De Waalse Kerk

Name

De Waalse Kerk

Legal name

Waalse Gemeente te Amsterdam-Haarlem

Website

https://dewaalsekerk.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Event Venue

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Musical Groups and Artists (711130)

SIC

Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Venues & Venue Operators (Clubs, Theaters, Arenas) (MPAIAFAB)

Keywords

• Classical music concerts
• Venue rental services
• Church services
• Language courses
• Wedding venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Administration, Operations, Personnel, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Concert and event ticket sales: Revenue from selling tickets for classical music concerts, including the Bösendorfer Piano Series, chamber music, harpsichord recitals, and other cultural events. Tickets are sold online via third-party platforms (Klassiekemuziek.nl, Ticketkantoor) and at the door with a €2.50 surcharge per ticket for door sales.
2. Venue and space rental: The church offers multiple spaces for hire: the main Kerkzaal (church hall), Consistorie, Salle van Meer, and professional kitchen. Spaces are rented for corporate events, weddings, funerals, congresses, workshops, presentations, and cultural events. Catering is offered in partnership with dedicated caterers. Both cultural and business rentals are available.
3. French and Dutch language courses: The Centre Français-Néerlandais offers French and Dutch language courses, generating revenue from course fees.
4. Donations and patron/friend memberships: The church operates as a non-profit. It solicits donations and 'Friend of De Waalse Kerk' memberships to support its cultural programming and building maintenance.
5. Investment income from endowment: The Diaconie (charitable arm) maintains a significant own endowment built over its long history. The investment portfolio is managed by professional asset managers. The College of Deacons aims to spend at least 3% of its own capital annually on gifts and other expenses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

De Waalse Kerk operates a historic 1586 Walloon church in central Amsterdam functioning as a classical music concert venue (Bösendorfer Piano Series, Strijkkwartet Serie, Bach op Vrijdag, free monthly organ lunch concerts), a French-language Protestant congregation holding biweekly Sunday worship services, a venue rental business (Kerkzaal, Consistorie, Salle van Meer for weddings, corporate events, and cultural productions with catering partnerships), and French/Dutch language courses via the Centre Français-Néerlandais. All activities centre on the historic Müller organ (1734) and the building's renowned acoustic properties, and the organisation operates as a non-profit ANBI entity under the Protestantse Kerk in Nederland.

Product overview

De Waalse Kerk is a historic Walloon church in Amsterdam operating as a dual-purpose venue combining religious services with a vibrant cultural program. The core offerings include music concert series (Bösendorfer Piano Series, Strijkkwartet Serie, Bach op Vrijdag, and free lunch organ concerts) centered around their famous Müller-organ, and venue rental services (Kerkzaal, Consistorie, Salle van Meer) for events including weddings, corporate functions, and cultural gatherings. Additional services include catering, French-Dutch language courses, newsletter subscription, and French-language church services (La Paroisse). The venue operates as a non-profit organization with various affiliated foundations (Diaconie, De Ruusscher Stichting, Hospice Wallon) managing charitable and cultural activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bösendorfer Piano Series: Annual piano concert series featuring internationally renowned pianists performing on the Bösendorfer piano.
• Centre Français-Néerlandais
• La Paroisse

Products and services

• Bösendorfer Piano Series Annual subscription-based piano concert series of 8 concerts per season (September-May), priced at €37.50 regular / €30.00 CJP-Stadspas / €17.50 student per concert, with a passe-partout for 8 concerts at the price of 6 (€225). Featured artists include Queen Elisabeth Competition winners and other internationally acclaimed pianists.
• Strijkkwartet Serie (String Quartet Series) Concert series dedicated to string quartet performances, ticketed through Klassiekemuziek.nl and Ticketkantoor at €25 regular / €20 discounted / €10 student per concert.
• Bach op Vrijdag Friday concert series dedicated to Bach performances at De Waalse Kerk, including solo organ and other instrumental programmes.
• Gratis Lunchconcerten (Free Lunch Concerts) Free monthly organ recital series held on the second Tuesday of each month (except July-August) from 12:00-12:30, performed by students from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam's organ class on the 1734 Müller organ.
• Kerkzaal Venue Rental Rental of the main church hall (Kerkzaal) for corporate events, weddings, funerals, congresses, presentations, dinners, receptions, and large gatherings, with professional kitchen and catering partnership options.
• Consistorie Venue Rental Rental of the elegant Consistorie room with high ceilings, golden chandeliers, and marble fireplaces, suitable for meetings, lunches, workshops, dinners, corporate training, and presentations.
• Salle van Meer Venue Rental Rental of the versatile Salle van Meer room, suitable for workshops, presentations, receptions, and corporate training, and usable as a dressing room / artist foyer when renting the main Kerkzaal.
• Trouwlocatie (Wedding Venue) Official civil-marriage wedding venue registered with the Municipality of Amsterdam, offering couples the ability to celebrate their marriage in the historic church setting, including ceremonies officiated by the church's pastor Joost Röselaers.
• Catering Services Catering services for rented events, including lunch, drinks/receptions, and dinner, delivered through partnership with dedicated caterers specialised in events at the historic venue; a professional kitchen is also available.
• La Paroisse (French-language Church Services) French-language Protestant worship services held every other Sunday morning, including pastoral care, baptisms, marriages, and funerals conducted by the church's pastor Joost Röselaers for the Waalse Gemeente Amsterdam-Haarlem congregation.
• Centre Français-Néerlandais (French and Dutch Language Courses) French and Dutch language courses offered at the church through the Centre Français-Néerlandais, catering to language-learning needs of expats, professionals, and language enthusiasts, with revenue from course fees.

Quantifiable outcome

• The church has been operating continuously for over 450 years (since 1586) as both a religious congregation and cultural venue.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Walenpleintje B.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024De Ruusscher Stichting is the sole shareholder of Walenpleintje B.V. The Walenplan (future policy plan) is executed through a contract with Walenpleintje B.V., which handles cultural activities programming and venue management for the church.
• Professional Asset Managers (vermogensbeheerders)coreOthersThe Diaconie's investment portfolio (effectenportefeuille) is managed by professional asset managers who have discretion within a chosen investment profile, in accordance with the Protestantse Kerk's investment guidelines.
• VU (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) - Leerstoel Religieus ErfgoedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDe Ruusscher Stichting financially supports the 'Leerstoel Religieus Erfgoed' (Chair of Religious Heritage) at the VU University Amsterdam.
• Stout & Boele ConsultancyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExternal accounting firm that handles financial administration for De Waalse Kerk.
• Klassiekemuziek.nlcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party ticket sales platform for classical music concerts. De Waalse Kerk sells concert tickets through this platform, which handles the transaction and shares customer contact details with the church.
• TicketkantoorcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party ticket sales platform for De Waalse Kerk's concerts and events. The platform shares necessary contact details with the church for event communications.
• Fixed caterers (cateraars)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Ahrend & BrunzemaminorOthersOrgan restoration firm that performed a major restoration of the Müller organ in 1965, returning the instrument to its 1734 state as much as possible.
• Flentrop OrgelbouwminorOthersOrgan building firm that performed a partial restoration of the Müller organ in 2010-2011.
• Henk van EekenminorOthersOrgan specialist who performed a restoration of the Müller organ in 1993.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Tivoli Vredenburg: Major multi-hall concert complex in Utrecht. Comparable as a large-scale classical concert venue in the Netherlands competing for touring international artists and audiences.
• Concertgebouw Amsterdam: The Netherlands' premier classical concert hall. Both venues program world-class classical music in Amsterdam and compete for the same high-end audience, though Concertgebouw operates at significantly larger scale and is the dominant incumbent.

Direct peers

• Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam: Amsterdam heritage venue for major exhibitions, concerts, and high-profile private events. Comparable as a centrally located historic church venue targeting premium event clients.
• Orgelpark Amsterdam: Amsterdam's dedicated organ performance venue housing historic Dutch organs. Most directly comparable niche peer given the shared emphasis on historic pipe organs and organ recital programming.
• Zuiderkerk Amsterdam: Historic Amsterdam church building used for cultural events, exhibitions, weddings, and corporate hire. Directly comparable venue rental and heritage positioning in the Amsterdam historic church market.
• Paradiso Amsterdam: Iconic Amsterdam music venue housed in a former church, programming diverse live music across genres. Comparable as a repurposed historic religious building hosting concerts and cultural events.
• Westerkerk Amsterdam: Historic Amsterdam church offering concerts (organ recitals), tower tours, weddings, and event hire. Directly comparable historic church venue with classical music programming and event rental.
• Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ: Amsterdam's contemporary classical and new music venue. Directly comparable as an Amsterdam-based classical performance venue competing for touring artists and concert audiences.
• Oude Kerk Amsterdam: Historic Amsterdam church that combines heritage preservation with contemporary art exhibitions, concerts, and events. Closest structural analogue as a historic church operating as a cultural and event venue in central Amsterdam.

Regional players

• Bimhuis: Amsterdam's dedicated jazz and improvised music venue. Comparable as a single-purpose Amsterdam music venue, though focused on jazz rather than classical recital programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/de-waalse-kerk

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries4 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 De Waalse Kerk