See January
DANCE VALLEY | www.dancevalley.com
This annual dance music and camping fest takes place at the Spaarnwoude recreation area just outside of Amsterdam and always features an impressive – and diverse – line-up of national and international DJs.
DE PARADE | www.deparade.nl
One of the highlights of the cultural year is this inimitable kitsch carnival/theatre festival, which opens in Rotterdam in June and travels to The Hague and Utrecht, before reaching Amsterdam. A variety of colourful tents, wooden treehouses and other quirky structures, are set up in the Martin Luther King Park – all containing a wide variety of mini-shows, restaurants and bars. It features the crème de la crème of mostly Dutch (but some international) avant-garde performance – including a number of English-language productions – ranging from theatre and dance to film, opera and circus acts. Don't miss firm favourites: De Levende Jukebox (The Live Jukebox). For that extra experience, take the Paradeboot (Parade Boat) to and from the event from Het Muziektheater.
JULIDANS | www.julidans.com
Dance in all its diversity – including non-western dance forms – is represented at this cutting-edge international dance festival. Also featured is the CineDans programme of dance films.
KWAKOE SUMMER FESTIVAL | www.kwakoe.nl
The largest multicultural festival in the Netherlands, with a focus on Surinam, Antillian and African cultures, offers an extensive programme of live music, movies, performances, parties, art, literature and sports. Entirely free, it's held every Saturday and Sunday throughout July and August.
More events in July 2012