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.

Wim Kan during the oudejaarsconference of 1963

History

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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]

 
Seth Gaaikema in 1969

1954 - 1982

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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.

 
Wim Kan in 1979

1982 - present

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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] In 2024, comedian Pieter Derks will do the oudejaarsconference for broadcaster BNNVARA.[4]

 
Youp van 't Hek in 2020

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.[5]

List of Dutch oudejaarsconferences broadcast on radio and television

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Year Comedian Conference title Network
1954 Wim Kan Nou je weet wa'k zeggen wil VARA
1956 't Was Me Het Jaartje Wel
1958 Waardig Over De Drempel
1960 Uithuilen En Opnieuw Beginnen
1963 12 Miljoen Oliebollen Op Aardgas
1966 Lachend Over De Loongrens
1969 Seth Gaaikema Heer, Ik Kom Hier Om Te Twijfelen
1970 Met Mekaar Op Oudejaar
1973 Wim Kan Zuinig Over De Drempel
1976 Waar Gaan We In Het Nieuwe Jaar Naar Toe?
1977 Neerlands Hoop in Bange Dagen
1979 Wim Kan Wankelend Over De Drempel
1981 KRO
1982 Wim Kan Wij Spreken Af... Dat Wij Niets Afspreken VARA
Freek de Jonge De Openbaring IKON
1983 Freek de Jonge Een Verademing VPRO
1984 De Finale
1985 Seth Gaaikema Veronica
1986 Dat Moet Toch Kunnen
1987 Freek de Jonge De ontlading VPRO
1988 Seth Gaaikema Zo Kan Het Ook Veronica
1989 Youp van 't Hek Oudejaarsconference 1989 VARA
1990 Seth Gaaikema Geef Mij Maar Nederland Veronica
1992 Freek de Jonge De Estafette VPRO
1994 Lebbis en Jansen VARA
1995 Lebbis en Jansen VARA
Youp van 't Hek Het Is Liegen Of Sterven
1996 Freek de Jonge Brand and Het Luik VPRO
Lebbis en Jansen VARA
1997 Freek de Jonge Papa Razzia VPRO
1998 Lebbis en Jansen Jakkeren (voor hetzelfde geld) VARA
1999 Youp van 't Hek Mond Vol Tanden VARA
2000 Freek de Jonge De Gillende Keukenmeid VPRO
Lebbis en Jansen Jakkeren in 70 minuten door 2000 VARA
2001 Freek de Jonge Het Laatste Oordeel VPRO
Lebbis en Jansen Oudejaars 2001 VARA
2002 Youp van 't Hek Youp Speelt Youp VARA
Lebbis en Jansen Oudejaars 2002
2003 Lebbis en Jansen Jakkeren door 2003 VARA
2004 Twee Lieve Jongens In Een Woelige Wereld
2005 Youp van 't Hek Het Zelfmoordcommando VARA
Lebbis en Jansen Oudejaars 2005
2006 Guido Weijers De Oudejaarsconference 2006 SBS6
Lebbis en Jansen Oudejaars 2006 VARA
2007 Jan Jaap van der Wal Onderbewust VARA
Dolf Jansen Geen Oudejaarsvoorstelling
Guido Weijers De Oudejaarsconference 2007 SBS6
2008 Arie Koomen Uit! BNN
Guido Weijers De Oudejaarsconference 2008 SBS6
Dolf Jansen Echt VARA
Youp van 't Hek Troost
2009 Freek de Jonge Freeks Nederland: Volendam VPRO
Jan Jaap van der Wal Lekker Hard Lachen Met Oliebollen VARA
Guido Weijers De Oudejaarsconference 2009 SBS6
2010 Erik van Muiswinkel and others Gedoog, Hoop & Liefde VARA
Dolf Jansen Oudejaars 2010
Freek de Jonge Het Verlossende Woord VPRO
Arie Koomen, Wilko Terwijn, Menno Stam Bijbabbelen BNN
Guido Weijers De Oudejaarsconference 2010 SBS6
2011 Youp van 't Hek De tweede viool VARA
Dolf Jansen De Oudejaars van de Straat
Freek de Jonge Lone Wolf VPRO
Beau van Erven Dorens De Wereld van Beau: Oudejaarsconference SBS6
2012 Erik van Muiswinkel and others Het Eerlijke Verhaal VARA
Guido Weijers KRO
2013 Theo Maassen Einde oefening VARA
Pieter Derks Een Oudejaars BNN
2014 Youp van 't Hek Wat is de vraag? VARA
Guido Weijers RTL 4
2015 Herman Finkers Een uur Herman Finkers VARA
2016 Claudia de Breij VARA
Javier Guzman Zonde(r) voornemens RTL 4
2017 Youp van 't Hek Een vloek en een zucht BNNVARA
Guido Weijers RTL 4
2018 Marc-Marie Huijbregts Onderweg Naar Morgen BNNVARA
Guido Weijers RTL 4
Javier Guzman Comedy Central
2019 Claudia de Breij BNNVARA
Freek de Jonge De Lachgasfabriek VPRO
Martijn Koning RTL 4
2020 Youp van 't Hek Korrel Zout BNNVARA
Jan Beuving and Patrick Nederkoorn De andere Oudejaars
Guido Weijers RTL 4
Javier Guzman Raspopulist Comedy Central
2021 Peter Pannekoek Nieuw Bloed BNNVARA
Najib Amhali Wie het weet mag het zeggen! Oudejaarsconference SBS6
Javier Guzman In Vertwijfeling Verblijven Comedy Central
2022 Claudia de Breij BNNVARA
Guido Weijers RTL 4
2023 Micha Wertheim Micha Wertheim voor twaalven BNNVARA

Oudejaarsconference in Belgium

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Since 1993, oudejaarsconferences have also been broadcast on Belgian television. Belgian comedian Geert Hoste held a oudejaarsconference for the Flemish channel VRT 1 from 1993 to 2008. From 2008 to 2018, Michael Van Peel held the conference for VRT 1. Since 2019, Kamal Kharmach has held the oudejaarsconference on VRT 1.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "De oudejaarsconferencier: journalist, dominee of komiek?". NPO Kennis (in Dutch). Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  2. ^ "Geschiedenis van de oudejaarsconference". IsGeschiedenis (in Dutch). 2012-12-31. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  3. ^ "Oudejaarsconference Youp van 't Hek gaat toch door". nos.nl (in Dutch). 2020-12-20. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  4. ^ "Pieter Derks verzorgt dit jaar oudejaarsconference". nos.nl (in Dutch). 2024-03-26. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  5. ^ "Van statiegeldblikjes en de A12 tot de overgang en vertrekkende politici: Sjaak Bral vat 2023 samen". www.omroepwest.nl (in Dutch). 2023-12-30. Retrieved 2024-01-09.