Oudejaarsconference

The oudejaarsconference (English: New Year's Eve conference) is a cabaret performance that is performed annually in December. The conference discusses the past year, every year by different comedians. The oudejaarsconference is a Dutch tradition, but since 1993 Belgium has also had its own oudejaarsconference. The conference has been broadcast on television since 1969.

The play Gijsbrecht van Aemstel by Joost van den Vondel was invariably followed by the farce The Wedding of Kloris and Roosje from 1720 to the 1960s at the end of December. This comedy was performed after the Gijsbrecht van Aemstel tragedy to ensure that the audience did not return home in a sad mood. The wedding of Kloris and Roosje included a New Year's wish that was always preceded by a passage in which a humorous look back was made on the past year. This piece is often seen as the forerunner of the modern oudejaarsconferences.^[1]

The first modern oudejaarsconference took place in 1954. The Dutch comedian Wim Kan gave in 1954 a conference on the radio, in which he made jokes and looked back on the year 1954. The broadcast was an immediate success, after which Kan decided to make it a recurring event.^[2] Six more oudejaarsconferences by Wim Kan followed later. However, in 1969 Wim Kan was unable to perform due to fatigue, so Seth Gaaikema did the oudejaarsconference in 1969. Gaaikema did not perform the conference on the radio, but was the first comedian to perform the conference on television. In 1973, Wim Kan took over the oudejaarsconference again, which also moved from radio to television.

In 1982 there were two oudejaarsconferences on television. On the first television network, Wim Kan held a conference (broadcast by VARA) and on the second television network a oudejaarsconference was broadcast by IKON, performed by the new and refreshing comedian Freek de Jonge. Later, Freek de Jonge's conference turned out to be much more popular than Wim Kan's, which is why Wim Kan decided to stop with the oudejaarsconference. Wim Kan appointed Freek de Jonge as his successor.

Freek de Jonge held an annual oudejaarsconference until 1984. Later, Seth Gaaikema conducted a oudejaarsconference from 1985 to 1986. Since 1987, the oudejaarsconference has been alternately performed on television by different comedians. In 1989, comedian Youp van 't Hek held a oudejaarsconference on television for the first time. In 1990 Seth Gaaikema stopped with the conference. In 1994, the cabaret duo Lebbis and Jansen held a oudejaarsconference on the radio and in 2000 on television.

The comedians Freek de Jonge (his conferences were broadcast by VPRO) and Youp van 't Hek (his conferences were broadcast by VARA) alternately conducted a oudejaarsconference. In 2006, Guido Weijers held his first oudejaarsconference on the commercial channel SBS6. In 2010, the broadcaster VARA decided that the oudejaarsconference would be performed by a different comedian every year. In 2010, the oudejaarsconference was staged by Erik van Muiswinkel, who did it together with some other comedians. In 2013, Theo Maassen held a oudejaarsconference on behalf of VARA. In 2015, Herman Finkers held the oudejaarsconference for the first time and in 2016 Claudia de Breij held the conference, making her the first woman to ever hold a oudejaarsconference. Since 2014, the conferences have been broadcast by Guido Weijers on RTL 4. In 2020, Youp van 't Hek held his last oudejaarsconference.^[3]

Comedian Peter Pannekoek succeeded Youp van 't Hek in 2021 to do the oudejaarsconference, which was well received. The following year, Claudia de Breij did the conference for BNNVARA and Guido Weijers for RTL 4.

In 2023, Micha Wertheim did the oudejaarsconference for BNNVARA. It was the least-watched New Year's Eve conference on television ever. According to the comedian, that didn't matter. Wertheim says, 'The lower the ratings, the greater my success'.^[4] Wertheim's conference is special, because his conference was made especially for television, in which he appeared twice.^[5] First as a traditional comedian in a tuxedo who went through the past year in an old-fashioned humorous way. And then as himself in a blue jumper with oliebollen on it, who deviated from tradition and called on people to turn off the television and their phones and talk to each other and celebrate New Year's Eve together.^[6]

In 2024, comedian Pieter Derks was allowed to do the oudejaarsconference for broadcaster BNNVARA.^[7] Comedian Guido Weijers had cancelled his oudejaarsconference for television channel RTL 4, because he says he 'doesn't have time' to produce the conference.^[8]

The oudejaarsconference is not just a conference especially for television. For example, Dolf Jansen has been publishing his oudejaarsconferences on YouTube since 2014. Other Dutch comedians are also doing a oudejaarsconference. Comedian Sjaak Bral has made conferences every year since 1996, especially for the regional channel Omroep West.^[9]

Overview of Dutch New Year's Eve conferences from 1954 to the present:

Below is an overview of the most watched Dutch oudejaarsconferences on television:^[10]

Since 1993, a oudejaarsconference has also been broadcast on television in Belgium. Comedian Geert Hoste was the person who introduced the tradition. Hoste provided the oudejaarsconference from 1993 to 2015.

From 2003 to 2007, Raf Coppens, held an oudejaarsconference on the commercial channel VTM. From 2012 to 2018, Michael Van Peel provided the oudejaarsconference for the public broadcaster VRT. Since 2019, Kamal Kharmach has provided the oudejaarsconference on the channel VRT 1.

Below is an overview of the most watched Belgian oudejaarsconferences on television:^[11]

• Cabaret
• Oliebol
• Television in the Netherlands
• Culture of the Netherlands