What Le Guess Who? does

Le Guess Who? is an international music festival founded in 2007 and based in Utrecht, the Netherlands, operating as Stichting Le Guess Who with Cultural ANBI (public benefit) status. The festival is held annually over four days (5-8 November 2026 for the 20th Anniversary Edition) across 25+ venues throughout Utrecht, with TivoliVredenburg serving as the main hub. It curates and presents 150+ artists annually under the motto 'Listening is the Way Forward,' with programming shaped by guest curators and distinguished by boundary-crossing, genre-spanning curation that attracted visitors from 52 countries in 2025.

The organization's product surface extends beyond the core festival into three sub-brands: U?, a freely accessible city program launched in 2021 that extends programming into Utrecht neighborhoods; COSMOS, a hybrid platform launched as part of the 2026 edition that showcases global independent music scenes through mixtapes, film, live radio, conversations, and performances; and 24 HOUR DUB, a special 24-hour continuous dub music program. Supporting products include a TMSQR-built iOS/Android festival app, Festival Recordings archive, Sound & Culture Summit, and Film Program. Accessibility initiatives include Grant an Entry (subsidized tickets for newcomers and refugees in partnership with Dutch Council for Refugees, NewBees, and Buddy to Buddy) and Low Income Day Tickets at 75% discount.

Le Guess Who? generates revenue through three streams: tiered ticket sales (4-Day Pass at €215, individual day passes €75-€85, plus discounted tiers for CJP, U-pas, and low-income attendees), a recurring supporter/donor program, and material public and private funding from the City of Utrecht, Province of Utrecht, European Union, Fonds Podiumkunsten, and Dutch foundations including VSB Fonds, Fonds 21, Het Cultuurfonds, KF Hein Fonds, Fentener van Vissingen Fonds, and Stichting Doen. The organization is led by co-founder and Artistic Director Bob van Heur and Business Director Anne Marleen de Jong, overseen by a seven-member Supervisory Board. Distribution occurs through direct website sales, CM.com ticketing, TicketSwap peer-to-peer resale, and the festival app, with marketing reach via international press, social media (Instagram, TikTok, SoundCloud, YouTube), and media partnerships with publications including Crack Magazine, The Quietus, FACT, and MOJO.

Name

Le Guess Who?

Legal name

Stichting Le Guess Who

Website

https://leguesswho.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Le Guess Who? is a Dutch non-profit music festival founded in 2007 in Utrecht, hosting 150+ boundary-crossing artists across 25+ venues annually for an international audience from 52 countries, with sub-brands including the U? community program and COSMOS global platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Festival / Live Music Events

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Festival Organizers & Promoters (MPAGAAAB)

Keywords

• Music festival
• Live music events
• Cultural programming
• Music curation
• Community arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: The primary revenue stream comes from selling festival tickets and passes. Le Guess Who? sells 4-Day Passes, individual Day Passes, and special program passes (e.g., 24 HOUR DUB passes). The festival generates revenue through standard ticket pricing and discounted ticket programs (CJP, U-pas, Low Income Day Tickets).
2. Supporter/Donor Program: Individuals can register to become supporters of the festival, contributing financially to support its mission. Supporters provide membership fees which are used for organizational funding.
3. Public and Private Funding (Cultural ANBI): As a Stichting (foundation) with Cultural ANBI (public benefit organization) status, Le Guess Who? receives funding from government bodies (City of Utrecht, Province of Utrecht, European Union, Performing Arts Fund), private foundations (VSB Fonds, Fonds 21, Het Cultuurfonds, KF Hein Fonds, Fentener van Vissingen Fonds, Stichting Doen), and corporate sponsors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Le Guess Who? is an international music festival held annually in Utrecht, Netherlands, presenting 150+ artists across multiple venues with a curated, genre-crossing program. The organization extends its core offering through community programs (U?), hybrid and online platforms (COSMOS), special programming (24 HOUR DUB, Sound & Culture Summit, Film Program), and a freely accessible festival app with recordings archive.

Product overview

Le Guess Who? is a leading international music festival in Utrecht, Netherlands, with the motto 'Listening is the Way Forward.' The core offering is the 4-day festival featuring 150+ artists across multiple venues, complemented by U? (freely accessible city program celebrating local communities), COSMOS (hybrid platform for global music scenes), and 24 HOUR DUB (special dub music program). Additional offerings include a mobile festival app, Sound & Culture Summit, Film Program, and accessibility initiatives such as Grant an Entry and Low Income Day Tickets. The festival operates a tiered ticketing system with regular tickets, CJP discounts for under-30s, U-pas discounts for Utrecht residents with low income, and low income day tickets with 75% discount.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• U?: Freely accessible city program celebrating local and creative communities in Utrecht
• COSMOS
• 24 HOUR DUB

Products and services

• Le Guess Who? Festival
• U? Community Program
• COSMOS Platform
• 24 HOUR DUB
• Festival App
• Festival Recordings Archive
• Sound & Culture Summit
• Film Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Visitors from 52 different countries attended in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of UtrechtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary public funder and host city for Le Guess Who?. The city provides financial support and facilitates festival operations across Utrecht's venues and neighborhoods.
• TivoliVredenburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe festival's main venue and hub — an imposing architectural structure with five concert halls. Located next to Utrecht Central Station. The festival wristband exchange and central operations are based here. Described by FACT Magazine as 'the ideal cultural venue' for the festival.
• CM.com (Ticketing Provider)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial ticket provider for Le Guess Who?, handling ticket issuance, payment processing, and service emails about the festival. Also provides the newsletter platform.
• Buddy to BuddycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial partner that connects newcomers to the Netherlands with citizens based on shared interests, supporting the 'Grant an Entry' initiative that provides subsidized festival tickets to newcomers who cannot afford attendance.
• Dutch Council for Refugees (Stichting VluchtelingenWerk)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding social partner supporting the 'Grant an Entry' initiative, facilitating access to the festival for refugees and asylum seekers in the Netherlands.
• NewBeesStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization matching newcomers with traineeships at local organizations, collaborating on the 'Grant an Entry' initiative to facilitate cultural integration through festival attendance.
• PACT UtrechtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of Utrecht cultural players working together to become more diverse and inclusive. Le Guess Who? is a member, supporting social sustainability goals.
• Green Deal Circular FestivalsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean partnership of festivals collaborating to become circular and climate neutral. Le Guess Who? was a member from 2022-2025.
• Natuur en Milieufederatie Utrecht (NMU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUtrecht Nature and Environment Federation collaborating with Le Guess Who? on CO2 compensation for artist air travel and visitor travel, including tree-planting initiatives.
• Katoenfabriek & KapitaalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal production partners for Le Guess Who? merchandise, committed to sustainable production using organic and/or recycled materials.
• QobuzminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial music streaming partner for Le Guess Who?, hosting official festival playlists and providing a 60-day free trial offer for Le Guess Who? attendees.
• Crack Magazine, Scene Noise, The Quietus, Vrije Geluiden, Full Moon Magazine, OneWorldminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partners providing press coverage and editorial support for the festival, including music publications and cultural magazines from Europe and beyond.
• CJP (Cultureel Jongeren Paspoort)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDutch youth cultural card organization providing discounted festival tickets to members under 30 years old.
• U-pasminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUtrecht-based card program offering cultural discounts for residents with low income, enabling discounted festival tickets that can also be paid with U-pas credit.
• AbletonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic software company listed as a creative partner, likely supporting the festival through product or program collaboration.
• Stichting AccessibilityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccessibility organization collaborating with Le Guess Who? and website developer Ramdath to improve website accessibility in accordance with WCAG AA guidelines.
• SuperkrachtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram bringing young people with mild intellectual disabilities into the cultural sector through volunteer opportunities at the festival, in collaboration with Le Guess Who?.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Unsound: Annual experimental music and art festival held in Kraków, Poland, featuring boundary-crossing programming across genres. Highly comparable to Le Guess Who? in curatorial mission, international audience, and avant-garde positioning.
• CTM Festival: Berlin-based annual festival for adventurous music and art, pairing club culture with experimental programming. Closely aligned with Le Guess Who?'s boundary-crossing, multidisciplinary curation and international press profile.
• Club To Club: Turin-based music festival spanning electronic, pop, and experimental genres across multiple venues. Comparable to Le Guess Who? in city-wide multi-venue distribution, genre-crossing curation, and international audience.
• Rewire: The Hague-based annual festival of contemporary music and audiovisual art. A Dutch peer with overlapping mission, multi-venue city format, and emphasis on boundary-crossing international programming.
• Dekmantel: Dutch boutique music festival and label group based in Amsterdam, focused on electronic, experimental, and contemporary music. Directly comparable to Le Guess Who? in being a Netherlands-based, mission-led boutique festival with international reach.
• Atonal: Berlin festival dedicated to industrial, electronic, and experimental music held at Kraftwerk. Shares Le Guess Who?'s genre-transcending, venue-driven curatorial model and international artist roster.
• Sonic Acts: Amsterdam-based biennial festival of art and technology-driven experimental music and performance. Comparable to Le Guess Who? as a Dutch curated music festival focused on discovery, avant-garde work, and international collaboration.
• Terraforma: Italian experimental music and sustainability-focused festival held outside Milan. Directly comparable to Le Guess Who? in curatorial mission, sustainability programming (Green Deal Circular Festivals), and boutique international positioning.

Regional players

• Eurosonic Noorderslag: Dutch music showcase festival in Groningen combining European artist showcases with a conference program. Comparable to Le Guess Who? as a Netherlands-based music event with industry conference component (akin to the Sound & Culture Summit).

Broad incumbents

• Primavera Sound: Large, established Barcelona-based festival with a similarly genre-spanning, internationally curated lineup. Comparable to Le Guess Who? in curatorial ethos but operates at significantly larger commercial scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/leguesswhofestival
• Instagraminstagram.com/le_guess_who
• TikToktiktok.com/@leguesswho
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/le-guess-who-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Le Guess Who?