Noorderzon 2026
- Time
- All day
- Where
- Noorderplantsoen, Groningen
- Scope
- National
- Type
- Festival
Noorderzon, Groningen’s international festival of performing arts and society, returns from Thursday 20 to Sunday 30 August 2026 for its 36th edition. For eleven days the Noorderplantsoen park becomes a temporary festival world of theatre, dance, music and talks, with performances in the park and at venues across the city.
The festival pairs a large free programme with a ticketed international main programme. The Noorderplantsoen stays freely accessible throughout, per the organiser, and ticket sales for 2026 are open.
Why it matters
Noorderzon brings artists from fourteen countries to the north of the country, according to the organiser. The 2026 edition opens with Deaf Republic by the Irish collective Dead Centre, described by the organiser as a contemporary fable about war, silence and collective resistance. The programme also includes work by Mario Banushi and Ant Hampton, a museum installation for children, and an open-air performance by Le Patin Libre in the Noorderplantsoen.
Tickets
Entry to the festival park is free and the free programme runs daily alongside the main programme. Tickets for shows are sold online through the programme pages, with a service fee of 1 euro for iDEAL payments or 1.50 euros by credit card, per the organiser’s tickets page. General sale for the international main programme opened on 6 June 2026 and for the full programme on 4 July 2026. Prices are listed per show on the programme pages.
Common questions
Is Noorderzon free?
Entry to the Noorderplantsoen is free and the festival runs an extensive free programme. Most performances in the main programme require a ticket.
When does it run?
From 20 to 30 August 2026: eleven days.
Are tickets on sale?
Yes. General sale for the international main programme opened on 6 June 2026 and for the full programme on 4 July 2026.
What is the opening production?
Deaf Republic by the Irish collective Dead Centre.
Where does it take place?
In and around the Noorderplantsoen park in Groningen, with performances at venues across the city as well.