Holland Festival – The Netherlands’ leading performing arts festival

Established

over 60 years ago, the Holland Festival is Amsterdam’s oldest and most popular

festival of performing arts and is an attraction not to be missed whilst

visiting the city. Taking place in June

of each year within an array of locations across Amsterdam, the festival boasts

some truly spectacular productions of music and theatre.

The

fabulous Holland Festival was first showcased in Amsterdam back in 1947, making

it the city’s oldest and most popular performing arts festival. With a whole catalogue of events and

productions, many of which are performed in numerous languages, the festival

attracts visitors from all over the world.

In 2005, the Holland Festival’s new artistic director Pierre Audi

revamped the event, taking it back to its roots.

Every

year in June, several venues throughout the city host this impressive

event. Many of the venues are already

renowned for hosting such high profile exhibitions, such as the Rijksmuseum and

the Concertgebouw positioned upon Amsterdam’s famous Museumplein, together with

the iconic Eye Film Institute in the north of the city. However, other locations such as the picturesque

Oosterpark and the Westergas Factory site are also used as festival venues.

At the

heart of the Holland Festival are performances of music and theatre, together

with dance productions, operas and displays of visual arts. The festival effortlessly blends a mixture of

western and non- western events together with classical and modern

performances, ensuring that it offers something for everyone involved. As well as promoting the talents of up and

coming artists, the festival has also featured some of the world’s well-known

performers throughout its history. It

was this very festival that introduced the much loved Maria Callas to the

Netherlands.

The festival is one of Amsterdam’s must see

sights and runs throughout the month of June.

Tickets for the Holland Festival can be purchased online and many

tickets include free public transport access to the various events across the

city. More information about tickets,

together with a full event programme can be found on the festival’s website www.hollandfestival.nl/en.