DE OPENING 2026 in Eindhoven
- Time
- All day
- Where
- Eindhoven
- Province
- Noord-Brabant
- Scope
- National
- Type
- Festival
DE OPENING, the national opening of the Dutch cultural season, comes to Eindhoven from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 August 2026. The free festival is the successor to Amsterdam’s Uitmarkt, as the municipality puts it, and moves to a different host city each year. Eindhoven is the second host, after Apeldoorn in 2025.
Why it matters
DE OPENING is the weekend when the Dutch cultural year formally begins. Artists who will play the country’s theatres and concert halls in the coming season preview their work, emerging talent shares stages with established names, and museums and galleries join in with their own activities. Because the festival rotates, 2026 is Eindhoven’s moment to host the national opening.
Programme and locations
The programme spans theatre, live music, dance, visual art, performances and talks. Two free main stages anchor the weekend: the Hoofdpodium on the Stadhuisplein and the Podium on the Markt. Around them, participating cultural institutions and public meeting spots across the city join in, and cultural venues elsewhere in the country run complementary activities during the same weekend.
The organiser, Stichting de Uitmarkt, publishes the programme in the official DE OPENING app, which includes an interactive map.
Practical information
The programme on the main stages is free to attend, per the organiser. Museums and galleries run their own special activities during the weekend; check the app or the organiser’s website for details per venue.
Common questions
Is DE OPENING free?
The main-stage programme in Eindhoven is freely accessible, per the organiser. Participating museums and galleries handle their own activities.
What happened to the Uitmarkt?
DE OPENING is its successor. The Amsterdam Uitmarkt format was replaced by a national opening that moves to a new host city each year, starting with Apeldoorn in 2025.
Where does it take place?
On two free main stages in Eindhoven, on the Stadhuisplein and the Markt, plus participating cultural institutions and public spots around the city.
How do I find the programme?
Through the official DE OPENING app, which carries the programme and an interactive map, and on openingcultureleseizoen.nl.