Geert Hoste
About Geert Hoste
Geert Hoste, born in Brugge on 1 juli 1960, is a Flemish stand-up comedian and, since 1993, one of the most successful performers in Flanders. For more than a quarter of a century he brought a widely watched and much discussed eindejaarsconference to television each year. He taught Flanders what stand-up was, inspired a whole generation of successors, and in 2025 received a Lifetime Achievement Award for it. All of his theatre programmes were broadcast on television and/or radio and were repeated annually, drawing 60,000 spectators each year to the largest theatres in the country, and eight of his shows are among the top 100 most-watched Flemish television broadcasts of all time.
He studied at the Gentse Sint-Barbaracollege and studied law at the university of Gent. To pay for his studies he began performing as a mime artist on the street in 1978, completing his act with training in classical ballet in Gent and Parijs and flamenco in Spain, and soon performed at festivals across Europe and in Washington, Moscow and Bombay. After the premiere of his mime solo Vlaas is Zot in 1983 he was approached by the BRT to work on a new children's series, and together with Nele Verschelden and Jan 'Waldo' Verroken jr. he made Liegebeest. From 1991 to 2016 VRT broadcast his nieuwjaarsconference every year on 1 January, and the conference reached its absolute record figure on 1 January 2013 with 1,720,190 viewers for Geert Hoste XX.
After 25 years of touring with his eindejaarsconferences, Hoste decided in 2016 that it was enough, and since then he has led a withdrawn life and devoted himself to human rights and freedom of expression. He has been an ambassador of Amnesty International Vlaanderen for more than twenty years, and in May 2024 he was elected as a substitute member of the board of the Federaal Mensenrechteninstituut. Among the prizes he has won are the EBU Grand Prix de la radio in Monaco, the prize of the radio criticism in 1990, the Muze van Sabam in 2014, the Nationale Humorprijs in 2019, and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the first edition of the Gouden Jefkes in 2025.
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Frequently asked questions
When and where was Geert Hoste born?
Geert Hoste was born in Brugge on 1 juli 1960. He is a Flemish stand-up comedian and, since 1993, one of the most successful performers in Flanders.
How did Geert Hoste begin his performing career?
He studied law at the university of Gent and, to pay for his studies, began performing as a mime artist on the street in 1978. He completed his act with training in classical ballet in Gent and Parijs and flamenco in Spain, and soon performed at festivals across Europe and in Washington, Moscow and Bombay.
What was his eindejaarsconference?
Since 1993 Hoste made an annual theatre programme about the year's news, intended as an eindejaarsconference, traditionally broadcast on 1 January on the Flemish public broadcaster. From 1991 to 2016 VRT broadcast his nieuwjaarsconference every year, and it reached its absolute record on 1 January 2013 with 1,720,190 viewers for Geert Hoste XX.
Why did he stop performing in 2016?
After 25 years of touring with his eindejaarsconferences, Hoste decided in 2016 that it was enough. Since then he has led a withdrawn life and devoted himself to human rights and freedom of expression, including as a long-time ambassador of Amnesty International Vlaanderen.
What awards has Geert Hoste received?
He won the EBU Grand Prix de la radio in Monaco and the prize of the radio criticism in 1990, the Muze van Sabam in 2014, the Nationale Humorprijs in 2019, and in 2025 received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the first edition of the Gouden Jefkes.
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