Wim Kan
Stand-up comedian · 1911–1983

Wim Kan

Who Wim Kan is

Wim Kan was a Dutch cabaret performer, born on 15 January 1911, who created the modern oudejaarsconference, the comic look back at the year on New Year's Eve that became a Dutch tradition. On 31 December 1954 he filled an hour of radio alone with his own songs and humorous reflections on the year, recorded before 500 people in the small hall of Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, and for years the New Year's Eve conference was his alone. His first on television, Zuinig over de drempel in 1973, earned the highest appreciation score ever measured, and he won the Gouden Televizier-Ring in 1977. Remembered as the father of the oudejaarsconference, he died on 8 September 1983.

At a glance

Born
1911
Died
1983
Stand-up specials
Nou je weet wa'k zeggen wil, Zuinig over de drempel, 't Was me het jaartje wel and 7 more
Albums
Dag Koningin, dag Prins, Uren, dagen, maanden, jaren..., Oudejaarsavond 1973 and 4 more
On screen
Pygmalion

Specials, shows and podcasts

Stand-up specials

Albums

On screen

Their stand-up

Wim Kan made his professional stage debut on 1 October 1931 with Cor Ruys's company at the Princesse Schouwburg in The Hague, and on 15 August 1936 he and the revue star Corry Vonk founded the ABC Cabaret, which became one of the most successful Dutch cabaret groups and a training ground where Ton van Duinhoven, Rijk de Gooyer and others began their careers. With Toon Hermans and Wim Sonneveld he is counted among the Great Three of Dutch cabaret.

After his first New Year's Eve conference in 1954, further radio conferences followed in 1956, 1958, 1960, 1963 and 1966, always for the VARA. The LP of his first television conference, in 1973, sold some 300,000 copies, 7.4 million people watched his 1976 conference, and he was made a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau in 1961.

Career timeline

  1. 1911Born
  2. 1937Pygmalion (supporting role, film, 1937) On screen
  3. 1954Nou je weet wa'k zeggen wil (radio oudejaarsconference, 1954) Special
  4. 1956't Was me het jaartje wel (radio oudejaarsconference, VARA, 1956) Special
  5. 1958Waardig over de drempel (radio oudejaarsconference, VARA, 1958) Special
  6. 1960Uithuilen en opnieuw beginnen (radio oudejaarsconference, VARA, 1960) Special
  7. 1962Dag Koningin, dag Prins (Philips, 1962) Album
  8. 1963Twaalf miljoen oliebollen op aardgas (radio oudejaarsconference, VARA, 1963) Special
  9. 1964Uren, dagen, maanden, jaren... (Philips, 1964) Album
  10. 1966Lachend over de loongrens (radio oudejaarsconference, VARA, 1966) Special
  11. 1973Zuinig over de drempel (television oudejaarsconference, 1973) Special
  12. 1973Oudejaarsavond 1973 (Polydor, 1974) Album
  13. 1976Waar gaan we in het nieuwe jaar naar toe (television oudejaarsconference, 1976) Special
  14. 1976Oudejaarsavond 1976 (VARAgram, 1976) Album
  15. 1979Wankelend over de drempel (television oudejaarsconference, 1979) Special
  16. 1979Oudejaarsavond 1979 (VARAgram, 1979) Album
  17. 1982We spreken af dat we niets afspreken (television oudejaarsconference, 1982) Special
  18. 1982Oudejaarsavond 1982 (VARAgram, 1983) Album
  19. 1983Died
  20. 2004Wim Kan compleet (DVD, 2004) Album

Questions and answers

What stand-up specials has Wim Kan released?

Nou je weet wa'k zeggen wil, Zuinig over de drempel, 't Was me het jaartje wel, Waardig over de drempel, Uithuilen en opnieuw beginnen, Twaalf miljoen oliebollen op aardgas, Lachend over de loongrens, Waar gaan we in het nieuwe jaar naar toe, Wankelend over de drempel and We spreken af dat we niets afspreken.

What TV shows and films are they in?

Pygmalion.

The full SUCDb record

The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with their place on the Legends ballots.

Their SUCDb record →

Sources

Updated 9 October 2026 · the record checked 8 October 2026