If you look closely at the grid of small advertisements on page 31, past the window cleaners and the accountants, you will find a bright orange logo that represents an entirely different side of the city’s culture: HMS Backline Rentals.
To an outsider, a company that rents out drum kits, guitar amplifiers, and stage equipment might seem completely out of place in a football matchday programme. But Groningen is not just a football city; it is the undisputed live music capital of the northern Netherlands, famous across Europe for hosting the massive Eurosonic Noorderslag showcase festival, as well as legendary venues like Vera and Simplon. The live music industry requires massive logistical support, and companies like HMS are the invisible backbone of every major concert and festival in the region.
So, why advertise at the Euroborg? Because the business lounges of the football stadium are the ultimate cross-industry networking hub. The people organizing summer festivals, managing event venues, and booking corporate entertainment are the exact same local entrepreneurs who buy season tickets and sponsor boxes at FC Groningen. By placing their logo in the programme, HMS Backline Rentals was ensuring that when a fellow sponsor needed a stage setup for a corporate party or a local festival, they knew exactly who to call. It is a beautiful example of how the city’s two biggest entertainment exports—football and live music—share the exact same commercial ecosystem.
A Look into the Future
Looking back from 2026, the live events industry has survived a rollercoaster decade, most notably the catastrophic shutdowns of the early 2020s. The companies that survived, like those providing essential backline and stage logistics, did so largely because of their deep, resilient roots in the local B2B community—roots that were nurtured in places like the sponsor lounges of the Euroborg. Today, the crossover between football and music in Groningen remains stronger than ever, with local artists frequently performing at the stadium and the club actively participating in the city’s vibrant cultural festivals.