Essentially The Hague for Sunday 25 October: Care villa closes, heat network fails, Chabot poem unveiled

Sunday October 25, 2026

Good morning, The Hague. Today: a care villa in Rijswijk closes with 25 children unplaced, Transvaal residents are locked into a failing heat network, and a Bart Chabot poem is unveiled on a facade at the Oostduin estate.

Bart Chabot facade poem unveiled at Oostduin estate: Mayor Jan van Zanen will reveal the mural at 3pm on Saturday 31 October in the Tuin van Oostduin on Wassenaarseweg. Chabot, who lives in Benoordenhout, will read the poem himself, alongside short speeches and his favourite music. His new book follows on 19 November.

Chef Thomas Vandenhecke reworks huzarensalade at Minibar: The restaurant opened this summer in the Hofkwartier as the sister venue to Ñ, and the kitchen pairs raw mackerel with chicken liver cream and grills venison from the Veluwe. Bites start at 3.90 euros, mains run 18.50 to 26 euros, and it opens daily from 4pm.

Former Pauluskerk flat in Waldeck asks 925,000 euros: The maisonette on Mgr. Nolenslaan runs over two floors and about 163 square metres, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a sheltered garden. Residents share an atrium under a glass roof, with original church statues. Monthly service charges are 280 euros, including a parking space.

From Asta to De Veiling: where The Hague danced: A look back at the clubs of The Hague and Scheveningen, from Asta on the Spui to De Tempel in the nineties. Asta is now a casino and De Tempel houses the city archaeology department. Club Westwood on the Laan van Poot still opens its doors.

Hague teacher builds AI tool to mark tests: Geography teacher Coen Sluijter, 25, was losing hours every week to marking, so he built Corrigo, which scores scanned papers against the teacher's answer key and flags anything it is unsure about. More than 150 teachers now pay for it, and over 18,000 tests have been marked.

Transvaal residents locked into a failing heat network: Around 100 households in Transvaal have had no heating or hot water for almost a week, and the network owner says repairs may take several days more. Residents can shower in a sports hall and have been given electric heaters. A council party has requested an emergency debate.

Rijswijk care villa closes with 25 children unplaced: Villa ExpertCare shuts on 31 December, despite an earlier promise it would stay open until every child had somewhere suitable to go. Nationally, 25 of the 80 children it cared for still have no place. A parliamentary committee questions the operator on 29 October.

Schenkviaduct leak still unfixed after years of complaints: Water has dripped from the Schenkviaduct since at least 2008, leaving rust marks on cars parked below, and yellow signs still warn drivers to park at their own risk. The city says concrete repairs and inspections have not stopped the leak. Full renovation falls in its 2026-2029 structures programme.

Halloween at Duivenvoorde grounds: The historic castle estate hosts a dedicated seasonal Halloween gathering for visitors. 25 October, Kasteel Duivenvoorde. FESTIVAL / FAIR

De Grootste Feestelijke Finale wraps up De Betovering festival: Twelve young actors from Rabarber theatre school present a lively half-hour celebration performance in the Spui foyer. 25 October, Theater aan het Spui - Zaal 2. FAMILY SHOW

Family films at Flora Filmtheater, no Dutch needed: Afternoon children's screenings that mix new releases with classics like Minoes, Matilda and Vaiana, and the programme changes weekly. 25 October, 15:00, Flora Filmtheater. FAMILY SHOW

Children cut, paste and journal at the Mauritshuis, free: Cutting, pasting, writing and journalling in the museum's workshop room, with teachers helping and the youngest accompanied by an adult. 25 October, 13:15, Mauritshuis. KIDS WORKSHOP

Dancing with Mondriaan at De Betovering, free for under-18s: Holiday run of the children's art festival, with BoogieWoogie dancing in Wonderkamers, an open studio and a discovery worksheet. 25 October, 10:00, Kunstmuseum Den Haag. MUSEUM / EDUCATIONAL

Sing along with Ellie de Olifant at Filmhuis Den Haag: A compilation film for the very youngest, built on the idea that nobody gets left out, with singing and moving along. 25 October, 10:30, Filmhuis Den Haag: Studio B. FAMILY SHOW

Theatre of Hate and Skids share a double bill at PAARD: Two bands from British punk's early years, Kirk Brandon's 1980 outfit and the new wave group formed in Dunfermline in 1977. 25 October, 19:30, PAARD, Kleine Zaal. POP / ROCK

Stories from Abbey Road in Yorick van Norden's try-out: Having recorded his album at Abbey Road, he mixes songs and covers with stories about The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Kate Bush. 25 October, 14:30, Theater Dakota. POP / ROCK

Small big band jazz, up close in TheaterCafé De Mix: Guitarist Peter Tiehuis leads a small big band of saxes, trumpets and trombones in an informal room where the players sit close. 25 October, 15:30, Zeeheldentheater. JAZZ / BLUES

Michael Varekamp builds a concert around We Shall Overcome: The museum's artist in residence takes the song We Shall Overcome as his theme, drawing on music and stories from his book. 25 October, 15:30, Muzee Scheveningen. JAZZ / BLUES

Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven at Else Krijgsman's Sunday morning concert: She plays and talks between pieces, a Viennese classical programme in her own salon, with the proceeds going to Médecins Sans Frontières. 25 October, 11:00, Concertsalon Else Krijgsman. CLASSICAL

An afternoon of harp music in the Barthkapel: Original pieces written for the harp, played in a chapel whose acoustics suit them, a dreamy afternoon in the city centre. 25 October, 13:00, De Barthkapel. CLASSICAL

Escalpo and Kezus Krijst, Brazilian metal meets Rotterdam punk: Escalpo mix death metal with punk and sing about resistance and non-conformity, sharing the night with a Dutch-language punk band from Rotterdam. 25 October, 20:00, Musicon. POP / ROCK

Climbing, skiing and kayaking in the European Outdoor Film Tour: Three hours of documentaries about outdoor sport, including an all-female rope team in Madagascar and a waterfall run in Iceland. 25 October, 19:00, Theaters Diligentia en PePijn. FILM

The Discovery of Heaven turns 25, in English and 4K: Jeroen Krabbé's film of the Mulisch novel, 128 minutes with Stephen Fry in the cast, spoken in English with Dutch subtitles. 25 October, 10:45, Filmhuis Den Haag: Studio B. FILM

One hour past the Mauritshuis masterpieces, guided in Dutch: An hour at speed past the best-known paintings, with Girl with a Pearl Earring never skipped; groups gather in the foyer. 25 October, 15:00, Mauritshuis. ART / MUSEUMS

Lia van Bekhoven on the British, the royals and Brexit, sold out: The correspondent moved to London in the late seventies, and at Theater Ludens in Voorburg she talks Brexit, royals and British character. 25 October, Theater Ludens. TALKS / IDEAS

Ten thousand kilometres by bike in The Cycle of Love, in English: A hundred minutes on PK, who rode from India to Sweden in 1975 to find the woman he fell for; in English. 25 October, 18:30, Museon - Omniversum. FILM

Watch Formula 1 free on the big screen at Hoender en Hop: Races shown live on a big screen on the Grote Markt, no ticket needed, with drinks and bitterballen on the side. 25 October, 21:00, Hoender en Hop. SPORTS

Colors of My Heart, free digital art on Twickelstraat: Bright digital works by a Hague artist, angels, soulmates and Yin-Yang among the subjects, open each afternoon and free to enter. 25 October, 12:00, Twickelstraat 424, Den Haag. ART / MUSEUMS

Drag Bingo Brunch with Stevie Stunner and Miss Cartier: Three courses, two bingo cards and a live-singing drag show hosted by two performers, with prizes; booking ahead is advised. 25 October, 12:00, Pazze e Pizze. GAMES / HOBBIES

Guided hour through the Eva Besnyö photography exhibition: A guide walks you through the highlights of De bevrijde camera, explaining how the history she lived through shaped her photographs. 25 October, 11:00 - 12:00, Fotomuseum Den Haag. TOUR

Slow Seasons walks the dunes for Ostara, women only: Two and a half hours through the dunes following the turn of the season, women only, bring sturdy shoes and a mug. 25 October, 10:00, Westduinpark. TOUR

Decorate your own mini cake at Cake & Canvas: Beginners work from moodboards using provided frosting and tools, leaving with a finished cake on a wooden easel. 25 October, 15:30 - 19:00, Waldorpstraat 17. WORKSHOP

Shape a figure in wax after Giacometti, with Yke Prins: After a short look at how Giacometti handled the human figure, you build a copper-wire armature and model it in black wax. 25 October, 10:30, Museum Beelden aan Zee. WORKSHOP

Want to make sure you never miss a day of Essentially The Hague? Subscribe here.