Upcoming festivals

After 22 successful years, the Sunsets Film Festival is an open-air institution in Amsterdam. The backdrop of the Vondelpark, complete with creeping shadows and a cool summer breeze, provides the perfect setting to sit back and enjoy film classics on a giant screen.

Silver screen summer evenings

Beginning on 16 July, the EYE Film Institute Netherlands and café/restaurant Vertigo host a summer long of Friday night screenings on the Vondelpark pavilion terrace. The Sunsets Film Festival kicks off with a healthy dose of timeless slapstick action in the form of Buster Keaton's Sherlock Junior (1924). This opening film from the master of silent comedy will be accompanied live by an 1897 grand piano.

Catering for all tastes

As part of the Ingrid Bergman Summer Series, catch Alfred Hitchcock's film noir thriller Notorious (1946) on 20 August. Other highlights include the ultimate sixties heist flick The Thomas Crown Affair and Sean Connery as 007 in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). But Sunsets isn't only about the big-hitters, there are also films to satisfy the art house brigade such as the gloriously un-PC Danish contribution from 2005, Adam's Apples.

Museumplein move

The Uitmarkt will hit Amsterdam from 27 to 29 August and Sunsets is joining in the fun by relocating to the Museumplein, putting on an extra Saturday evening screening and even waiving the entrance fee! Tickets for all other screenings are just 3 euros, available one week before the show (call +31(0)20-5891400 for reservations) or on the night at the EYE reception.

Sunsets programme

Sherlock Jr.: Buster Keaton directs and stars- 16 July, 22:00
Shorts: an evening of sensational short films - 23 July, 22:00
Once: music and romance - 30 July, 21:45
Tricks: heartwarming film set in the Polish countryside - 6 August, 21:30
Adam's Apples: Danish poltically incorrect black comedy - 13 August, 21:30
Notorious: Hitchcock thriller starring Ingrid Bergman - 20 August, 21:15
Sita Sings the Blues: acclaimed animation - 27 August, 22:00 (Museumplein)
The Great Dictator: Charlie Chaplin stars - 28 August, 22:00 (Museumplein)
The Thomas Crown Affair: McQueen & Dunaway classic - 3 September, 21:00.

On Friday 10 September the Esplanade (the square in front of the theatre in Almere) will host the sing along festival 'Night of the Voice'. All amateur singers from Almere can sing along in a choir from national and international artists like Ernst Daniël Smid, Karin Bloemen, Danny de Munk und Ali B. From this choir the 'Voice of Almere' will be chosen. The winning 'Voice of Almere' will get the opportunity to sing a real solo during the festival.

Do you think that you have a chance at the title 'Voice of Almere'? Or does it just seem delighted to you to join this event? Then please sign up quickly. Participation in the event is 20, - euro per person (plus 3,50 euro administration costs). Therefore, participants will receive three times the chance to work with real professionals and their choirs.

On Tuesday, March 16 the singer and founder of the festival Ernst Daniël Smid visited the Mayor of Almere Annemarie Jorritsma and asked her to sing the popular song 'Oerend Hard' from the Dutch band 'Normaal'. After the mayor had done, Smith came to the conclusion that he is not looking for the vocal qualities of the mayor. He therefore called on all Almeerders to report, because one of them might be the 'Voice of Almere'

Culture Night Almere is coming soon. On Saturday 11 September the city of Almere is going to celebrate the start of the new cultural season with a lot of activities and performances in the buzzing Esplanade. Theatre, music, dance, poetry, art, workshops, snacks and many more. Take it with you and let you seduce and surprise.

From 20.00 o'clock, the stage at the Esplanade will be occupied by the Amsterdam Klezmer Band, BL3NDER and Trafassi. In the mean time, you can check out the Esplanade Square to enjoy a genuine 'industrial' massage from 'Die Knedenen Damen' (the kneading ladies). Afterwards, the DJ's Marcel and Vicky will bring the best modern pop songs and French chansons effortlessly together.

Rather play a game? Then test your knowledge in architecture during the mega memory game or try your luck in the twelve-meter-high scaffolding called Wawazda. In the big top Logos, the magician and master of the word, will seduce you with a story you can hear, see and even feel. Singer/songwriter fans will meet their taste in the small saloon of the city theatre. An architectural laser show makes the Culture Night Almere 2010 complete.

Meet the theatre world during the Dutch Theatre Festival in Amsterdam, which every year marks the end of the old and the beginning of the new theatre season.

This year the festival will take place from 2 until 12 September and will feature the ten best performances of the season, the performances nominated for the Theatre Prize awarded by the public and a highly varied fringe programme full of master classes, discussions and entertainment.

For the first time the festival will also include the shows nominated for the Gouden Krekel (Golden Cricket) - the award for the best theatre performance for children. Many awards will be presented during the festival itself, which traditionally features the most important representatives of the Dutch and Flemish theatre world. Among those awards are the well-known Louis D'Or and Theo D'Or, the BNG Nieuwe Theatermakersprijs and the Dioraphte Amsterdam Fringe Award.

The Amsterdam Fringe Festival, which has meanwhile come to include dozens of shows at around twenty venues, is a festival organised within the context of the Dutch Theatre Festival where juries have nothing to say and theatre makers hold sway.
The Fringe Festival offers a varied 'Language No Problem' programme. Since last year, the jury's selection is presented with English subtitles.
The festival will end with a Dutch Theatre Gala.

Singelfestival 2010 personal and tingly

The third weekend in September means enjoying for all music and theatre fans. On the festival site at the Edam harbor there will be two days full of cultural party and stunning. According to the program this year you can expect tons of bands, theatre and cabaret groups.

Next year the festival will set up in a big and a small festival tent and a nice and comfortable café with a terrace. Next to this there will be some strange vehicles, stages and tents, where the acts are going to give their breathtaking stunts and performances.

Why to go to the ring festival ? Because of the nice atmosphere; because it is one of the nicest festivals in the Netherlands, and even close by; because you can see bands and theatre groups which you never saw before, but maybe already heard about; because of the delicious drinks and food; because the children are waiting for it for the whole year and finally because not-going is not an option!

For more reasons to go to the ring festival, please check our website www.singelfestival.nl

Robodock presents the Phoenix - a hypnotic, industrial fairy tale on the site of the NDSM wharf. After a century of wandering the mythological firebird settled down at Robodock. The bird?s nest is floating in the water at the foot of the garden of Eden. In a cacophony of overwhelming mechanical soundscapes, blazing fire sculptures and music from all over the world, the ancient bird prepare itself for blowing out his last breath. While the bird rises again in scorching flames, he will sing again his enchanting song before he will make space for something new...

This year there is no Robodock festival, but a theatrical, musical open air spectacle. In this compact edition there will be an overwhelming, dynamic program of audio, visual spectacle and performances from the high-noon till the late evening.

The yard slope is transformed into a Garden of Eden, an organic landscape at the foot of the slope with a majestic, floating nest where the Firebird rests. Obviously, this environment is designed and built with industrial residues. The public is helping to build the nest by personal sacrifices in the form of texts and small objects to the stake to add.
Check the website www.robodock.org for updates about the program and more practical information.

For the period of ten days, the cultural institutions of Haarlem are all about the relationship between art and madness. After Toronto in 2003 and Münster in 2006, from 24 September through 3 October 2010 the festival will once alight on Haarlem.

Do all artists always have a screw loose? Is the work of 'crazy' artists purer and more authentic than the work of professional artists? History teaches us that the perception of art and madness is constantly changing. What was considered insane some time ago, can today be seen as exceptional creative talent. And maybe tomorrow again as a patient. The 3rd Madness & Arts Festival explores this theme in an extensive program of theatre, dance, film, music, art, literature, poetry, debate and meetings.

Next to the main festival site Museum Het Dolhuys all cultural institutions in Haarlem will be part of the festival: Filmschuur, Frans Hals Museum, De Hallen, Holland Symfonia, Nieuwe Teisterbant, Niewe Vide, North-Holland Archive, Patronage, Philharmonie, Public Library, City Theatre, Teylers Museum, Toneelschuur, Vishal, Gallery 37 Spaarnestad, Gallery Arte Magica, Gallery Johan Deumens

For more information please check our website www.maf3.nl or contact us via info@maf3.nl

The Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) is the Gateway to the international electronic music scene. As Europe's leading electronic music conference and the world's biggest club festival, it's the perfect time and place to meet with international music minds, introduce your business to an international audience and connect with new music, new trends, new people.

ADE draws the crowds like Hamelin, only there's always well-know names to watch out for as well as rising stars (ADE NEXT). The playlist for 2010 is again suitably diverse: electronic, acid, techno, trance, house, hip hop, drum 'n' bass and other beat-filled sounds to make you move. Last year, 90,000 ADE-rs packed out 41 venues to the tune of more than 700 DJs and artists. With this year's programme looking like a who's-who and who's-that?! of dancefloor royalty, 2010 looks set to rewrite the rules on bringing da house down.

During the ADE lovers of music can enjoy the absolute world top of dance music artists for four days. The Amsterdam Dance Event 2010 is held from the 20th until the 23rd of October.

The Cinekid Festival is an annual film, television and new-media festival for children in Amsterdam. Every year more than 50,000 children and (international) guests visit one or more of the five hundred media productions that Cinekid has to offer them: film, documentaries, short films, cartoons, television productions, cross-media productions, interactive installations and workshops. Alongside the main festival in Amsterdam, a satellite programme also featuring the Cinekid films is organised in more than thirty other towns throughout the Netherlands.

Cinekid for Professionals
Cinekid for Professionals will take place during the Cinekid Festival. This event will provide an opportunity for more than two hundred media professionals to meet one another in order to discuss new developments in the field of children's media, exchange experiences and promote the production of children's films, children's television and cross-media productions.
Cinekid for Professionals will comprise coproduction markets, a 'sales library', seminars and expert meetings.

At CinekidStudio.nl children can make their own media productions throughout the year. At this special children's domain children produce their own short films, news broadcasts, video clips or short cartoons.

This year from September 26th till November 7th the fourth edition of GRID International photography biennale dedicated to contemporary image culture will take place. The event will be located in Amsterdam and the surrounding metropolitan region with around 60 projects and presentations representing at least 25 countries.

Grid 2010 is dedicated to contemporary image culture and visual communication with country representations. We expect GRID 2010 will attract approximately 400.000 visitors and create a large platform for international dialogue. Our organisation is leading in the Netherlands in respect to educational programmes focused on the youth and is the only institutional, arts and culturally orientated party in the Netherlands with large projects involving cultural real estate in its corporate portfolio.

The third Amsterdam Cello Biennale will take place from November 5 to 13 in the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, the concert hall on the Amsterdam harbour front. In its short history the Biennale in Amsterdam has become the international meeting point of cellists from all over the world. During 9 days there will be over 40 concerts featuring Dutch and international master musicians, ensembles and orchestras. The 2010 Biennale will focus on the international cello ensemble, with guest ensembles from the USA, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, China and the Netherlands. The Amsterdam Biennale will present an extensive master class programme by 12 cello maestros including Anner Bijlsma, Natalia Gutman, Jean-Guihen Queyras and Giovanni Sollima. Cello concertos will be performed with the Orchestra of the 18th Century, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, The Hague Philharmonic, Asko|Schönberg and the Nederland Blazers Ensemble. The Amsterdam Cello Biennale is a festive event for cello fanatics, seasoned music lovers, young talent, children and interested passer-by alike. Don't miss Bach & Breakfast (9.30am!), Take Five, Fringe, Popper Estafete and Open Stage. See you in Amsterdam!

The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) is the largest event of its kind in the world. The festival will arrive in Amsterdam on 17 November to begin a ten-day programme packed to bursting point. IDFA's rising popularity guarantees that 2010 will once again see hoards of film-hungry visitors race to the capital to catch one (or more) of the staggering 300 creative documentaries on offer.

Filmic food for thought
IDFA also offers an unrivalled events programme to complement the films showcased in the festival. It goes without saying that films that inspire adjectival gushing, from beautiful to provocative, confronting to touching and from poetic to informative are sure to get tongues wagging. So it should come as no surprise to hear that after-parties, talk shows and debates are also important elements of the festival.

Beyond film
Much more than just another film festival, IDFA gives directors, producers, financiers and of course, the general public the chance to mingle and exchange ideas in an atmosphere geared towards creativity. The international range, the variety of genres, the politically-engaged programme and the host of European and world premieres make the IDFA a must for all (documentary) film enthusiasts.

The Amsterdams Kleinkunst Festival is the annual highlight of the cabaret season in the Netherlands. Since its founding in 1988, the festival has focused on stimulating the future, honouring the past and crowning quality.

The festival focuses on Kleinkunst in the broadest sense of the word: cabaret, musical and Dutch songs, by producing performances, tributes and several leading awards.

The 23rd edition (March 29 - May 22 2010) the festival included:
· Tribute to Rob Chrispijn, Theater de Meervaart
· Semi finals of the competition of the 'Wim Sonneveld Award', De Kleine Komedie
· Musical stage play 'Een Schitterende Jongen', Theater Bellevue
· Public song writing workshop, Theater Bellevue
· Awards 'Annie M.G. Schmidt price', Theater Bellevue

Since its founding in 1984 Imagine (27th Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival) focuses on film followers of the fantasy, science fiction, horror, thriller and animation genres. Films in which the imagination rules.

By identifying new talent, as well as trends and themes, Imagine remains up to date and functions as a guide for both genre fans as well as the more general film lovers. Artistic tour de force or popcorn film, low budget or high-tech, all is welcome at Imagine. Its quality, not status, that's the key.

Imagine (27th Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival) doesn't just let films speak for themselves, it also informs the audience about the background of filmmaking through free access master classes, symposiums and interviews. The festival is also a place where visitors and guests can meet each in an informal atmosphere.

Imagine (27th Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival): a mind-expanding, diverse and surprising film festival.

The 27th edition of Imagine (Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival) will be held from 13 April - 23 April 2011 in the Filmtheater Kriterion.

Entry to standard films is E 8.50 and the spine-chilling Night of Terror costs E 27.50. Prices vary for other special events organised during the festival. Tickets will be available online from the end of March.

Every year, the Bevrijdingspop foundation pulls out all the stops for the Haarlem Liberation Day festivities. Bevrijdingspop sees a host of home-grown and international artists flock to Haarlem to wow around 150,000 visitors with a mix of pop music, street theatre and kids entertainment.

Head to Haarlem! Make your way to Haarlem on 5 May 2011 for the 31th edition of Bevrijdingspop! The festival has secured a line-up truly fit for the occasion.

Freedom Square
The Jupiler Stage also boasts an array of Dutch talent

The nearby Plein van de Vrijheid (Freedom Square) is home to a wide range of entertainment and also provides a spot to chill out away from the stage or grab a drink and bite to eat.

A weekend full of exciting, musical and artistic encounters in old factories along the river Zaan. Listen, watch, eat, drink and be surprised by the special combinations of different music and visual arts. MidzomerZaan is a unique festival that you cannot miss. Come along on 3th, 4th and 5th of June in the beautiful Zaan region.

The Midsummer festival is based on three pillars:
* A crossover of different styles of music and other art forms;
* located in various attractive industrial sites;
* which are all connected by the river Zaan

For more information, please check our website www.midzomerzaan.nl
Contact details: Foundation MidzomerZaan, J.J. Allanstraat 189, 1551 RD Westzaan, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 (0)75 - 6168469, e-mail info@midzomerzaan.nl.

On Saturday, June 11 the time has come. On the atmospheric Beeckestijn estate in Velsen-Zuid the 33nd edition of the free Beeckestijn pop festival will take place. Each year, between ten and fifteen thousand music lovers from all over the Netherlands meet each other to celebrate this festival.

Through the years Beeckestijnpop has reached a good reputation when it comes to putting down promising bands which in the final years frequently become (inter-)national renowned. The three stages of Beeckestijnpop offer space for regional bands as well as for the top of Dutch pop and interesting international bands.

For the complete program please also check our website www.beeckestijnpop.nl.

For more than ten years the Amsterdam Roots Festival has ranked amongst the leading international music festivals, presenting frontier-crossing developments in world music to a large, varied audience. The festival is characterised different ethnic backgrounds and music styles and contacts between different population groups.

On Sunday 19 June 2011 the Amsterdam Roots Festival will feature 'Roots Open Air' in Oosterpark a large-scale, free, open-air festival staged in one of Amsterdam's parks. Performances, presentations and workshops of Dutch and foreign music groups will then take place on several platforms and in tents.

This musical spectacle will also feature more than a hundred stands representing organisations and institutes active in the fields of world music and non-Western culture, including exciting culinary products.

In 2008 more than 50,000 people of all cultural backgrounds visited Roots Open Air, together creating a relaxed, festive ambiance.

The Holland Festival is the largest performance festival in the Netherlands. Every year it offers a survey of impressive, much-talked-about artistic projects from all over the world.

Theatre, music, dance, opera, film and visual arts, Western and non-Western - all with two common denominators: high artistic quality and an international dimension. The festival also pays attention to the many possible forms of cross-fertilisation between the various disciplines.

Since 2005 the Holland Festival has been directed by Pierre Audi. Under his leadership the festival makes much of its role as a leading international (co)producer. It continues important traditions from the festival's glorious past, such as involvement in contemporary and non-classical music and innovations in the field of music theatre. The Holland Festival also proudly upholds its role as a pioneer. Examples of pioneering work in the past are the innovation of various forms of theatre and the introduction of international theatre makers. Since 1947 the Holland Festival has built up a long and illustrious tradition, making it the oldest performance-arts festival in the Netherlands.

The performances of the impressive programme take place in Amsterdam's most prestigious cultural buildings, for instance the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, the Muziektheater (Music Theatre), the Stadsschouwburg (City Theatre) and the Westergasfabriek cultural site.

Guaranteed spicy sounds on Festival Afrique-Carib 2011 in Almere!

Two stages of international talent
The seventh edition of this swinging, family-friendly festival will be held on Stadhuisplein and the motto this year is: 'Crossing Borders by Building Bridges'. The festival features a diverse line-up of both local and international acts performing on two stages.

Afro-Caribbean dream
Alongside the Afrique-Carib beats, expect exotic food, a Kid's Village, a colourful market and a host of exuberant entertainment as the Stadhuisplein is transformed into an Afro-Caribbean dream.

Diverse line-up of performing artists.

Entrance is FREE.

The ITs Festival Amsterdam is the biggest European festival where you can scout a new Dutch and international generation of theatrical talent.

Newest talent
In the last nine days of June graduating actors, dancers, singers, mime artists, film producers and cabaret artists show their latest work. It's a wonderful opportunity to catch a glimpse of how the performing arts will look in the coming years.

Debates, talk shows, afterparties
Alongside the productions, the festival programme is filled with inspiring debates, workshops and talk shows, ending every day with the famous ITs afterparty.

21 years of performing
In the twenty-one years of its existence the ITs Festival has presented a lot of promising young artists who later went on to make a name for themselves within and outside the Netherlands. They began their careers on an ITs stage, candidly performing straight from their hearts, dreaming big dreams. Now they are the audience watching the ones who might succeed them!

Language no problem
Thirty percent of the performances are international and all shows are either subtitled, silent or in English.

Venues
Compagnietheater, De Brakke Grond, Theater Frascati, De Engelenbak, Theater Bellevue, Rozentheater, De Kleine Komedie.

Entry fees
Tickets can be booked from 19 May via www.itsfestivalamsterdam.com
12 euro (reduced: 8,50 euro with CJP, student ID, sprintpas, stadspas or 65+). For shows from the programme 'Graduates in Performance' the prices are 6 euro.
Attention: prices mentioned above are only valid for online bookings. Bookings via Telephone (+31 20 626 68 66) or tickets at the door (De Brakke Grond, Nes 45, A'dam) are 1 euro extra.

Information
For more information please refer to www.itsfestivalamsterdam.com

Sensation starts its World Tour with a brand new edition in the Amsterdam ArenA!

Due to the enormous interest shown in Sensation Travel packages last year, Sensation decided to offer them once again. These packages consist of 1 or more overnight stays in a hotel of choice, a ticket for Sensation and a transfer to and from the venue.

These Sensation hotel packages go on sale Monday 7th March from 10:00 AM (gmt+1) onwards.
Regular ticket sales start on the 26th March at 10:00 AM (gmt+1) and can solely be obtained through www.sensation.com

Remark:
Since the 1st of January 2011 all tickets for Sensation and ID&T events are solely available through www.sensation.com and www.id-t.com, tickets are no longer available via Ticketonline.

On Saturday 2 July the 5th edition of the musical boat festival 'Zingen op de Zaan' (Singing on the Zaan river) will take place. At 12:30 fourty ships full of musicians will float from Knollendam along the river right through the centre of Zaanstad. In the last 5 years this festival has molted itself to the most important music festival of Zaanstad.

Between 15.30 o'clock and 18.00 o'clock the throng of musical ships will pass the beautiful and largest sluice in the city centre of Zaandam: the Wilhelmina sluice. Definitely a spectacular event surrounded by tons of music.

On their journey to Zaandam the ships will be escorted by eight different choirs on four stages in the heart of the city. The Zaanweg at Wormerveer also houses performances from another six choirs on three more stages. During Zingen op de Zaan, a whole region will be flushed by the music.

Muziek & Meer is a beach festival on the private beach of Villa West in Velsen. On Saturday 2nd July you can expect a musical mix of pop, rock, soul & dance music from various top acts. All this will take place on a floating stage with mega roof, lounge, salads, finger food, beer, champagne, massages and much much more ... famous DJ's of Kraak & Smaak and DJ Marnix will guarantee an special ending of a special party.

Tickets are available at www.ticketservice.nl, www.muziekenmeer.nu, the Free Record Shop and the Bar of Villa Westend.

Festival LaMère has now become the music festival of Almere and the surrounding area. The three-day event will become one of the largest free festivals in Flevoland and even has the potential to grew up to one of the largest free festivals in the Netherlands. Every first weekend of July Festival LaMère takes place in the centre of Almere, the economic heart of the Netherlands.

Festival LaMère, that means: enjoying a free festival with a three-day program, delicious snacks, drinks and of course a lot of live music.

Since the start of the festival several major artists have been on stage in Almere. Examples include Gerard Joling, Sonata Arctica, DCI, Hannah Montana, Robin S, Walid Jumblatt, Peter Beense, Jeroen van der Boom & Wolter Kroes. Moreover, the festival still registers an increasing number of visitors every year. The great success of Festival LaMère is partly due to the diversity of artists and the fact that it reaches all the different target groups.

Julidans: beyond fancy steps
The international contemporary dance festival Julidans provides an impression of what is currently going on in the field of dance theatre, and also a look ahead at the future.

The festival revolves around dance makers driven by curiosity whose aims go beyond thinking up fancy steps. Julidans brings its audience performances that are daring, unusual and much-talked-about.

The festival also introduces the latest developments in African and Asian contemporary dance.

Over the years Julidans has brought together many great dance artists. Some already had an international reputation (Wim Vandekeybus, Maguy Marin, Marie Chouinard), others were presented as new discoveries and now rank among the greatest in their fields, such as Akram Khan, Dave St. Pierre and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.

Each year since 2007 the leading guests of the festival have been invited to bring along a guest of their choice: a young, still unknown dance maker who in their opinion has something remarkable to show the world. They are presented in a parallel programme called Julidans Next.

Julidans performances can be admired at the following venues: Stadsschouwburg (City Theatre), Paradiso, Theater Bellevue, Melkweg, Bijlmer Parktheater and the Vondelpark Open-Air Theatre.

Summer venue theatre
The Over het IJ Festival is the summer venue theatre festival. This year it will take place from 7 until 17 July in the northernmost part of Amsterdam (the Amsterdam Noord district).

A ferry will take you from the bustling city centre to the other side of the River IJ. There you will disembark and exchange the drag of everyday life for exciting performances by young theatre makers at unexpected venues. For eleven days you can watch more than twenty-five performances and enjoy delicious food and drinks at the festival site.

A benchmark of the Over het IJ Festival is the Sea Container Programme: students of various Dutch theatre schools develop a miniature performance that is staged in a sea container measuring six by three metres. Each sea container offers you a unique theatrical experience!

The festival will take place at the NDSM quay at Overhoeks (the new part of Amsterdam's centre on the shore of the IJ) and Amsterdam Central Station.

Tthe biggest open-air dance festival in Holland held at Spaarnwoude Recreation Ground - an idyllic nature reserve within easy reach of the wide range of the Amsterdam hotels - and now in its 17th year, the event sees around 50,000 people attend on an annual basis.

A wide range of international acts have been confirmed for the festival, which takes place on August 6th between 11:00 and 23:00 local time. This year on the main stage it is all about house & progressive, with memorable sets of one of the biggest DJs of the world.

Drop by and enjoy the 24 different areas of the festival.

Check the Dance Valley site at www.dancevalley.com

On Saturday, 6 August Zandvoort will ring with the sweet, sweet sound of music as the annual jazz festival comes to town. Zandvoort is a main player in the swinging Dutch jazz scene and this is the third outing of the successful Jazz in Zandvoort formula.

The festival is popular amongst young and old, with those in the know commending Jazz in Zandvoort for bringing the genre to a wider audience. And with a host of bars and restaurants in the area plus of course the glorious beach, head along early and make a day of it!

Gasthuisplein in the town centre is the place to be on Saturday evening where the action kicks off at 19:00.

The Loveland Festival is back in town and this year it celebrates its sixth birthday! And that means more reasons than ever to head to this renowned house/dance event.

Feel the love
The enormous festival terrain alongside the Sloterplas in Amsterdam Nieuw West awaits the arrival of a staggering line-up of domestic and international DJs on 13 August. And this year, there are no less than eight different arenas and stages!

This free festival sees the Trawlerkade and the Halkade swell with a positive sea of activities and a legion of breathtaking boats.

This year, the cultural programme is bigger than ever and features a bounty of family entertainment including a Shanty Festival, street artists, local performers and acclaimed national stars of the stage.

But the IJmuiden Harbour Festival isn't only a joy to the ears and eyes - there's plenty to send your taste buds into overdrive! Delve into the world of seafood at special stands brought in for the first time this year, watch the professionals cook up a storm at demonstrations and join in the annual 'Dinner on the Quay' (ticket required).

There's also plenty to keep the kids entertained with interactive, educational games on the quay. And if the sun shines be sure to bring your swimming gear because there'll be plenty of water-based fun on the menu.

The Grachtenfestival - Canal Festival - is an annual music festival based on classical music performances. Each performance is set amongst venues characterised by extraordinary or monumental architecture boasting culturally historical value.

Inspired by the annual theme, renowned soloists and ensembles regularly compose concert programmes especially for the festival. However, the festival also features advance performances and tasters of programmes that will be performed at venues elsewhere in the Netherlands later in the season.

The Canal Festival shines the spotlight on young musicians, affording them the ideal opportunity to showcase their talents by performing in effervescent public locations.

The event also includes a Children's Canal Festival, featuring productions specially designed for children of all ages.

Tickets are renowned for being accessibly priced and numerous concerts are even free! Tickets for the festival go on sale on 1 July and are available via www.grachtenfestival.nl or the AUB Ticketshop.

Every summer the mobile theatre festival De Parade visits Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Amsterdam, transforming parks and squares into temporary cultural streets lined with dozens of colourful theatre tents.

With its theatre and dance performances, films, music, catering establishments and attractions such as an antique whirligig and a miniature wheel, it has something to please everyone's tastes, especially considering the great food stalls on offer. There is also a special Children's Parade every day of the festival.

The performances are staged several times each evening. Performers will tempt visitors to attend their shows by giving a foretaste of what they will be showing. Many of the performances are made specifically for De Parade and last at most thirty minutes.

You want to go visit the parade festival without any parking problems or traffic jams? No problem, just take the parade boat en cruise in a relaxed way with a drink, music and sunshine to the parade. The funniest boat of Holland is waiting for you to take you to the nicest theatre festival of Holland.

The Uitmarkt in Amsterdam not only represents the national opening of the cultural season, it is also the largest cultural festival in the Netherlands! The Uitmarkt is in town from 26 to 28 August.

Over the years, the Uitmarkt has evolved into a festival attracting more than 500,000 culture fans to the city. A jaw-dropping 2,000 performers take to the stage at more than 30 venues. In 2010, the Uitmarkt returns to Amsterdam's city centre, with the town's magnificent mansions and canal-side houses providing a stunning backdrop to the performances.

The three main stages are on Museumplein, Leidseplein and in the Vondelpark but a host of institutions throughout the city will also be opening their doors and joining in with the Uitmarkt. With dance, caberet, all imaginable styles of music and a host of other acts on offer, the Uitmarkt truly has something to satisfy all cultural tastes.

This year, Uitmarkt Junior is in Amsterdam's Vondelpark with a programme especially designed for the young and young at heart. Alongside child-friendly performances, a host of workshops and activities are also on the menu with the emphasis firmly placed on getting involved.

So if you're up for diving head first into the cultural wealth of the Netherlands, head to Amsterdam and the Uitmarkt this August!

The Vondelpark Open-Air Theatre lies in one of the best-known parks in the Netherlands: Vondelpark, a unique part of Amsterdam.
Nowhere else will you find so many different people of different ages, backgrounds and nationalities and from so many different parts of town.

In June, July and August the open-air theatre presents a varied programme featuring around 125 free performances. In these summer months around 100,000 people visit the open-air theatre.

At the Vondelpark Open-Air Theatre visitors can enjoy classical music, dance, children's performances, cabaret and other types of music, varying from world music to jazz, from urban to Dutch.

The programme includes a fixed part called In de Voorhoede, which is largely reserved for new talent. Young dancers, (classical) musicians and cabaret performers are granted a stage and an audience before the main programme.