Event industry in the Netherlands - statistics & facts
Events are more popular than ever. After being hit hard by the impact of COVID-19, the leisure event industry, which encompasses a wide range of activities, from concerts and festivals to sporting events and film screenings, quickly proved its resilience. According to Statista Market Insights, global revenue in the event tickets’ market amounted to nearly 80 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, growing by over 30 percent from 2019. In the Netherlands, which hosts one of the most attended music festivals in Europe, the Amsterdam Dance Event, the live event industry also made a full recovery, significantly exceeding pre-pandemic levels. In 2023, the event market’s revenue in the Netherlands, based on admissions to cinemas, music, and sports events, increased by roughly 250 million U.S. dollars compared to 2019, reaching its highest figure to date.
Overall, although there is no lack of challenges in the Dutch live event market, as shown by the decline in festival visits, the new heights in attendance and income in the live music industry are cause for optimism. In particular, the Netherlands’ rich offer of arts and cultural events could represent an opportunity to strengthen the country’s position as one of the leading European travel markets, considering the growing interest in traveling to attend sporting and music events.
How many people attend festivals and music events in the Netherlands?
In 2023, there were over 1,200 festivals in the Netherlands, including music, visual arts, and theater events, denoting an 11 percent rise from 2019. Despite the overall increase in events, several free festivals did not take place that year due to issues like higher production costs and shortages of volunteers. This is likely why festival attendance in the Netherlands experienced a 10 percent annual decline in 2023, with visits returning below pre-pandemic levels, after reaching a record high of 28.5 million in 2022. That said, when focusing on the music industry, figures by the Association of Dutch Music Venues and Festivals (VNPF) show that the interest in live events remains high. In 2023, the number of visits to music events in the Netherlands, including concerts, club nights, and other activities organized by music venues, peaked at nearly six million.What are the leading event brands in the Netherlands?
According to Statista’s Consumer Insights Global survey, buying event tickets online placed just behind restaurant delivery among the most common types of service online bookings in the Netherlands, with a third of respondents reporting doing so in 2024. When breaking down the event ticket online bookings by brand in the country, Ticketmaster ranked as the most popular that year, ahead of Eventim and Mojo. Ticketmaster, however, came in third in terms of leading event brands in the Netherlands based on the market share, behind TicketSwap and Eventbrite, which together accounted for 70 percent of revenue in 2022.Overall, although there is no lack of challenges in the Dutch live event market, as shown by the decline in festival visits, the new heights in attendance and income in the live music industry are cause for optimism. In particular, the Netherlands’ rich offer of arts and cultural events could represent an opportunity to strengthen the country’s position as one of the leading European travel markets, considering the growing interest in traveling to attend sporting and music events.
