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Dutch Venue Attendance Rises 10% to 16 Million
September10
Venues represented by the Netherlands’ Association of Theatre and Concert Hall Directors (VSCD) recorded 16 million visits in 2025, an increase of 10% year on year.
The VSCD is the Dutch trade association for theatres and concert halls, representing venues across the country and advocating on their behalf on cultural policy, funding and sector development.
According to the association’s annual Podia 2025 report, its member venues organised a combined 68,000 activities during the year. Professional performing arts—including theatre, music and other live performances—accounted for 52% of the programme and generated 73% of total attendance.
Average occupancy in the largest halls operated by VSCD members increased from 68% in 2024 to 70% in 2025. The figures mark the fourth consecutive year of audience growth.
Funding pressures remain
Despite the rise in activity and attendance, the association warned that the financial position of Dutch venues remains under pressure.
Public subsidies account for approximately 40% of the combined revenue of VSCD venues. However, the organisation said the real value of municipal funding has declined since 2022 because subsidy increases have not kept pace with rising costs. It estimated the resulting loss in value at €7.7 million by the end of 2025.
VSCD is calling for the role of venues within the Netherlands’ cultural infrastructure to be formally recognised in law, arguing that municipal funding is currently not guaranteed by a clear legal framework.
“Municipal subsidies are not guaranteed. One of the causes of this is the lack of legal frameworks regarding responsibility for the level of cultural provision,” said VSCD director Jenny Booms. “To continue to optimally facilitate the growing supply of and demand for performing arts throughout the country, we advocate for the legal anchoring of venues.”
Regional role
The association said two-thirds of the Dutch population live in a municipality with at least one VSCD-affiliated venue.
The average distance to a member venue is 4.8 kilometres, rising to 7.3 kilometres in the northern provinces. According to VSCD, the figures demonstrate that the venues serve regional audiences as well as their immediate municipalities.
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