Uitmarkt is the Netherlands’ largest annual cultural festival; traditionally held in Amsterdam on the last weekend of August, it officially launched the new cultural season. However, the event’s concept has changed: after a 45-year run, the classic Uitmarkt festival in Amsterdam was discontinued and replaced by a revamped national project titled DE OPENING (“The Opening”). Instead of having a permanent location in the capital, the festival now rotates among host cities across the country.
The name literally translates as “outdoor market.” Cultural institutions (theaters, museums, concert halls) set up their booths and presented their programs for the upcoming year.
Eindhoven has been selected as the main official host city (*gaststad*) for the DE OPENING festival in 2026.
