What if your audience could decide how much they pay for a theater ticket? This question led Kaaitheater to launch a bold experiment in 2021: Pay What You Can (PWYC). Since then, visitors have been able to choose from a range of rates for each performance, with a suggested price as guidance — but never as an obligation. The result: fewer barriers, greater autonomy, and a broader audience.
Since September 2022, PWYC has no longer been a temporary test but a permanent part of Kaaitheater’s ticketing policy. The system is not a standalone initiative, but a direct expression of the theater’s deeper mission: “How to Be Many.” Under this motto, the theater seeks to create space for a wide spectrum of visitors, artists, stories, and perspectives.
Accessibility, here, is not about offering discounts to some, but about opening up the experience to all. By providing financial freedom of choice, Kaaitheater not only invites people to experience art — but also to embrace solidarity, generosity, and connection.
From discount to freedom of choice
Kaaitheater was founded in 1977 as a festival and became a permanent home for contemporary performing arts in 1987. Today, it is one of Brussels’ leading arts centers, with a focus on dance, performance, debate, and socio-ecological themes.
Due to renovation works on its historic building at Sainctelette Square, the theater has been temporarily closed since 2022. In the meantime, Kaaitheater is co-producing with partner venues across Brussels and the Vlaamse Rand, making audience building and ticketing all the more complex. Paradoxically, it was precisely during this period that the theater completely overhauled its pricing policy.
The PWYC system replaces traditional discounts (such as student or senior rates) with a multi-tiered pricing model. When buying tickets, visitors choose from five rates — ranging from lower amounts (e.g. €7 or €10) to above the former standard price (€25 or €35). Each ticket displays a suggested price, but the final choice is left to the visitor.
Who are we to decide on someone’s financial situation? Traditional categories like “65+” or “student” have become obsolete.
- Valerie Vernime
--- Business Coordinator, Kaaitheater
The model encourages visitors to adjust their contribution to their own situation — with no obligation, no proof, and no barriers. Behind the scenes, however, lies a fine-tuned system in which prices are aligned with production costs, hall capacity, and artistic profile. A major international performance in a large hall carries different rates than a small solo piece or a lecture.
.jpeg)
From experiment to policy
In the first season, the system was tested through a survey linked to nearly 10,000 ticket bookings. Kaaitheater used it to assess motivations, experiences, and demographics. The results were striking:
A few visitors reported this:
“I'm single and now I can bring my kids. Thank you.”
“It makes me feel like Kaaitheater really acknowledges that we live in an unequal society.”
“I really love this. Now, the threshold for buying tickets for things I'm not 100% sure about has been lowered.”
“It makes me think about what I'm spending completely differently.”
The public response was overwhelmingly positive — both in the survey and at the box office. As of September 2022, the system was officially adopted as policy, no longer just a temporary experiment.
Business balance
The internal analysis showed that the system remained financially stable. Performances by well-known names or companies tended to reach the suggested price or higher, while younger or less familiar work generally attracted lower contributions. Overall, the analysis confirmed that the system consistently achieved the intended average per paid seat.
At the same time, Kaaitheater reduced the number of free tickets and abolished traditional discounts. As a result, PWYC became the sole entry point — and the only pricing tool. No more subscription plans, but a system accessible to everyone, for every performance.
The impact on public engagement
One remarkable side effect: people started coming more often in groups. Visitors indicated that the system made it easier to bring along someone who might otherwise have stayed home. It was also observed that people shifted between price categories depending on their circumstances — paying a bit more one time, a bit less the next. This flexibility strengthened both their sense of autonomy and their engagement.
The system also encouraged audiences to take more risks: attending shows by lesser-known names, experimental formats, or at new locations. The threshold for trying something unfamiliar became much lower.
But perhaps the most striking result was the shift in audience demographics. Within a short time, the audience clearly grew younger. According to Vernimme, this was no coincidence but the result of an interplay between pricing policy and programming. In the first survey, a quarter of visitors were new, and almost half were under the age of 35.
An example for others
Kaaitheater soon began receiving inquiries from other institutions about the system — not only from Flanders, where venues such as VierNulVier in Ghent adopted it, but also from French-speaking colleagues and international players. Interest across the field was high. As one survey response put it: “Great idea! I would also like to see this in other cultural venues.”
At the same time, Kaaitheater itself was not without inspiration. The Battersea Arts Centre in London — a pioneer of PWYC in the performing arts — served as an important point of reference. There, efforts toward radical accessibility, including flexible ticket pricing, have been underway for some time.
On the own website Kaaitheater therefore shares their results and learning points, as a source of inspiration for others.
What makes it successful?
According to Kaaitheater, there are six key elements that make PWYC succeed:
- Solidarity in practice: those who can afford more often contribute more
- Stable income per seat
- Strong audience growth, especially among young people and first-time visitors
- A clear signal of inclusion in both policy and communication
- A flexible co-presentation model with partner venues
- Broad recognition, including Visit.Brussels’ “Most Audacious Project” Award
Not without challenges
Valerie notes that the transition to the new pricing system did not happen automatically: “In the beginning, we had to explain the how and why. This was sometimes difficult, especially for audiences buying at the box office. People felt awkward about choosing a certain rate. Some even felt they had to justify their choice, which only raised the threshold. Fortunately, the system is now more established.”
The introduction of a suggested price also proved crucial in making freedom of choice workable. Together, these elements quickly made the system feel more familiar.
Finally, saying goodbye to the old subscription model took some adjustment for loyal visitors. But Kaaitheater deliberately opts for single tickets at fair prices, ensuring that even those who attend only occasionally have access — without the need for prior commitment.
What you still need to know as an organization
For those considering introducing PWYC themselves, Kaaitheater recommends not just seeing it as a ticket formula, but as an expression of a broader mission. It must be embedded in your public engagement, communication and vision.
Ideally, a PWYC approach fits into a broader commitment to accessibility. It is not credible to introduce such a system if it is not reflected in the rest of the organization’s work with its audiences.
-- Valerie Vernime
--- Business Coordinator, Kaaitheater
