About PAARD

Society has a soundtrack.
The accessible, connecting and emancipatory power of pop and nightlife culture is unique and indispensable. That’s why we facilitate, curate and produce (live) music with great care and passion — bringing it into the lives of our visitors.

Pop is not a music genre; it’s a snapshot of the now. It cuts across ages, tastes, backgrounds, genders, political views, education levels and origins. You can see that reflected in PAARD’s programme: on any given day you might find a young punk band from The Hague in our Café, spoken word in GR8, a boundary-pushing DJ in the Foyer, a queer dance night in the Small Hall, a world-famous Turkish pop artist in the Grolsch Hall, and we’ll dance into the night with Mama Africa. Intrinsically diverse and multifaceted. A timetable that shows more than just start and end times; it captures the spirit of the times.

With a curating role comes a guiding role. We give direction through daring programming, emerging music movements, stimulating club nights or urgent discussion events. This is how we draw new (and younger) audiences into PAARD. At PAARD, they can feel dizzy for the first time  from dancing, from drinks, or from pure happiness; but above all, they are invited to discover who they are, who they want to be, and what their role could be on our stage, in our city, or in society.

At PAARD we guard the fire that doesn’t burn on its own within The Hague’s music scene. Whether we are the spark, the pilot flame or the fuel depends on the artist, (sub)genre or goal. PAARD is the place to play your very first gig, organise your first club night, or perform your biggest show ever. And when our halls become too small for you, we’ll see you off with love our doors will always remain open.

We also look back proudly. Think of the early ’70s and you’ll hear protest music; the early ’80s bring punk; the ’90s echo with hip-hop. Each one formed the soundtrack to social change. For five decades, PAARD has stood at the heart of The Hague’s pop culture. That’s why you’ll find not only the newest artists here, but also the trailblazers of (musical) change from the past.

Society has a soundtrack. At PAARD, we believe that as the pop venue in the City of Peace and Justice just a few hundred metres from the Dutch Parliament we must play a vital role in shaping that soundtrack.

To celebrate PAARD’s 50th anniversary, filmmaker Mink Pinster created the documentary PAARD anno nu. You can watch the film below.