The Parade, the renowned travelling theatre festival in the Netherlands, is returning once again, stopping by four beautiful city parks in the Netherlands where you can enjoy over 95 different theatre, music and dance performances for all ages.

About The Parade theatre festival

The Parade is a travelling theatre festival that has been running each summer for over 35 years in Eindhoven, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Amsterdam. The 2026 programme brings together over 90 theatre, dance, mime and music performances, most of which have been created especially for this festival! Performances for non-Dutch speakers are indicated in the programme with the LNP (language no problem) logo.

Photo credit: Erik van t'Hof

Travelling theatre festival locations

The Parade will be travelling to four festival locations and will occupy parks in major Dutch cities:

• June 19 - 28, Rotterdam 
• July 3-19, The Hague
• July 24 - August 9, Amsterdam
• August 14-30, Utrecht

The Parade’s 36-year history

Creator Terts Brinkhoff started the Parade 36 years ago with a grand vision of an inside-out circus in which the initiative would lie with the audience and the individual artists. His festival was named The Parade, after the term "parade maken", which was what carnival performers did to attract people to their tents.

Over the years, the festival programme for the Parade has been adjusted to strike a good balance between easy and challenging theatre, focusing more on content and less on the circus theme. The Parade has become a unique combination of large productions and interesting, smaller performances.

Photo credit: Neeltje de Vries

Delicious food at The Parade

The Parade offers a variety of delicious food from participating restaurants, from snacks to full dinners. You can also enjoy a colourful cocktail or a selection of fine wines. The Parade kitchens will be serving until late in the evening, while supplies last.

The Parade entry and performance tickets

Entry and performance tickets can be purchased on location at The Parade. Check out The Parade website for more details.

Thumb photo credit: Joep van Aert