Events in Haarlem
Are you curious about what’s happening in Haarlem in the near future? This beautiful city is full of activities, events, and unique experiences that you don’t want to miss. From cultural festivals to culinary delights, there’s something for everyone!
Below is a selection of the most exciting events lined up for you:
Frans Hals Museum – Coba Ritsema. An Eye for Colour
Date: 19 September 2025 – 1 March 2026
Around 1900 she was celebrated for her portraits and still lifes, especially for their beautiful and harmonious use of colour. After her death, however, she was largely forgotten. In 2026 it will be 150 years since she was born in Haarlem and exactly 75 years since the Frans Hals Museum organized a major jubilee exhibition dedicated to her. High time, therefore, to bring this Haarlem star back into the spotlight.
The Men of Michelangelo
Date: 15 October 2025 – 25 January 2026
Teylers Museum presents the international premiere The Men of Michelangelo, which explores Michelangelo’s profound fascination with the male body. Featuring more than twenty drawings from the museum’s own collection and remarkable international masterpieces – including the marble Apollo-David – this exhibition offers a fresh perspective on the timeless power and beauty in his art.
Pop-up De Kelder
Date: 17 October 2025 – end of January 2026
In the basement of Haarlem’s iconic former V&D building, a vibrant temporary hotspot for culture and nightlife will emerge from 17 October. This dynamic venue puts free expression at the centre, with energetic club nights featuring DJs, inspiring art exhibitions, innovative performances, striking fashion shows, and creative workshops. A true breeding ground for creativity that enriches the city, where every night feels different — unexpected, quirky, and full of new encounters.
Verwey Museum – Rest and remember
Date: 27 November 2025 – 24 May 2026
In a time of social unrest, mental fatigue, and sensory overload, Rest and remember is an innovative exhibition focused on calm, stillness, and mental space.
Verwey Museum – Black Snow
Date: 16 January – 28 June
Black Snow is a powerful multimedia project by Haarlem-based photographer Harm van de Poel about life in the vicinity of Tata Steel, the steel factory in the IJmond region.
Glitterland – Magical pop-up for children
Date: 21 February – 28 February
Glitterland is a temporary pop-up where children, together with their parents, can play, explore, and create in a fantasy-filled environment bursting with colour and sparkle. Everything revolves around wonder, imagination, and creative freedom.
Funfair at the Grote Markt
Date: 14 April – 29 April
A wide variety of fun attractions and stalls will be set up once again for another fantastic funfair this year!
Flower Parade of the Bollenstreek
Date: 18 April
On 18 April, parade Saturday, the moving floats travel from Noordwijk to Haarlem. On Sunday, 19 April, the floats can be admired up close one last time in Haarlem’s historic city center. This is the perfect moment to take beautiful photos.
King’s Day
Date: 26 April
From Haarlem-Noord to Schalkwijk and throughout the city center, the city comes alive with flea markets and live music. Enjoy stages in the Vijfhoek, Zijlstraat, and Kenaupark. Haarlem’s cafés and restaurants serve drinks from outdoor bars, or discover Haarlem from the water on the River Spaarne with culinary stops along the way. For a cultural experience, visit the Grote or St. Bavo Church for concerts and communal singing. Traditional funfairs on the Grote Markt and Zaanenlaan in Haarlem-Noord are not to be missed. From the ferris wheel on the Grote Markt, you’ll enjoy a beautiful view over the city.
Luilak Market
Date: 22 May
In Haarlem, the Luilak Market has been held along the Raamvest and Raamsingel for more than 100 years.
More than fifty vendors offer flowers and plants from Friday afternoon at 4:00 PM until Saturday morning at 2:00 AM. In total, nearly one kilometer of market stalls and sales trucks fills the streets.
Frans Hals Museum – The Mystery of the Girl in Blue
Date: 12 March – 11 October
In 1640–1641, Johannes Verspronck painted portraits of a young girl and her parents. For a long time, the three portraits remained together, but eventually the parents ended up in Rijksmuseum Twenthe and the daughter in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. There, the Girl in Blue, as she is affectionately known, grew into a public favorite. For the first time in almost 50 years, the portraits of father, mother, and daughter are reunited in Haarlem — the city where they were originally painted.
