December 2025 – Unfortunately… our New Year’s Concert has also been impacted by the budget cuts announced by the NPO.
BNNVARA has announced that, as of 1 January 2027, they will no longer be able to broadcast the annual NBE New Year’s Concert. This puts an end in sight to a tradition that has offered so many people an inspiring start to the year.
Since 1995, our New Year’s Concert has been broadcast on television — first by the VPRO, and from 2003 onwards by VARA/BNNVARA. For us, it is a unique and unifying stage where music, stories and guests from all corners come together. It is also where the Young Composers Competition has, for years, been a springboard for emerging talent and a source of inspiration for the Blazers.
Brandt Attema:
“For us, the New Year’s Concert is the moment to harness the unifying power of music to make everyone feel welcome in the Netherlands. We see beauty in our differences, and we love giving our guests and young composers that extra sparkle with the strength of our NBE musicians and the wonderful team around us.”
Culture deserves a secure place in public broadcasting. That is why we are doing everything we can to continue offering our young composers — and our loyal audience — a New Year’s Concert next year as well, both live and on television.
We fully support the appeal made by the Taskforce for the Cultural and Creative Sector, which has sounded the alarm in an urgent letter to the Media spokespersons in the Dutch Parliament.
👉 Read the full letter here.
👉 Watch previous New Year’s Concerts on NPO Start here.