Fun & Culture for Everyone: What’s Happening in Apeldoorn This August

01.08.2025

City Hosts DE OPENING Programme Featuring a Variety of Open-Air Events

In August, Apeldoorn transforms into a vibrant cultural hub, with events ranging from music concerts and theatre performances to museum exhibitions, rap battles and more. Here are some of the highlights happening across the city:

A midsummer night’s club

How about kicking off the September academic block with an evening full of fun, good vibes and great music?

On 26 August, starting at 19:00, Van Reekumplein Square will turn into the stage for STUFU, Apeldoorn’s biggest student fest. The programme features lively performances by Billy Dans, Nachtdienst and DJ Riva Soull.

Tickets are € 7.50 and can be purchased here.

Discover Apeldoorn’s museums

As part of DE OPENING, the new festival marking the national start of the cultural season, Apeldoorn’s museums will host a variety of special events.

On Saturday, 30 August, CODA (Vosselmanstraat 299) will be open to the public with free admission from 10:00 to 17:00. Everyone is welcome to explore the museum and enjoy art and culture. One highlight is the Paper Art exhibition, showcasing a diverse range of works and techniques – from intricately folded forms to large-scale paper installations.

The Apeldoorn Centre for Contemporary Culture (ACEC), located at Roggestraat 44, will also open its doors with free admission on 30 August from 12:00 to 21:00. The programme includes live concerts, a festive art parade and the exhibition How = Now 2025, featuring works by more than 100 artists from Gelderland and Overijssel.

From 29 to 31 August, Oranjepark will be transformed into an open-air museum bursting with stories. This initiative features specially designed installations that offer a surprising blend of art, nature and history. Each container represents a different monument, institution or museum from Apeldoorn: ACEC, CODA, Oranjepark’s Bandstand, Het Loo Palace and the Kröller-Müller Museum.

DE OPENING concerts

Also part of DE OPENING are several concerts taking place across different areas of the city.

On 29 and 30 August – from 17:30 to 22:30 on Friday and from 15:00 to 22:30 on Saturday – Marktplein (Market Square) will be transformed into a vibrant hub of culture, music and socialising. Friday’s programme features performances by Reitse Machiel, Marc Floor, Matthijn Buwalda and RONDÉ. On Saturday, Marktplein will host the largest silent disco Apeldoorn has ever seen.

Held at Het Loo Palace on 31 August, Musical Awards: The Kick-Off is a festive evening featuring live previews from several upcoming musicals. The event is organised in collaboration with the Musical Awards Foundation, which promotes and certifies Dutch musical productions. AVROTROS will record the entire programme, which will be broadcast live on NPO 1. Admission is free.

Hip hop and urban vibes

If you’re into hip hop and street culture, don’t miss the Urban APD Festival on 31 August at Marktplein, from 12:00 to 17:00. The programme includes rap battles, workshops, live performances and more, all with free admission. The event also features the preliminary round of the new city rapper election, along with impressive freestyle demos and high-energy acts.

Open-air theatre

Apeldoorn’s renowned Orpheus Theatre (Churchillplein 1) will host a series of open-air events from 29 to 30 August, featuring stand-up comedy, spoken word and aerobic performances – all with free entry.

On 29 and 31 August, the Orpheus Opening Show invites the audience to take the stage in a unique 360° experience, with performances unfolding in unexpected spots throughout the auditorium. More information and tickets are available on the event’s website.