1. Deeper programming
No radical changes. Fewer artists, but more performances per artist: from about 180 acts a year to 140 in 2028, while the total number of performances stays the same. This also means fewer flights and lower costs.
Early years (2007–2016)
Five words you need
Revenue, costs and the result
Each bar is one year. If revenue (pink) is higher than costs (yellow) the festival made a surplus; otherwise a deficit.
Profit / loss per year
Money in the bank
Visitors
The physical festival is limited by the number of venues, so growth happens online (COSMOS) and in the city (U?).
Ticket revenue per festival visitor
Tickets
Prices of day tickets and passes, with a rough estimate of how many of each were sold.
Where does the money come from, and where does it go?
Revenue by source
Costs by type
Bands and salaries
Artist fees
Salary costs & staff
Estimated fee per act
Per-band fees are never published. This is a model, not a fact: the artist budget of the chosen year is spread over the performing acts using a score per act.
Outlined rows are curators: the guest artists who curate a part of the festival. They get the top score for billing and for special commission, so the model gives them a higher fee.
Fee of the top acts over time
Artists with multiple shows
Policy goal: multiple performances per artist. In its multi-year plan 2025–2028 the foundation wants to work more intensively with part of the festival artists and ask them for several, preferably different, performances instead of one. The number of artists drops gradually from about 180 to 140 in 2028, while the total number of performances stays the same (more experiment and development, fewer flights, lower costs). Below: who already plays more than once. In the fee model an act with two shows gets about 1.2× the fee of an act with one show (a repeat show is much cheaper than the first). Based on the timetables (clashfinder, and the official booklet for 2019).
Acts playing more than once, per year
The directors
Pay of the statutory directors as published in the annual accounts (WNT section: salary, expenses and pension build-up), plus who they are.
ANBI status
ANBI = Dutch “public benefit organisation” status that gives tax advantages. Quick check of the published numbers against the main financial conditions. Indicative only – not tax advice.
What changed the most?
Year-over-year change per line. Orange = more than +25%, blue = more than −25%.
Odd things & possible explanations
“From the report” means the explanation is stated in the annual report. “Our reading” is an educated guess.
Trivia
Future plans
The six goals of the foundation's multi-year plan 2025–2028, summarised from the official summary (PDF, Dutch). Mission: “Listening Is The Way Forward”.
2. COSMOS becomes self-sufficient
The online/offline platform (films, radio, interviews, residencies) should run as an independent network after the 2023–2024 DigitALL grant, with costs shared with partners, Embassies and private income. LGW keeps funding two staff (project lead and producer); by 2028 COSMOS should run mostly on partnerships.
3. U? and the city
The free city programme grows through local talent development and stronger links between U? and the festival.
4. Audience development, not growth
The festival is sold out and has no room to grow. 80% of visitors return. Focus points: the 20–30 age group, a better gender balance, and reflecting Utrecht's cultural and social diversity (one in three residents has a migration background).
5. Sustainability and impact
New ecological targets every year (energy use, fewer international acts, sustainable transport, audience campaigns). Social safety continues with IVY Foundation, a code of conduct and a Social Safety Hub; accessibility work continues with Possibilize (project Superkracht).
6. Solid base, diversified income
Own income was 58% at the end of 2023, against expected cost increases of about 20%. Plans: make partner contributions measurable, grow private money (supporters programme, relationship manager, crowdfunding), find COSMOS partners, and raise ticket income (no more Early Bird tickets, higher service fees, more day tickets, night tickets and single concerts in Utrecht neighbourhoods).
COSMOS income ideas
COSMOS reaches about 37,000 people a year, but the annual reports show no COSMOS revenue. Rough, own estimates per year (not from the reports, based on typical industry figures and the 2025 reach). Realistic mix: about €100–250k per year, enough to cover much of the two staff LGW funds now, but not enough to be profitable without partners and grants.
Supporters / membership
1–2% of the audience paying €30–60 a year for extra content, early access and mixtapes.
Sponsoring and partners
Brands, Embassies and cultural institutes sponsor films, radio shows, mixtapes and residencies.
Paid livestreams
Stream tickets of €10–15 for selected festival sets, 1,000–3,000 buyers a year.
Grants and funds
Follow-up to DigitALL, Creative Europe and cultural funds for the international online network.
Merch, vinyl and compilations
Curated mixtapes and releases on Bandcamp, plus merchandise.
Education and B2B
Workshops, residencies and licensing of films and interviews to media and broadcasters.
Affiliate and advertising
Ticket and music affiliate links; low income but also low impact on the experience.