Some good news for Haarlem’s musicians, finally. Two weeks after Slachthuis closed its doors following its bankruptcy, the rehearsal studios on the Rockplein are back in use. Patronaat and Hart have stepped in to run them for now. Before anyone starts planning a comeback gig though: the stage and the bar are still closed, and everyone involved is very clear that this is not Slachthuis rising from the dead. Yet.
What has reopened?
Since Monday 5 October 2026, the Slachthuis Studio’s are open again for music teachers, students and bands. That means rehearsals and music lessons can carry on, which is a big relief for the many bands and musicians who suddenly found themselves without a place to play when the building closed on 23 September.
- Open: the rehearsal studios, for music lessons and band rehearsals
- Still closed: the concert stage and the bar, so there are no gigs or public events for now
- Existing tenants: bands and teachers with a running contract can go straight back in
- Ad hoc bookings: booking a room for a one-off session isn’t possible yet, but the organisers are working on it
Who is running it: Patronaat and Hart
Stichting Patronaat, Haarlem’s big pop venue on the Zijlsingel, and Stichting Hart, the city’s centre for arts education and culture, have taken over the management of the studios together for a period of at least six months. Eefje Majoor is the temporary coordinator for both organisations and handles the day-to-day running and contact with users. Staff and volunteers from Hart and Patronaat help keep the place going, and Hart has bought some of the equipment from the bankrupt foundation so the studios can actually function.
The organisations stress that this is a temporary arrangement and “emphatically not a restart or new beginning for Slachthuis”. In other words, Patronaat and Hart are keeping the lights on while everyone works out what should happen next. They plan to use these six months, together with the municipality, to come up with a realistic and financially sustainable plan for the long term.
How did we get here?
If you missed it: Slachthuis had been struggling for years. By 2026 its debts had grown to around €780,000, nearly half of that unpaid rent to the municipality, which owns the building. Director Demian de Rooij left in the summer, concerts were cancelled or moved, and on 4 September the city decided not to give any more subsidy, saying there was no solid and sustainable future for the foundation. Stichting Slachthuis then filed for its own bankruptcy, and the building closed completely on 23 September.
I wrote about the bankruptcy and how you can help in more detail here: Slachthuis Haarlem is bankrupt: what happened and how you can help.
So will Slachthuis reopen as a music venue?
That’s the honest answer nobody can give yet. The municipality owns the Rockplein building and has the final say on what cultural role it plays from 2027 onwards. The fact that Patronaat and Hart are involved is encouraging, because they’re two of the most established cultural organisations in Haarlem and they clearly see the value of the place. But a new podium and bar would need a business plan that works financially, which is exactly what went wrong last time.
What I’d love to see is the rehearsal rooms, the music school and a smaller, well run stage for young and local bands under one roof again. Haarlem needs a place where new bands can grow before they’re ready for the big room at Patronaat.
How you can help
- Use the studios: if you’re in a band or take lessons, keep booking. Proving the rooms are needed is the best argument for keeping them.
- Sign the petition: the petition to keep Slachthuis as a music factory and creative hub is still open on petities.com.
- Support Patronaat and Hart: go to gigs at Patronaat and check out the courses at Hart. They’re carrying this for now.
- Let the gemeente know: the municipality decides the building’s future, so it doesn’t hurt to tell your local councillors that Haarlem needs it.
Practical info
- Address: Rockplein 6, 2033 KK Haarlem
- Website: slachthuishaarlem.nl
- What’s open: rehearsal studios and music lessons only, from 5 October 2026, for at least six months
I’ll update this post when there’s news about the long-term plans.
Sources: NH Nieuws, Haarlem Updates, NH Nieuws on the closure, Haarlem105.
