Market Report: Netherlands

One of Europe’s busiest live music markets, thanks to its enthusiastic audiences and pivotal location in the continent, the Netherlands is a regular stop on global tours.

Eventim (thanks to its acquisition of See Tickets) and Ticketmaster dominate here, but there are many upstart challengers.

Primary ticketing
CTS Eventim acquired See Tickets in June through its acquisition of Vivendi’s international ticketing businesses, though both will retain their identities and management. “We will be able to offer even more seamless services on a global scale,” said CTS CEO Klaus-Peter Schulenberg earlier this year.

“We will be able to offer even more seamless services on a global scale”

Henk Schuit, managing director of Eventim Netherlands, says the multinational firm is expanding its in-house marketing operations, while growing in theatre, family entertainment, and exhibition opportunities.

Meanwhile, See has recently “introduced server-side tracking solutions to adapt to the changes in cookie policies by major browsers, ensuring better data accuracy and marketing effectiveness,” says the company’s Marijke van den Bosch.

“We also implemented a pre-queue account registration system during peak sales to gather data from all interested fans, not just the primary buyers and their friends.”

Ticketmaster is also seeing growth in its offerings: “We’re seeing more opportunities to diversify the range of live events, from smaller niche concerts to larger festivals, with more international audiences making their way to the Netherlands for these events,” says Jakob Lund, Ticketmaster’s regional VP of Northwest Europe.

Distribution of sales
Digital is the way to go in the Netherlands, and more and more ticketing solution platforms are cropping up, offering organisers a comprehensive ticketing solution.

“All-in-one” platform Stager saw 40% growth last year from 2022, says Mike van Gaasbeek, founder of the online ticketing system, detailing how organisers can sell tickets, produce schedules, catalogue crew, promote events, integrate platforms, and automate emails with their newly launched tool. A new Spotify partnership allows users to buy tickets straight from the streaming platform.

“You can be in control of your own data and your own audience”

Marketplace solution Eventix also offers a curated ticketing platform for organisers: “You can be in control of your own data and your own audience,” says Joost Aanen, the company’s co-founder and CEO.

The platform also boasts cross-sale integrations (for example, with merchandising) and an organiser-chosen resale price cap.

Secondary ticketing
There are currently no laws relating to the secondary market, but some resale platforms have placed limits on secondary sales, like TicketSwap’s 120% price cap. Tightened corporate policies on resale may have led more international buyers to travel for shows like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour due to resale prices being higher in their home markets.

There are currently no laws relating to the secondary market, but some resale platforms have placed limits on secondary sales…

In order to keep the ticketing loop closed, TicketSwap and other primary partners have begun delaying fulfilment, poised to “decrease the window of opportunity to commit fraud,” a representative says.

Ticketmaster, See Tickets, Eventim and Viagogo also operate in the secondary space.

International/domestic splits & genres
Dance and electronic music continue to flourish. The Netherlands has been a popular destination for major tours from Taylor Swift, P!nk, and AC/DC this summer.

Cultural analysis
Dutch DJs continue to enjoy international success, with superstars like Tiësto, Martin Garrix, Afrojack, and Sam Feldt leading the way.

Value of market
Statista says the market is due to surpass €650m by 2028, up from a projected €595m this year.

Taxes & charges
The most pressing development in the Netherlands is the proposed tax hike on the cultural and creative sector. Plans from the country’s newly elected right-wing government are set to raise the VAT rate for concert, festival, and sports tickets from 9% to 21% from 2026.

The industry response is dismay, and ticket prices are expected to rise as a result.