Country Profile: The Netherlands

Going into this year, the Netherlands was coming off a stellar summer for stadium shows – but a challenging one for festivals

Going into this year, the Netherlands was coming off a stellar summer for stadium shows – but a challenging one for festivals. According to research agency Respons, Dutch live music attendance fell 2% to 29.9m in 2024 (the most recent data available), a dip driven almost entirely by festivals.

Dutch trade association VNPF blamed “rising costs, declining sponsorship revenue, and declining subsidies.” Concerts told a different tale, with attendance climbing to its highest level on record.

As always, the numbers don’t tell the…