Festivals & Events in Southern Holland

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Festivals & Events in Southern Holland

There are events on all year round throughout the country. Most bigger towns and cities have regular weekly markets and Christmas markets running between mid-November and mid-December. In summer most of the larger towns and cities have music festivals – open air concerts and fireworks are common. 

Dates for events vary from year to year. The Holland tourist website and local Tourist Information Points (TIP) have details. Here is a selection of annual festivals.

• See also the AngloINFO What's On Guide

Maastricht

• Preuvenemint held in August in Vrijthof Square in the centre of Maastricht is an annual four-day culinary event with food and wine stalls, free tastings, live entertainment and music
• International Horse Show each November at the indoor arena
  • Maastricht tourism site

Delft

• Tulip Exhibitions each spring from late March till mid-May at Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse
  • Delft tourism website

The Hague

• Holland Art Fair held at Malleveld in April
• Scheveningen International Sand Sculpture Festival held May to June on the beach in Scheveningen. Artists build sculptures of sand, which are then judged by a professional jury. Each year there is a theme for the sculptures (for example, in 2006 it was Mozart)
• National Fireworks Festival at Scheveningen in August
• Classic Car Rally in The Hague, with an open air jazz festival, antiques and art fair
• The Hague Cultural Festival in September
• On Prinsjesdag (third Tuesday in September) the Queen rides through the city on her golden carriage
• Arrival of St Nicholas is an event for children held each November. A parade starts in the harbour at Scheveningen and then follows a route through The Hague
• Ice Show held over the Christmas period
  • The Hague tourism website

Zeeland

• Late summer festival from late August to early September sees Zeeland celebrate with events in and around Middelburg. These include outdoor concerts and opera. Some events are free entry

• Internationale Delta Profronde is a 200 Km tour of Midden-Zeeland which forms part of the international road racing calendar (cycling)

  • Zeeland tourism website

Rotterdam

• International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) held each January and lasting about two weeks; screenings of new films by lesser-known filmmakers from around the world
• ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament held in February
• North Sea Jazz Festival held in July, with over eight hours live music per day on each of the thirteen stages
• World Harbour Festival held early September with events including boat trips, rescue and flying demonstrations and fireworks
• European Festival of the UK held in September celebrates new talent in music, dance and film from the UK
• The Netherlands Military Tattoo runs for approximately one week in late September/October
  • Rotterdam tourism website

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