Holland Festival: International Theatre, Music and Rhythmic Movement
As the leading international performance arts festival in the Netherlands, the Holland Festival is back once again this year from 1-26 June. Since 1947, the festival has been providing Dutch and international theatre goers with a survey of the best and most widely-acclaimed performance pieces from around the world.
The festival offers a heady mix of theatre, music, rhythmic movement, opera, film and visual arts, as well as Western and non-Western performance pieces in a variety of languages. Its programming consistently emphasises discipline crossovers and always includes pieces of the highest artistic standards.
Since 2005, the festival has been headed by artistic director Pierre Audi. Under his direction, it has maintained its influential role as a leading international platform for innovation in the performing arts. The festival has particularly been a frontrunner in supporting modern and non-classical contemporary music and new forms in musical theatre. Holland Festival has also shown itself as a pioneer in introducing audiences to experimental theatre and international artists.
The festival graces the stages of some of the city's most exciting theatrical locations, such as Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ on the IJ River, Carré Theatre on the Amstel, centrally-located Muziektheater and Stadsschouwburg and Westergasfabriek in the hip district of Westerpark.