those Scandinavian lunch places again definitely a good choice.

    I also bought a yoga mat and some workout clothes so I can start doing yoga every day again. I really need to keep myself fit, and it also helps mentally.

    In the evening, I had a salad, which was honestly really good too.

    Later that night, I called Sjoerd. We basically talk throughout the whole day whenever we can. That hasn’t changed since we first started dating. we already did that back then.

    But during our call, I suddenly saw three hares crossing the road. That only happens to me when something is about to happen that either brings change into my life or has some kind of deeper meaning. Sjoerd knows this too, but honestly… I have no idea yet what it could mean.    Read more

  • Nina Cornelia SchilpMagic Men - World Tour prt.1Traveler
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    SD11: Borås

    May 6 in Sweden ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Again a small town today, but we’re trying something new: signed autographs to help boost merch sales.

    The weather was beautiful, so I took some extra time for myself this morning. Started the day with a nice yoga routine, had a proper shower, and then slowly began setting up. Also had a lovely call with Sjoerd.

    Yesterday I bought those huge water bottles as well, so now I’m making sure I drink at least 2–3 liters of water every day.

    Honestly, this was just an average tour day in a nice venue filled with very strange art.    Read more

  • Nina Cornelia SchilpMagic Men - World Tour prt.1Traveler
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    SD12: Odense

    May 7 in Denmark ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Today is the first show in Denmark. Yes, the route on this tour is a bit strange, but luckily the distances aren’t too big, so we’re basically zigzagging our way through Scandinavia.

    The venue is bigger today and there’s more audience, so I’m expecting better sales as well. I lowered the merch prices slightly again to see what effect it has.

    But first: yoga.

    The venue is a sports hall where visitors walk around all day, so the classic sweaty sports-hall smell is definitely part of today’s atmosphere around the merch pallets.

    Today Tobias also started involving me more in the production side for the Netherlands shows. They’re running into some problems there, and apparently I have the connections they could really use right now. Honestly, I’ve been feeling a bit overqualified for parts of this tour anyway, so I actually enjoy being challenged again.

    I’m also helping out more with organization now, making sure the VIP tickets are ready, which is one less thing for Sofia to worry about. In return, she helps me out when things get busy at merch.

    Merch sales with Caesar were really fun tonight. We sold a lot, and the audience was great. Carlos also joined the merch area during the second break to take photos with people. It doesn’t necessarily boost sales directly, but it definitely adds something to the atmosphere and experience.    Read more

  • Trip end
    June 14, 2026