The Zoo

What The Zoo does

The Zoo Events B.V. is a Dutch event production and catering company headquartered in Heinenoord, South Holland, organized around two integrated divisions: The Zoo Events (festival and event production, founded 2004) and The Zoo Catering (food and beverage services, operating for approximately 40 years). The Events division produces more than 20 festivals across the Netherlands spanning pop, electronic, hardstyle, techno, 90s nostalgia, and EDM, with attendance ranging from 4,000 to 50,000 visitors per event. The portfolio is held through several wholly-owned sub-brand entities including Momentum Events, Festifairs, XSENSE, and AB&R Events, covering events such as Central Park, Geheime Liefde, LIEF, Sunglow, Festival Strand, Lansingerland Live, Borrel aan de Binnenmaas, Bibberen aan de Binnenmaas, and Dream Village.

The company runs a direct-to-consumer, event-driven go-to-market. Tickets are sold through dedicated event-specific websites and authorized resale is channeled exclusively through TicketSwap with prices capped at ±20% of face value. Revenue is generated from ticket sales, premium VIP hospitality packages (GOLD and PLATINUM tiers), on-site food and beverage sales (including a proprietary food-truck concept, Opstandige Aardappel), corporate terrain rentals, and external catering contracts (events such as Breda in Concert and Nieuwjaarsduik Scheveningen). The Zoo Catering differentiates through approximately 40 years of operating history, owned equipment including tank wagons and mobile beer tanks, and a strategic AB InBev beverage partnership enabling self-sufficient wet hospitality across simultaneous events.

The Zoo is a privately held Dutch B.V. (KVK 62598929) with 16 employees, no parent company, and no disclosed external investment. There is no proprietary technology platform, mobile application, or AI/ML capability disclosed. Distribution relies on organic social media (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube), dedicated event websites, and email, with logistics executed physically across at least ten distinct Dutch geographies including Utrecht, Rotterdam, Den Haag, Breda, Oosterhout, Hoeksche Waard, Scheveningen, Bergschenhoek, Nieuwegein, and Bunnik.

Name

The Zoo

Legal name

The Zoo Events B.V.

Website

https://thezoo.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Zoo Events B.V. is a Dutch event production company operating 20+ festivals across the Netherlands through its Events and Catering divisions, selling tickets, VIP hospitality, and catering to consumers and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Heinenoord

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Event Tickets: Primary revenue from selling tickets to various festivals and events including Central Park, Geheime Liefde, Lansingerland Live, Festival Strand, LIEF, and others.
2. VIP Experiences: Premium VIP packages offered at multiple festivals including GOLD and PLATINUM tiers, featuring elevated viewing areas, premium amenities, and personalized service for both individual and corporate clients.
3. Catering Services: The Zoo Catering provides food and beverage services at their own festivals and for external events. Revenue generated from food trucks, bars, and hospitality services at events across the Netherlands.
4. Food and Beverage Sales: On-site sales of food and drinks including their own concepts like 'Opstandige Aardappel' food truck, standard fare, and beverages at festival venues.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Zoo is a Dutch event production company that organizes and manages large-scale public festivals and events across the Netherlands through its The Zoo Events division, while its The Zoo Catering division provides in-house food and beverage services (including a proprietary food-truck concept) for both its own festivals and external event organizers. The company operates 20+ branded festivals spanning pop, 90s nostalgia, electronic, hardstyle, and techno genres, and offers premium VIP hospitality packages for both individual consumers and corporate clients.

Product overview

The Zoo is a Dutch event production and catering company consisting of two divisions: The Zoo Events (event production and organization) and The Zoo Catering (food and beverage catering). The Zoo Events organizes over 20 festivals and events across the Netherlands, including Central Park, Geheime Liefde, Lansingerland Live, Festival Strand, GL: Tuinen van Geluk, LIEF, Sunglow, Borrel aan de Binnenmaas, Bibberen aan de Binnenmaas, GL presents: HRFST, Lansinger Winterland, Sneeuwbal Winterfestival, 90's on the Beach, Gelderpop, and Dream Village. Events range from 4,000 to 50,000 visitors and span genres including pop, electronic, hardstyle, 90s nostalgia, techno, and EDM. Brands operate under corporate entities including The Zoo Events B.V., Momentum Events, Festifairs, and AB&R Events. The Zoo Catering provides food and beverage services for The Zoo Events festivals as well as external clients including Live on the Beach, Breda in Concert, and Nieuwjaarsduik Scheveningen, offering self-sufficient wet bar services with proprietary materials and partnerships with AB InBev, Flügel, and Absolut Vodka. VIP Experiences are available as premium add-on packages at select festivals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lansingerland Winterland: Winter festival brand under Momentum Events.
• Lansingerland Live
• Borrel aan de Binnenmaas
• Bibberen aan de Binnenmaas
• Central Park
• GL: Tuinen van Geluk
• Sneeuwbal Winterfestival
• Hartje Winter Festival
• Geheime Liefde
• 90's on the Beach
• LIEF
• GL presents: HRFST
• Gelderpop
• Festival Strand
• Sunglow
• Dream Village

Products and services

• The Zoo Events Primary event production and management division organizing large-scale public festivals and events throughout the Netherlands, including setup, artist programming, permit acquisition, infrastructure planning, and on-site process supervision.
• The Zoo Catering Professional event catering service providing food and beverage solutions for festivals and large-scale public events; offers self-sufficient wet and dry hospitality with proprietary bar materials, tank wagons, mobile beer tanks, and dispensing equipment; serves both The Zoo's own festivals and external event organizers.
• Central Park Pop festival in Midden-Nederland, held in the green heart of Utrecht (Park Transwijk), featuring Dutch artists and attracting thousands of visitors.
• Geheime Liefde Electronic music festival held in the bunkers and tunnels of Fort bij Vechten in Bunnik (Utrecht), featuring underground and electronic artists.
• Lansingerland Live 90s-themed festival at Annie MG Schmidtpark in Bergschenhoek featuring nostalgic hits and the best Dutch-language artists.
• Festival Strand Beach festival at Haarrijnse Plas featuring a food boulevard, Ibiza market, hammocks, and Dutch artists.
• GL: Tuinen van Geluk Festival held at De Middengaarde in Nieuwegein (Utrecht) featuring hidden corners and undiscovered paths on a magical venue.
• LIEF Electronic music festival featuring tech house and techno at Strijkviertel recreational area, positioned as a tech paradise for electronic music enthusiasts.
• Sunglow Hardstyle festival at Recreatieland Binnenmaas in Mijnsheerenland (Rotterdam), marketed as the ultimate summer-closing hardstyle event.
• Borrel aan de Binnenmaas Largest Friday-afternoon borrel (drinks) event of the Hoeksche Waard region, held at Recreatielland De Binnenmaas.
• GL presents: HRFST Electronic music event at Fort bij Vechten featuring the deepest electronic bass lines, presented by Geheime Liefde.
• Sneeuwbal Winterfestival Winter festival featuring snow-related activities and entertainment at Park Transwijk, operated under the XSENSE brand.
• Dream Village Festival featuring luxury VIP experiences, operated under the Momentum Events brand.
• VIP Experiences Premium hospitality packages offered at select festivals including VIP EXPERIENCE GOLD and VIP EXPERIENCE PLATINUM tiers, featuring elevated viewing areas, premium seating, and exclusive amenities for individual and corporate visitors; corporate/bulk reservations handled via [email protected].
• Opstandige Aardappel Proprietary food-truck concept operated by The Zoo Catering, serving fresh potato fries with truffle mayonnaise, featuring local Hoeksche Waard potatoes.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TicketSwapcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial authorized platform for ticket resale. The Zoo Events allows only TicketSwap for secondary market sales, with prices constrained to 20% above or below base price. Service fees of 5% to organization and 3% transaction fee apply.
• AB InBevcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership enabling The Zoo Catering to handle double productions without challenges. AB InBev supplies beer and beverages while The Zoo provides self-sufficient wet hospitality capabilities with own equipment.
• Ronde Tafel 75minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration for Borrel aan de Binnenmaas VIP experience. Ronde Tafel 75 sells VIP tables with 15-20% of proceeds going to charitable causes. Partnership combines philanthropy with event experience.
• Fiducia PersoneelsdienstenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStaffing agency used for recruiting catering personnel for weekend work at festivals. Candidates apply noting interest in working at The Zoo festivals.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Live Nation Netherlands: Dutch arm of the global Live Nation entertainment company, operating festivals and concerts across multiple genres with substantially greater capital and international artist access; comparable end-market but at much larger scale.
• Mojo Concerts: Largest concert promoter in the Netherlands with a broad portfolio across concert venues and festivals; comparable in scale of Dutch live event production but operates at a broader, more national level than The Zoo's festival-focused model.

Direct peers

• ALDA Events: Amsterdam-based electronic music festival and event organizer (Amsterdam Dance Event, Loveland Festival), competing with The Zoo in the electronic/techno festival segment with a similar Dutch-centric production model.
• ID&T: Dutch festival and event organizer (Mysteryland, Defqon.1, Qlimax) producing large-scale electronic and multi-genre festivals in the Netherlands, directly comparable in event production scale, venue partnership model, and target festival audience.
• B2S Events: Dutch hardstyle and electronic music event organizer (Defqon.1 history, Intents Festival, Q-Base), directly competing with The Zoo's Sunglow and LIEF events in the harder dance music segment.
• Friendly Fire: Dutch concert and event production company organizing festivals and live music events across the Netherlands, directly comparable in multi-genre event production and integrated event management.

Regional players

• Utrecht Marketing / Utrecht Festivals: Regional event organizer/aggregator in Utrecht, the same region where many of The Zoo's flagship festivals (Central Park, Geheime Liefde, LIEF, Tuinen van Geluk) operate; comparable in market geography and target audience.
• Apenkooi Events: Dutch electronic music event organizer focused on techno/house events; comparable in festival production style but with a more singular genre focus and smaller portfolio than The Zoo.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-zoo-events-catering

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 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 The Zoo