Thursday October 8, 2026
Good morning, The Hague. Today: Stories from the Magic Garden brings hand-built stop-motion to Museon - Omniversum, De Règâhs bring flamenco guitar and Hague humour to Theaters Diligentia en PePijn, and the Royal Military Band Johan Willem Friso gives a free concert at Waalse Kerk.
At a glance
🌦️ Weather: Hi 16°C / 60°F (6° cooler than yesterday) · Lo 14°C / 57°F · 76% chance of rain · wind NW 32 km/h (17 knots)
🚲 Cycling: Wet from early morning, take the tram.
🌙 Sun & moon: Sunrise 07:55 · Sunset 19:04 · Waning Crescent · Moonrise 05:07 · Golden hour 18:34 to 19:04
🌊 Outdoors: Air quality fair (AQI 23) · grass pollen low
💶 Markets: AEX 1,118 (-0.9%) · S&P 500 7,801 (-0.2%) · €1 = $1.12 · $1 = €0.89
International Court of Justice to receive Carnegie Wateler Peace Prize: The award recognises the court’s work resolving disputes between states and advancing international law. A Peace Palace exhibition on its history, procedures and courtroom is due to open in late October.
Hague firm finds 8,500 exposed solar and wind systems: Internet intelligence company Modat says it could reach the control systems of wind and solar parks in 35 European countries. In some cases a researcher could switch a turbine on or off.
Princess Laurentien reads to children in Hague Kruidvat: Pupils from the Prins Willem-Alexanderschool joined her for a story at the shop on Lange Poten during Kinderboekenweek. The morning also opened a partnership between Kruidvat and her Number 5 Foundation.
The Hague bids to host new national innovation agency: The city wants to host the National Agency for Disruptive Innovation, which would speed high-risk, high-potential ideas from development to practical use. Parliament is debating the agency’s creation today.
Wassenaar cyclists challenge year-long Oude Trambaan detour: A bike path between Wassenaar and Leiden is due to close for a year in January during heating network works. Safety concerns have prompted proposals for other routes, but the diversion is not final.
Rogier Dop bakes a path back to work: After a boating accident left him with acquired brain injury, Rogier Dop began making Haagse Hofjes cookies at The Hague Tech. He hopes the business can employ others with brain injuries and eventually open a bakery in central The Hague.
Student loan interest rates to rise in 2027: Around 250,000 former students will see their borrowing costs go up starting next year. Student organisations are warning of heavy long-term debts and calling for a cap.
Two baby car seats fail safety tests: ANWB and the Consumers’ Association advise against using the Axkid Minikid Core, and its maker has stopped sales and begun a voluntary recall. For the Britax Römer model, advice depends on position and installation.
Stories from the Magic Garden, a hand-built stop-motion film: Suzanne takes her brothers on story-led adventures in a stop-motion film, with every frame built by hand. 8 October, 17:00, Museon - Omniversum. STORY / READING
De Règâhs bring flamenco guitar and Hague humour to folk: Flamenco and gipsy-jazz guitars, percussion and vocals frame a new song written for the show; both listed performances are sold out. 8 October, 20:15, Theaters Diligentia en PePijn. WORLD / FOLK
Flocking birds inspire music theatre production Winged: Indian musical traditions meet contemporary soundscapes and group choreography exploring how individuals move together without losing themselves. 8 October, De Regentes - Ketelhuis. CLASSICAL
Free concert by the Royal Military Band Johan Willem Friso: Several ensembles perform, including a narrated musical account of Johan Willem Friso's history and a saxophone work with tape. 8 October, 20:00, Waalse Kerk. CLASSICAL
MULATU Listening Bar x Supafly explores water in Black music: DTM Funk traces water's place in Black history and identity, including Detroit duo Drexciya's mythology of an underwater civilisation. 8 October, Gr8. TALKS / IDEAS
Savine's live band brings soul, jazz and blues into pop: The Amsterdam singer-songwriter plays songs from her Little Black Dress EP and earlier releases in an intimate small-room setting. 8 October, 19:30, PAARD, Kleine Zaal. POP / ROCK
The Hague Cocktail Week spreads special menus across city bars: Across participating bars, restaurants and hotels, special cocktail menus mark the festival's eighth edition in The Hague. 8 October, 17:00, Diverse locaties in Den Haag. FOOD / MARKETS
Akira returns in a 4K restoration with English subtitles: Katsuhiro Otomo's Japanese anime follows Kaneda's biker gang as Tetsuo develops supernatural powers in postwar Neo-Tokyo. 8 October, 21:45, Filmhuis Den Haag: Studio B. FILM
800 Years of Duivenvoorde: eight centuries in eight displays: Eight displays begin with an estate-history film and include family-collection loans and thirteenth-century dungeon walls in the cellar. 8 October, 11:00, Kasteel Duivenvoorde. ART / MUSEUMS
Macho Mystic Meltdown: Subtracted Anthology, three video worlds: Three video installations braid personal, colonial and ancestral histories into parallel fictional worlds where identity resists fixed categories. 8 October, 13:00, 1646. ART / MUSEUMS
Free exhibition recalls The Hague's former zoo through objects and photographs: Original objects, photographs, stories and a scale model recall the zoo that occupied this site from 1863 to 1943. 8 October, 09:00, Provinciehuis. ART / MUSEUMS
Betzy Akersloot-Berg: One of a Kind: The first major Dutch overview of Norwegian-Dutch artist Betzy Akersloot-Berg brings together her work across a retrospective exhibition. 8 October, 10:00, Museum Panorama Mesdag. ART / MUSEUMS
Florror screens horror classics throughout October: The October programme ranges from The Exorcist and Carrie to Titane and Suspiria, with four late-night Halloween screenings. 8 October, 21:30, Flora Filmtheater. FILM
Food La Route takes diners between four Scheveningen harbour restaurants: Walk between four restaurants for courses with three paired wines or alternatives, then coffee or tea; no Dutch is required. 8 October, 18:30, Scheveningen Haven. TOUR
Four-hour farm to table cooking class at Hotelschool: Turn local agricultural produce into finished dishes during this four-hour, all-ages kitchen session in Scheveningen. 8 October, 11:00 - 15:00, Hotelschool The Hague. WORKSHOP
Samen leesclub offline reading evening: Quiet collective reading without phones or laptops, tucked away in the central library's first-floor studio space. 8 October, 18:30, Centrale Bibliotheek, 1e verdieping, Studio B. GAMES / HOBBIES
Switch and stitch clothing swap and upcycling session: Bring clean clothes you no longer wear, swap them, and remodel pieces with provided tools and guided instruction. 8 October, 12:00 - 16:00, Het Trefpunt Welzijn Scheveningen. WORKSHOP
Profile Studio Business Club discusses brand building: Entrepreneurs and solo founders share candid case studies on visual identity and behind-the-scenes business decisions. 8 October, 18:30 - 20:30, Profile Studio. NETWORKING
Good to know
New on Dutch streaming: Last Seen (Apple TV), The Couch Trip (Prime Video), Safe House (SkyShowtime), Maschi veri (Netflix)
New on the big screen: Primetime opens Monday at 3 cinemas, and De Tatta's: Daan is now showing at 4 cinemas. Showtimes here.
Overheard on Reddit: Nieuw Waldeck has experienced deterioration, youth crime and vandalism since its 1980s construction, according to former residents.
Today's supermarket deals: AH French creamy brie 60+ (3 for €6.00) from Albert Heijn, Page moist toilet paper (1+1 free) from Jumbo.
Did you know? "Girl with a Pearl Earring" was snapped up at a Hague auction in 1881 for the equivalent of about two guilders before being willed to the Mauritshuis in 1902.
186 years ago today: On October 8th, 1840, King Willem I's abdication in favour of his son Willem II, driven partly by his wish to marry a Catholic countess, was formally proclaimed.
Looking ahead – next week
The bigger things coming up in The Hague over the next seven days.
• The Hague Cocktail Week · Wednesday 7 October to Sunday 11 October
• Museum Night The Hague · Saturday 10 October
• Festival Over Laak Gesproken · Saturday 10 October
• Food La Route - Centre The Hague · Sunday 11 October
• The Hague Film Festival · Friday 16 October
In tomorrow’s edition: In tomorrow's edition: Paleis Kneuterdijk opens for visits, Muziek aan Tafel takes place, and Ellen Dikker reads at Bibliotheek Nieuw Waldeck.
Have a great Thursday.
Running something in The Hague? Tell us about it and we will take a look.
The autumn light in The Hague shifts earlier each day now, and the city's cultural calendar fills accordingly.
Want to make sure you never miss a day of Essentially The Hague? Subscribe here.