‘We must not forget that real stories don’t happen behind a screen’: Q’s With Tirsa Creusen, Festival Director, Pinkpop

Pinkpop is one of the Netherland’s most famous events and oldest annual pop and rock festivals in the world. It celebrated its 54th edition this year, June 20-22, with a lineup led by Justin Timberlake, Muse, Olivia Rodrigo, and more.

It was the first edition with Mojo Concerts’ Tirsa Creusen at the helm – alongside Ide Koffeman, who also directs Down The Rabbit Hole – and we reached out to her for this year’s Dutch Focus, to talk about the country’s festival business.

Keeping It Lowlands: Annual Dutch Focus 2025

Pollstar: What’s your state of mind from a business perspective at the end of 2025?
Tirsa Creusen: We must not forget that real stories don’t happen behind a screen: they’re born in the moment. Sharing an experience with friends, strangers or even your heroes is what truly matters. Because nothing beats that feeling of ‘I was there’. Life is live.

How did your first year as festival director of Pinkpop go?
I loved every second of it. Together with Ide Koffeman, I look back on an amazing summer that started off with a great edition full of new improvements and was followed by months of intensely prepping our festival for the future. Turning those plans into reality, next summer and for generations to come, is something I can’t wait for.

What are the most important factors to stay (1) culturally relevant and (2) economically successful as a festival in 2025/2026?
With Pinkpop, I focus on evolving both our music and community by bringing in new voices, genres and generations on and off stage as well as in our team. We’re also creating new experiences that go beyond the music, while staying true to our core: live music at its best.

You grew up around Pinkpop and have seen it develop over the course of decades. Is there any old value, something festivals used to adhere to, that you miss in today’s day and age?
When I first visited Pinkpop back in 2004, all social interactions were live and nothing happened behind a screen, except for the tv broadcast maybe. I hope that Pinkpop continues to be a place where once again, it’s all about making those live connections and collecting weird stories to tell your grandchildren. Because after all, creating memories is what it’s all about.

What trends in festivals stick out to you?
Visitors expect more than just a great show, they want a comfortable experience, no queues and to be taken care of. We’ve seen camping go from four raw days without a shower to luxurious camping with queues at our bathhouses. It’s inevitable to rely on your line-up as the only persuasive factor in ticketing. You need to surprise your visitors with new areas, intimate parties and several once in a lifetime experiences within one festival weekend. We’re thrilled to meet those expectations with our range this year.

How hard is it to secure the lineup each year?
Booking a lineup isn’t as simple as ticking boxes. Artist schedules, availability and creating a good balance across genres and festival days make it a year-round puzzle. Even though Pinkpop is known as a headliner festival, we feature a lot of acts who sell out multiple major venues like the Ziggo Dome on their own and headline other major festivals. They deserve far more recognition than they’ve received in the past. That’s why we’re including the full top of the bill when talking about a mix between legendary headliners and rising stars: we’re giving both the spotlight they deserve.

How’s the Dutch festival market in general doing? It’s one of the countries with the most festivals in Europe, isn’t it? Are lesser-known festivals than Pinkpop struggling?
The Dutch festival scene is thriving, with many major festivals selling out in no time. However, for every organisation, the real challenge lies in balancing a lineup and production that resemble worldclass, while keeping tickets prices fair. It’s a fine line between accessibility and ambitions of both visitors and organisations.

What’s next for Pinkpop? Anything you can reveal about the 2026 edition?
We really challenged ourselves to look at the criticism we’ve received from our visitors. That, and leaving no stone unturned, helped us identify a new potential. Not only have we reinforced our lineup, we also improved our production and mobility in order to create next level travel and stay services for our visitors. That, in combination with the hidden gems we’re currently sketching for the festival site, will definitely catch the eye of our visitors.

You’re speaking at ESNS 2026. What’s the topic of your panel, and why is it relevant?
The panel is called Festivals 2.0: upgrade or fade away. Festivals have always been great at adapting to the spirit of times, but in this fast-paced society, challenges can quickly become intense. Rising cost, sustainability demands and tighter regulations, all against a backdrop of polarization. In the middle of these challenges, we must remain doing what we’re proven to be our core: creating a space without societal limitations where people can simply come together and enjoy live music.

What’s your business philosophy, and is there anything you’d like to add?
For me it’s simple: keep the visitor at the heart of every decision. We’re in the business of creating memories that people will never forget. And that only works if festivals stay accessible for everyone and true to their soul. That balance between ambition and accessibility is what drives me to my core.

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