Entry No. 81 — the Des Moines file — filed under: ritual-music

Candlelight Concerts at the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates

A string quartet plays Coldplay, Queen, Metallica or Vivaldi by the glow of thousands of flickering LED candles inside a restored 1903 Beaux-Arts library turned museum. The room is crowned by a stained-glass globe and marble detailing, so the music lands in a setting far stranger and grander than a normal concert hall. Each seating is about an hour, with evening shows usually starting between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. depending on the program.

The move: Pick a tribute night, sit shoulder to shoulder among the candlelight, and let a live string quartet reinterpret a band you both love under the stained-glass globe.

📍 Before you go Ticketed through Fever; specific dates and programs rotate month to month (prices roughly $35-$73). Multiple seatings per evening; arrive early for better sightlines.

• 📍 Downtown Des Moines
• 💸 $
• ⚡ Low-key
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: 100 Locust St, Des Moines, IA 50309

Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-23