Report City discussion 25.09.25

During our Stads(makers)gesprek on 25 September in the Rotterdam Library, we got to make the theatre hall unsafe with a selection from our diverse city. After a call, super many people signed up (thanks!) and some of them were able to briefly tell who/what/why they are. It was genuinely a great and inspiring evening. We hope to have many more like it! The host was Thys Boer, from N8W8 of course he.

The evening was broken up by three performances. First up was the hypnotic Mathilde Nobel, who grabbed the room with her (as she calls it herself) weirder combination of electronic production and operatic singing. Then the always energetic MAIN.-with live band-jumped throughout the venue and got everyone off their seats to bounce along. And to close, city poet Benzokarim with spoken word from his own collection, which was also sold at the drinks afterwards. On waves of words, he took us to the end of the evening.

In between all these performances, there were presentations by 14 initiatives from the city. We have summarised everything for you!

01 Night bus RET

// Full of pride, Tessa Dronzek of RET Rotterdam could announce that the night bus has been making the rounds since the beginning of September. The van exceeds expectations! If, in a moment of boredom, you would also like to take a tour, see the lines below. 

02 Safe(r)Spots - The Safe Night

// Safety in the city has recently been back in the spotlight, these initiatives have been working on it for much longer. The Safe Night engages within clubs and at events to monitor a safe environment for visitors and creators with the help of e.g. floor angels and information sessions. Out on the streets, in turn, the Safe(r)Spots can be found, in busy locations such as City Hall Square, with their bus where everyone is always welcome for anything.

03 MONO

// To say a place is there to provide space for grassroots is an understatement for MONO. Their own Nomzamo translated MONO's message into an inspiring story about how we do things together in the city and on the night, how, through collaboration, we might be able to give more space to smaller and experimental makers, and encourage throughput. With his story about the connection we (could) have, he gave us all in all food for thought.

04 Club Kitty

// Electropop, hyperpop, 2000s dance & baddie anthems is how Club Kitty (Alissa Udo & Naddie) defines itself. For all that femme is you should be here; fortunately, Club Kitty is hosting their first event on 21 November in Rotown. Check it out! For more their instagram in mind.

05 Culture Concrete

// Liam Noordzij was present as a representative of Cultuur Concreet, this organisation probably sounds familiar to you-they have been working for 25 years to stimulate culture at neighbourhood and district level in Rotterdam. Despite the fact that applying for grants from Culture Concreet for nightlife is less relevant (night culture is not often something that happens at neighbourhood level), the organisation does have a lot of knowledge and expertise about the different neighbourhoods and are always ready to help or answer questions. So the message was to contact them, despite the absence of funds, for everything else!

06 Sonorous

// Starting out as a pop-up listening bar, Sonoor is now getting a place they can always call home! For updates, follow Sonoor on their socials and mailing list, and be the first to check out Schiedamseweg 2a this November. Check out the site and instagram.

07 Dance or Die: A History Of Hardcore (book)

// Holly Dicker gave a somewhat longer, beautiful talk about the journey she has gone through in recent years on the way to her history of hardcode: the book 'Dance or Die'. She took us on a poetic cloud from a nomadic existence in her youth, to empty properties in the UK where she discovered the dance floor, and finally her nesting in beautiful Rotterdam. During the break, she sold copies of her book. The book is also available online and in this interview With Holly, you will learn more about her story.

08 GET TO IT

// GET TO IT is a young collective from the randstad with a nose for parties in Rotterdam, they have previously been hosted here by MONO and BIRD. From street culture to electronic sounds and exhibitions, broad talent is celebrated at their club nights. Check out the instagram.

09 Pulsar Sound Lab

// A dazzlingly handsome and talented splash in the form of Aniek de Rooij took the stage to enlighten us laypeople. Namely: no music without production and therefore: Pulsar Sound Lab. This platform for music production and electronic nerd arena went live summer 2025, offering workshops, live jams, community and much more. Keep an eye on the socials or sign up for the newsletter-producing we can learn ;). Check out the site and instagram.

10 SENSE / Royal Rumble

// SENSE is a Rotterdam collective that brings conviviality and hip-hop to the dance floor! Since their first edition over three years ago, they have grown into a household name and community. This has now been joined by their successful King's Day event, Royal Rumble in MONO. Pay these young creators a visit at one of their club nights and check the socials of SENSE and Royal Rumble. 

11 ALIGN

// If Rotterdam previously needed a sex-positive space, there is no longer a lack of one thanks to ALIGN. An underground queer electronic music collective that has already made club 160K unsafe three Sundays before. With various line-ups and specifically curated spaces-including playrooms-they create an experience. Their pitch immediately elicited excited responses from the audience: 'Asking for a friend...when is the next event?' See for yourself via the instagram When that is.

12 Athanor

// Despite the absence of partner in crime Mikołaj, Niels talked about the creative haven Athanor is forming in Rotterdam. Events, streams and gatherings around live electronic music and audiovisual art is what is being done at Athanor in particular now. But, Niels made clear to us, that's not necessarily all they are. So if you have a crazy idea-just knock on the door of these open-minded creators to see what weird things can come out of it. 

13 Export Rotterdam (club)

// A (slightly tired) Gerran took the stage not to do a pitch himself in this case, but to be briefly interviewed by host Thys. The reason? The impending opening of Export leaves the entire team with no puff or time for anything, including preparing a pitch. In case you haven't heard of Export yet (in which case you can count yourself as one of the few), this club is Rotterdam's newest addition and will hopefully will open its doors in November 2025. After years of work, it is finally here! And the word has spread, even outside Rotterdam, the fires are ringing about Export. At least Gerran could promise us live music, club nights and a beautifully converted basement. Come and see that!!! Soon!!! Here the site and insta.

14 Night shift (integral team night of Rotterdam municipality)

// Rob Ittmann and Bo Zwemmer, also known as a bunch of very nice civil servants, came to remind the audience once again of the integral team night of the Municipality of Rotterdam: De Nachtdienst. They were again on hand to explain and answer questions, or start conversations that could be continued later in the evening. Do you also have a question? You can always ask it at nacht@rotterdam.nl. 

But The Night Service did not just make a business appearance. Idelette had been the team's coordinator just about since the establishment of The Night Service in 2024, as a night lover and part of the Culture Department the perfect match! Unfortunately, Idelette is no longer continuing at the Municipality, and that means The Night Service and N8W8 R'dam have to say goodbye to her as well. She obviously deserves a million red roses for all the work she has done over the past years (even before The Night Service existed), which is why we ended the evening with a bunch of flowers, a big kiss and hug, and a few tears for saying goodbye to Idelette. 

Dear Idelette thanks again! We are going to miss you! But see us soon!