All the world's a stage at De Parade.

6 – 22 AUGUST
Martin Luther Kingpark, various times, €7 (free before 16.00) + performances

Every summer, from June until the end of August, the travelling theatre, music, dance, film and art freakshow known as De Parade (pronounced pa-ra-da) packs up its tents and caravans and takes up residence in the cities of the Randstad. So far, the good people of Rotterdam, Den Haag and Utrecht have all had their turn eating under the trees and screaming on the carousel. Now the venerable outdoor theatre festival makes our home its home.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of this staple on the cultural calendar and the programme reflects this with return appearances from Unfold favourites PIPS:Lab and their Wortal Comeback 5. Other alumni of note include Egon Kracht & The Troupe with their tribute to the groundbreaking music/theatre company Orkater, film and television composer Theo Nijland, and contemporary takes on classic theatre with ZAP’s ZAP ZAP-The Best Of Zap.

Each day of the festival presents dozens of performances, often specifically made for De Parade. These vary from three to forty minutes and usually sell out quite quickly so a little preparation is required if you have your eye on a specific performance. Bear in mind the pieces are mostly in Dutch, but, hey, doesn’t the very nature of theatre bridge most language barriers?

Another option for many attending is to just head down to the park, meet up with your mates, grab a drink, some food and a table, then head to the box office and see what’s available (this option could, of course, lead to some disappointment so keep a free mind and you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised).

The final option (and one that many inevitably choose) is to just lounge in the carnival atmosphere of De Parade while enjoying some drinks, some food and the company of others under the stars. For kicks there’s always the Silent Disco and the vintage carousel to make a lovely night even better (be sure to wait for the carousel’s last ride of the night to see some hair-raising action!).

The best way to reach De Parade is by bike but there’s also a boat that runs regularly between the Stopera at Waterlooplein and De Parade. For departure times and prices see here.