Owners of a U-pas can go to almost all concerts, festivals and other programmes in TivoliVredenburg for 5 euros in the coming months. The Utrecht music venue thus wants to further lower thresholds for culture attendance and make live music accessible to everyone in the city - including Utrechters with a small wallet.
TivoliVredenburg's mission statement reads: a lifetime of music for everyone. The music venue wants to welcome as many people as possible: from young to old and from all different backgrounds. One of the social groups TivoliVredenburg focuses on in particular are Utrechters with a smaller budget. Thus, the venue already offers free programmes on Rabo Open Stage in the Central Hall and Park 6 on the sixth floor of the building, among others. There is also the new programme line titled The Free Space which focuses on free programmes before and by the city that take place in the spaces between the halls, such as the recently renovated foyers around the Great Hall.
Festivals, concerts and more
This new U-pas scheme is the next step. Owners of a U-pas can go for €5 to all programmes for which the Utrecht stage handles production and ticket sales itself. These include festivals such as Footprints, Transition and Ramblin Roots, concerts in the six different halls and knowledge & debate programmes. U-pas pass holders can buy the tickets at the TivoliVredenburg box office upon presentation of their pass. These visitors also receive a free drink during their visit and can use the cloakroom or lockers free of charge. Only for programmes organised by external parties, the scheme does not apply. U-pas holders can find more information on the TivoliVredenburg website.
Visitor Marion Zandbergen has just picked up tickets at the box office for the St Matthew Passion and pianists Alice Sara Ott and Thomas Beijer. 'I especially love early music and neoclassical music,' Zandbergen says. 'It makes me feel rich that the U-pas allows me to participate and not be excluded because of my income. It's great that almost all the offerings fall under it. I have always lived on the minimum. But the wonderful U Pass offerings get me out of the door, enjoy the beauty of music and allow me to meet people. Especially for families, I think the reduction to €5 makes a big difference.'
Contributions
The U pass scheme is made possible by the TivoliVredenburg Fund thanks to donations from Rabobank and other partners, donors and TivoliVredenburg visitors. For instance, visitors who buy a ticket through the website have been able to contribute something extra for a ticket for someone else for some time now. Thanks in part to these donations, live music is now much more accessible for Utrechters with a small wallet. As long as donations help make it possible, TivoliVredenburg can continue to make this offer.
About the U pass
The U-pass is a free pass for low-income people in the municipalities of Utrecht, De Bilt, Houten, IJsselstein and Stichtse Vecht. Every year, residents receiving benefits from the municipality automatically receive the pass. Residents can also apply for or renew a U-pas if their combined gross income falls within certain income standards.With the U-pas, the whole family can participate in sports and cultural activities for free or at a discount.
