# Gijs Naber is the new Sinterklaas as 2.1m watch arrival

> Gijs Naber takes over from Stefan de Walle as Sinterklaas. 2.1 million people watched the saint's arrival on television, fewer than last year.

Society · published 2026-11-15 10:14 · https://nlnow.nl/a/gijs-naber-is-the-new-sinterklaas-as-2-1m-watch-arrival/

Gijs Naber was revealed as the new Sinterklaas on Saturday, shortly before the intocht, the saint's ceremonial arrival, in a Brabant town. The reveal came in Het Sinterklaasjournaal, the children's news programme that follows the saint's story. Naber succeeds Stefan de Walle.

The suspense over who would take over from De Walle was built up in Het Sinterklaasjournaal over the past week.

According to ratings analyst Tina Nijkamp, 2,146,000 people watched the intocht. That is fewer than last year, when just over 2.4 million tuned in.

Nijkamp wrote on Instagram that she had in fact expected a viewing record, but it did not happen. She said the record for live (linear) viewing dates from 2014, when 2.4 million people watched.

The 2014 record is for people watching live on a television channel. This year's audience for the intocht, 2,146,000 people, fell short of it and was also lower than for last year's arrival.

## Background

- **intocht**: The ceremonial arrival of Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) in the Netherlands, which opens the Sinterklaas season. According to the tradition, the saint arrives by boat from Spain and is welcomed with a parade in a town, usually in November, with children and crowds attending. It marks the start of the period leading up to 5 December, when Sinterklaas is celebrated with gifts and surprises.
- **Het Sinterklaasjournaal**: The Sinterklaas News is a children's television programme that runs during the Sinterklaas season. It is presented in the style of a news broadcast and follows the saint, his helpers and the events of the festive period. It is a well-known part of the Sinterklaas season for Dutch children.

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