de Doelen: een toonaangevende jazztempel
Since the opening of de Doelen in 1966, jazz has been deeply woven into the DNA of Rotterdam’s beloved concert hall. While major jazz artists initially tended to bypass Rotterdam, from 1966 onwards they began arriving in large numbers. Almost every jazz icon has performed at de Doelen at some point. “It was one continuous celebration,” said Jos Acket.
Although jazz was booming in the Netherlands during the 1950s and ’60s, jazz impresarios Lou van Rees and Paul Acket favoured cities such as Amsterdam and Scheveningen over Rotterdam. The main reason was simple: Rotterdam did not yet have a suitable venue capable of accommodating the great stars and their entourages. But that changed in 1966, when de Doelen opened its doors—and with it the Grote Zaal, soon praised around the world for its outstanding acoustics.
The legends
From the very beginning, de Doelen made its mark: the Newport Jazz Festival chose the venue for its European edition. Following its huge success—hundreds of visitors had to be turned away—the organisers immediately announced a second edition, featuring a line-up of legends including Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. The stage was set, and other greats soon followed, including Art Blakey (1980), Nina Simone (1968), Ella Fitzgerald (1967), Herbie Hancock (1972) and Duke Ellington (1973).
Over time, the jazz landscape changed. The biggest stars gradually began favouring venues such as Ahoy and the Congresgebouw in The Hague over de Doelen. Former de Doelen director Huub van Dael explained: “Next to the Congresgebouw, several tents could be erected, allowing a few thousand more visitors to attend. De Doelen had become too small. A shame, but that’s how these things go.”
The Next Chapter
Jazz, however, never disappeared from our programming. For more than fifteen years, the Doelencafé provided a stage for jazz talent from Rotterdam and the surrounding area. Musicians such as Eric Vloeimans , Benjamin Herman and Dick de Graaf found a home there, and the Doelencafé became renowned for its intimate, high-quality jazz evenings.
In 2002, we renovated the Eduard Flipse Zaal because the Doelencafé had once again become too small for the growing popularity of our jazz nights. This gave rise to Vrijdag in de Flip: an evening where emerging jazz talent and established names could perform for a loyal audience of music lovers. The programme took a slightly different approach. Jazz was no longer the only focus; pop and global music also found a place on the stage. This marked the shift towards the broader musical profile we know today.
Jazz at de Doelen
It’s no longer only traditional jazz that takes centre stage. Raluca Baicu, de Doelen’s jazz programmer, ensures that the full spectrum of jazz can be heard in the Flipse—and across our other venues too. Artists such as Ibrahim Maalouf, Grammy-nominated Jazzmeia Horn and rising star Ebba Åsman have all performed at de Doelen.
And a familiar hotspot has made its return. With the opening of our Jazzcorner, you can once again enjoy young talent and seasoned jazz heads every other Thursday evening, just as in the days of the Doelencafé. After more than 20 years, we’re once again creating space for the city to showcase talent, jam and connect with like-minded music lovers.
The intimate, high-quality jazz evenings are back—but in truth, they never really went away.
