ROTTERDAM, 13 March 2026 – The Municipality of Rotterdam has agreed to sell the Maassilo to its current operator, Maassilo/Now&Wow. The deal places one of the city’s best-known nightlife venues in the hands of the organisation that has already been running it for years, with the aim of preserving its role in Rotterdam’s cultural life for the future.
Image: Key handover at the Maassilo. Alderman Simons (centre) with Lisanne de Groot and Stefan Römgens, owners of Maassilo/Now&Wow. Photo: ©Rhalda Jansen Fotografie
A symbolic key handover took place on Thursday on the roof of the building, marking a major moment for the Maashaven landmark. For Rotterdam, this is not just a property transaction. It is also a statement about the long-term place of nightlife, pop culture and industrial heritage in the city.
The Maassilo has grown into a familiar venue for music, culture and events, and the municipality says the sale is intended to protect both the function and value of the building for future generations.
A new chapter for Maassilo
According to the municipality, the building will now pass to the organisation that has been programming and activating the Maassilo for years. That continuity matters, because the venue’s identity has been shaped as much by its use as by its architecture.
Alderman Robert Simons, whose portfolio includes municipal property and hospitality, said: “The Maassilo is a Rotterdam icon and an important stage for our city’s nightlife culture. With this sale, we are making sure the Maassilo will continue to buzz in the future. Places like this make Rotterdam lively and attractive for Rotterdammers, visitors and entrepreneurs. We are fully confident that the Maassilo is in good hands with the new owners.”
From grain silo to cultural venue
The Municipality of Rotterdam has owned the Maassilo since 2003. The building was originally constructed in the early twentieth century as a grain silo, with its distinctive elevators moving grain directly from ships into the complex.
Over the past two decades, that industrial structure has evolved into one of Rotterdam’s more unusual cultural venues. Because of its historical and cultural significance, the Maassilo has been designated as a municipal monument (gemeentelijk monument).
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Restoration and future plans
The municipality says the sale includes agreements on careful maintenance and further development of the building, with respect for its historic value. The monument is also set to be restored, with particular attention given to its characteristic concrete façade.
Another key part of the agreement is that the Maassilo will remain an anchor point for Rotterdam nightlife and pop culture, in line with city policy including the Nightlife Plan (Nachtplan), the Hospitality Implementation Plan (Uitvoeringsplan Horeca) and the Pop Vision (Popvisie).
Maassilo sold to current operator Maassilo/Now&Wow
Maashaven and Nelson Mandelapark
The city also links the venue’s future to the wider development of the area. The future Nelson Mandelapark is expected to create new opportunities for the redevelopment of the Maashaven area and for programming around the Maassilo.
The proceeds of the sale will flow back into the municipal budget and may be used for new social initiatives and urban development projects elsewhere in Rotterdam.
