Bevrijdingsfestival

What Bevrijdingsfestival does

Wageningen45, legally Nationaal Comité Herdenking Capitulaties 1945 and operating publicly under brands including Bevrijdingsfestival Gelderland and Stad der Bevrijding, is a Dutch cultural ANBI (public benefit organization) headquartered in Wageningen, Netherlands, with a staff of 7. The organization commemorates the May 5, 1945 capitulation of German forces signed at Hotel de Wereld in Wageningen — the event that earned the city the title 'Stad der Bevrijding' (City of Liberation) — and promotes awareness of peace, freedom, and security. Its core product is the annual Bevrijdingsfestival on May 5, a free public event featuring 80+ musical acts across 15+ stages throughout Wageningen, complemented by a year-round program of educational and commemorative activities including the Nationale Herdenking Capitulaties, Vrijheidsdefilé (freedom parade), Stille Tocht/Dodenherdenking (May 4 silent march), Vrijheidsmaaltijd (community meal), Vuur van de Vrijheid (Fire of Freedom), Bevrijdingsvuurestafette (national liberation fire relay), Wereldgesprekken (world conversations), Bevrijdingsverhalen (liberation stories), a comic book / lesson package, the Brievenactie (student-to-veteran letters program), monument adoptions, and an Open Joodse Huizen / Huizen van Verzet program.

Revenue is generated through three streams: donations and contributions (the organization accepts individual and institutional donations under its ANBI status), merchandise sales via an external webshop at wageningen45shop.nl (branded clothing and commemorative items), and corporate sponsorships — Van Gelder serves as main sponsor ('hoofdsponsor'), with Menzis, Rabobank, and Broekhuis as additional sponsors. Institutional support comes from a 40+ partner network including the Ministerie van Defensie, Provincie Gelderland, Gemeente Wageningen, Vfonds, Cultuurfonds, NOS and Omroep Gelderland as media partners, and human-rights-oriented organizations such as Rode Kruis, Amnesty International, Save the Children, and Vluchtelingenwerk. Distribution and audience development run through the wageningen45.nl website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, a monthly email newsletter, and aftermovie video content. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the organization carries no proprietary technology platform; the digital footprint is conventional web and social infrastructure supporting a fundamentally physical, event-driven cultural mission.

Name

Bevrijdingsfestival

Legal name

Nationaal Comité Herdenking Capitulaties 1945 (Wageningen45)

Website

https://bevrijdingsfestivalgelderland.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wageningen45 (Bevrijdingsfestival) is a Dutch cultural nonprofit that annually commemorates the 1945 WWII capitulation in Wageningen via a free May 5 festival and year-round educational and remembrance programs serving the Dutch public, veterans, and students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wageningen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and contributions: The organization operates as a cultural ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling - Public Benefit Organization), accepting donations from individuals and organizations to support its mission of commemorating capitulation and promoting freedom and peace.
2. Merchandise sales: Sales of branded merchandise including clothing and commemorative items through the dedicated webshop (wageningen45shop.nl).
3. Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorships from companies like Van Gelder (main sponsor), Menzis, Rabobank, Broekhuis, and others provide financial support in exchange for association with the liberation festival.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bevrijdingsfestival Gelderland is the annual free public liberation festival held on May 5th in Wageningen, featuring more than 80 musical acts across 15+ stages. The parent organization (Wageningen45, formally Nationaal Comité Herdenking Capitulaties 1945) operates a year-round program of commemoration events, educational initiatives, dialogue sessions, and community engagement activities focused on WWII liberation, freedom, and peace. Revenue is generated through corporate sponsorships, donations, and branded merchandise sales.

Product overview

Wageningen45 operates as a commemorative and educational platform centered around the annual Bevrijdingsfestival held on May 4-5 in Wageningen, the 'Stad der Bevrijding' (City of Liberation). The core product is the Bevrijdingsfestival Gelderland featuring over 80 acts across 15 stages, supplemented by the Vrijland Kidsplein (family area), Vrijheidsmaaltijd (community meal), and the symbolic Vuur van de Vrijheid (Fire of Freedom). Educational offerings include Bevrijdingsverhalen (liberation stories), Stripboek/Lespakket (comic book education package), Wereldgesprekken (world conversations), and Brievenactie (veteran letter program). Memorial activities encompass the Nationale Herdenking Capitulaties 1945, Vrijheidsdefilé (freedom parade), and Stille Tocht/Dodenherdenking (silent march). The Webshop provides branded merchandise. The organization leverages digital platforms like the Bevrijdingsverhalen website and social media channels alongside physical events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bevrijdingsverhalen: Stories of liberation initiative
• Wereldgesprekken
• Vrijland Kidsplein
• Vrijheidsmaaltijd
• Vuur van de Vrijheid
• Vrijheidsdefilé

Quantifiable outcome

• Festival with 80+ acts on 15+ stages annually

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Gemeente Wageningen (Municipality of Wageningen)coreOthersGovernment municipality partner, providing institutional support for the liberation festival in the City of Liberation.
• Provincie GelderlandcoreOthersProvincial government partner supporting commemoration and liberation activities in Gelderland region.
• Ministerie van Defensie (Ministry of Defense)coreOthersKey government partner providing support for veteran activities and national commemoration events.
• Vfonds (Nationaal Fonds voor Oorlogsgetroffenen, Vervolgden en Verzet)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational foundation for war victims, providing funding and support for commemoration activities.
• Wageningen University & Research (WUR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner institution in the City of Liberation, contributing to educational programs.
• Hotel de WereldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric venue where the capitulation was signed on May 5, 1945, continues to serve as symbolic location for liberation commemorations.
• Van GelderflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMain sponsor (hoofdsponsor) of Wageningen45. Pieter Vellinga, divisiedirecteur Energie, Water & Telecom at Van Gelder, represents the company as main sponsor.
• NOS (Nederlandse Omroep Stichting)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational public broadcaster and media partner providing coverage of liberation events.
• Omroep GelderlandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional public broadcaster for Gelderland province, media partner for local coverage.
• Rode Kruis (Red Cross Netherlands)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian organization partner supporting commemoration and humanitarian values.
• Amnesty InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHuman rights organization sharing values on freedom and human rights.
• Nationaal VeteranenplatformcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational veterans platform representing veteran interests and supporting veteran recognition programs.
• NL Veteranen InstituutcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch Veterans Institute supporting veteran welfare and commemoration activities.
• Vluchtelingenwerk NederlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRefugee work Netherlands, partner on discussions about freedom and displacement.
• Save the Children NetherlandsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational child welfare organization aligned with freedom and children's rights values.
• RabobankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBanking sponsor providing financial support for the organization.
• MenzisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealth insurance provider sponsor for the liberation festival.
• BroekhuisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business sponsor supporting the festival.
• Sena PerformersminorOthersOrganization supporting performing artists and musicians, aligned with festival entertainment.
• Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport (VWS)minorOthersMinistry supporting health and welfare aspects of the commemoration.
• Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en KoninkrijksrelatiesminorOthersMinistry of Interior Affairs supporting national commemoration efforts.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bevrijdingsfestival Twente: The Twente regional edition of the Bevrijdingsfestival, applying the same liberation-celebration model in eastern Netherlands with similar partner and volunteer-driven structure.
• Bevrijdingsfestival Utrecht: Utrecht's liberation festival under the same national network, comparable in format, mission, and sponsorship/donation-based funding model.
• Bevrijdingsfestival Limburg: The Limburg edition of the Bevrijdingsfestival, comparable as a regional sister festival under the national network celebrating the same WWII liberation heritage.
• Bevrijdingsfestival Amsterdam: The Amsterdam edition of the national Bevrijdingsfestival network, running the same May 5 liberation celebration format with music stages and remembrance programming in a different Dutch city.
• Bevrijdingsfestival Rotterdam: Rotterdam's sister liberation festival under the same national Bevrijdingsfestival umbrella, executing a comparable music-and-commemoration event model in a major Dutch city.
• Bevrijdingsfestival Den Haag: The Hague edition of the Bevrijdingsfestival, offering the closest direct comparison as it runs the same May 5 liberation format in the Dutch seat of government.

Others

• Verzetsmuseum Amsterdam: The Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam, sharing Wageningen45's WWII commemoration and education mission but delivering it through a permanent museum/exhibition model rather than an annual festival.
• Herinneringscentrum Kamp Westerbork: Memorial center at the former Westerbork transit camp in Drenthe, comparable as a Dutch WWII remembrance and educational organization with overlapping themes of liberation, education, and intergenerational dialogue.

Broad incumbents

• Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei: The Dutch national coordinating body for May 4 and May 5 commemoration activities, of which the Bevrijdingsfestival Gelderland is one of the affiliated regional festivals. Directly comparable in mission (WWII liberation commemoration, freedom education) but operates at national rather than regional scale.

Emerging players

• Liberation Route Europe: An international cross-border WWII liberation heritage route connecting meaningful sites across Europe. Compares as an adjacent, emerging player monetizing the same liberation narrative through tourism rather than festival production.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wageningen45
• Facebookfacebook.com/wageningen45
• Instagraminstagram.com/wageningen45
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bevrijdingsfestival

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Bevrijdingsfestival