Serious Request and De Warmste Week are both large-scale annual charity events organized by national public broadcasters. Despite their similarities in design and purpose, there are also some clear differences between the two. The following is a comparison of both actions:

Origin and Organization

  • Serious Request was launched in 2004 by the Dutch public radio station NPO 3FM , in collaboration with the Red Cross . The action is mainly about DJs who spend a week in a Glass House stay without eating, while making nonstop radio and playing request songs in exchange for donations.
  • The Warmest Week started in Belgium in 2006 as the Flemish equivalent of Serious Request, organized by FAT and specifically by Studio Brussels . Later, it became a wider event, involving other VRT channels as well.

Format

  • Serious Request revolves around the Glass House concept. DJs are locked in the house for a week, without food, and make live radio. In the early years, the Glass House was always located at a different location in the Netherlands. In 2018, the format changed to Serious Request: The Lifeline , where DJs walk across the country to raise attention and money for charity.
  • The Warmest Week started with a similar Glass House concept, but changed from 2020 to a wider campaign that not only focuses on fundraising, but also on raising awareness about social themes. Instead of DJs in a house, it's now about solidarity in a broader sense, with more attention to actions by citizens and organizations.

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