Fresh research reveals how live music shapes Gen Z’s trust, loyalty, and spending habits in the Netherlands.
Despite being the first generation to grow up in a fully digital world, Gen Z in the Netherlands are passionate about real-life experiences — and live music sits right at the top of the list. Many attend a new concert every week or month, making it one of their foremost cultural priorities. This devotion to live events is reshaping how brands can cultivate trust, loyalty, and influence.
Connect by Live Nation’s latest ‘Love Song’ Study — one of the most thorough annual examinations of Gen Z fans in the Netherlands — identifies five critical shifts that every brand needs to understand to remain relevant in 2025.
1. Authenticity Over Perfection
86% say authenticity and genuineness are the most important qualities in life.
92% value real-life experiences and stepping away from the online world.
50%+ cite “transparency” as the number one factor in trusting a brand.
Why This Matters
This is a generation with zero tolerance for pretence. Gen Z will call out inauthentic marketing, overproduced content, and corporate virtue-signalling in a heartbeat. They expect brands to demonstrate genuine value rather than simply talking about it.
How Brands Can Take Action
Abandon the corporate veneer. Embrace radical transparency. Brands that own both their successes and their missteps earn long-term credibility.
Be present where genuine moments unfold. From the pit to VIP, venues, festivals, and intimate music experiences offer an authentic avenue for connecting with Gen Z, regardless of genre.
Collaborate with live music in a way that feels natural. Go beyond traditional sponsorships to curate and co-create experiences and content alongside Gen Z.
Brands that embed themselves within music culture — rather than merely sponsoring it — will build trust where conventional marketing falls short.
2. Nostalgic for an Era That Isn’t Theirs
94% believe nostalgia is a trend that’s here to stay.
60% of the Netherlands’ top 10 TikTok Songs of Summer were over a decade old.
Gen Z fans in the Netherlands agree: nostalgia is fundamentally about comfort and connection.
Why This Matters
Gen Z aren’t simply rewatching early 2000s programmes — they’re reimagining Y2K fashion, rediscovering old-school pop-punk, and propelling ‘throwback’ tracks into the charts. Nostalgia serves as a shortcut to emotion, identity, and connection.
How Brands Can Take Action
Reimagine the past with a contemporary twist. Nostalgia marketing is most effective when it’s not simply a repeat but a remix. Celebrate an era that aligns with your brand narrative, or draw on your brand’s own heritage to forge connections.
Craft interactive nostalgia. Limited-edition releases, exclusive experiences, and digital content that blends old-school aesthetics with modern sensibilities will resonate strongly.
Bridge Millennials and Gen Z. Cross-generational cultural moments — such as the resurgence of Y2K fashion or nineties aesthetics — lend depth to brand storytelling.
Nostalgia isn’t about looking backwards — it’s about letting Gen Z rewrite the past on their own terms.
3. Discovery Isn’t Purely Digital — It’s Experiential
87% of Gen Z say they listen to a wide range of genres, each reflecting a different mood or mindset.
89% are passionate about discovering music, old or new, with more than two-thirds preferring discovery to happen in real life rather than via an app or algorithm.
50%+ find themselves increasingly drawn to different genres recently — such as country or Asian pop.
Why This Matters
Digital recommendations feel predictable and impersonal. Gen Z want to stumble upon music organically — through friends, live performances, and cultural moments.
How Brands Can Take Action
Be present where discovery takes place. Venues, festivals, and community-driven events are Gen Z’s preferred spaces for uncovering new music.
Transform activations into discovery hubs. Festival takeovers, pop-up listening lounges, and emerging artist showcases allow brands to become part of the journey to finding a new favourite artist.
Harness live moments to fuel digital engagement. The most shareable content originates in real life — brands that create immersive experiences extend their impact far beyond the venue or festival grounds.
For Gen Z, passive scrolling is out and active discovery is in. Brands that facilitate real-life discovery moments will lead the conversation and help shape culture.
4. More Than a Fan Club — It’s Who They Are
Fandom is about connection. 88% say music is one way they express their identity.
2 in 3 Gen Z fans regard themselves as Super Fans.
64% of Gen Z feel they have a personal connection to their favourite musician.
Why This Matters
Fandom isn’t passive for Gen Z — it’s a core component of their identity. They don’t just listen; they engage, advocate, and build communities around the artists they love. The deeper the connection, the stronger the loyalty — and brands that tap into this emotional investment can create a lasting impact.
How Brands Can Take Action
Create spaces for connection. Whether at concerts, festivals, or online, brands that facilitate fan-to-fan and artist-to-fan interactions become an integral part of the experience.
Champion fan-driven culture. From remix challenges to user-generated content campaigns, brands that amplify fan creativity strengthen their bond with the community.
Be a fan yourself. To truly understand this audience, you need to become part of it. When brands engage authentically with music culture, they earn genuine trust and credibility with Gen Z fans.
For Gen Z, fandom isn’t simply about admiration — it’s about identity. Brands that nurture these connections will cultivate loyalty that endures.
5. Live Music Is Gen Z’s Ultimate Passion
1/3 of Gen Z in the Netherlands attend live music events weekly or monthly.
2/3 trust their favourite artists highly, making musicians some of their most influential role models.
~1/3 of Gen Z concertgoers attend gigs solo, drawn by the energy, excitement, and the chance to connect deeply with the artists they love.
Why This Matters
After years of digital saturation, Gen Z are reclaiming real-life moments. Live music isn’t merely a pastime — it’s a defining element of their identity, a space for self-expression, and a means of forging meaningful connections.
How Brands Can Take Action
Craft on-site moments worth sharing. Gen Z still live online but want their social content rooted in genuine experiences such as concerts and festivals. Show up on-site and live to bring millions of eyes to your brand.
Elevate through exclusivity. Offering Gen Z fans exclusive live music perks — such as behind-the-scenes access, presales, and money-can’t-buy experiences — deepens their connection to the artists they love. It creates a positive halo effect for your brand. By delivering memorable, personalised experiences, brands can transform fans into lifelong advocates.
For Gen Z in the Netherlands, the future isn’t digital — it’s live. Brands that invest in real-world experiences will lead the way.
Gen Z Aren’t Just Listening — They’re Leading the Conversation
For brands, the message is unmistakable: Gen Z fans in the Netherlands have no interest in passive marketing. They want brands that turn up where culture happens, co-create rather than dictate, and fuel the real-life experiences that matter most to them. Live music is their playground for discovery, identity, and connection — and brands that embed themselves authentically in this space will earn trust, loyalty, and influence that endures a lifetime.