Noorderzon 2026 has begun!
Noorderzon officially kicked off today at 3:00 PM! For the next eleven days, Groningen will transform into a festival full of international performing arts, music, literature, talks, art and plenty of free programming. Until 30 August, there is something to discover throughout the Noorderplantsoen and at various locations across the city centre.
This year, there is even more to discover in the park. The Noorderplantsoen has become one large, freely accessible festival site, with art and performances among the trees, music in unexpected places and a new meeting place around the pond: De Kraken. All the containers are also grouped together this year along the Leliesingel.
International performing arts
This year’s programme features artists from fourteen countries. Highlights include Deaf Republic by Dead Centre, RAGADA by Mario Banushi, Every Second of Downtime by Ant Hampton and Tractor Rapsodie by Louis Vanhaverbeke. You can also see work by Oulouy, Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol, Susie Wang, Magda Szpecht and Patricia Apergi.
&Society and &Literaturia
In &Society, we explore questions around power, democracy, identity and living together, with guests including Arjen Lubach, Tatjana Almuli, Lisa Loeb and Teun van de Keuken. During Shifting Grounds, international artists also join scientists and thinkers in conversations about the themes behind their performances. At &Literaturia, stories, language and new perspectives take centre stage, with guests including Ellen Deckwitz, Philip Dröge and Ype Driessen.
Music, art, children and more
Music can be heard throughout the park this year, from free concerts at Callisto to performances in unexpected places. The Speelweide offers eleven days of programming for children, while the containers along the Leliesingel host short, intimate performances.
And of course, there is plenty more free programming to discover: performances, installations, talks, art and unexpected encounters.
Come watch, listen, explore and discover.