Local economy benefits from “The Happiness of Limburg”

In 2025, the Toneelgroep Maastricht theater company, Huub Stapel, and Servé Hermans performed the large-scale theater production "Het Geluk van Limburg" (The Happiness of Limburg) no fewer than 116 times in a sold-out Rodahal. 

This resulted in a visible increase in traffic and visitors to Kerkrade. The municipality of Kerkrade Map the specific added value of Het Geluk van Limburg for the local economy. Today, the results of the study conducted by Ginder will be announced. The economic spin-off of the production is estimated at nearly 10 million euros. 

Spin-off translated into concrete figures

The study was conducted by Ginder, an agency specializing in research in the field of leisure economy and tourism. Ginder calculated how much money was spent as a result of visits to the Rodahal. Expenditure on admission tickets and leisure activities was calculated at €7.3 million; additional turnover in the hospitality sector was calculated at €1.6 million. The retail sector also benefited from the influx of visitors: additional income for retailers was calculated at €300,000. As the performance had a supra-regional appeal, the hotel sector also benefited with €500,000 in additional overnight stays. 

Alderman Geers (Economy and Tourism) explains: "The figures in the Ginder report confirm the general impression that the Rodahal series has generated additional spending among small businesses in our city. The conclusions show that every euro the municipality invested in the production ultimately generated almost €12 in added value for the region." Compared to other cultural projects, this is a high score. 

Social added value is priceless

The Happiness of Limburg has also given a huge boost to the image of the city and the region. The research shows that the performance has been a catalyst for conversations between generations about the difficult mining past. The performance was a special form of recognition for the miners and their families and offered younger generations an authentic insight into the origins of their own region: "This theatrical spectacle was therefore so much more than just a performance. Events of this caliber, appropriate to the location and the audience for which they are programmed, create the desired encounters and connections in our society," said Alderman Heijltjes (Events and City Marketing).