Wednesday September 23, 2026
Good morning, The Hague. Today: high PFAS levels are found in local tap water, the Eneco Tour brings road closures around Zuiderpark, and Raad van State hosts half-hour lunchtime chamber music.
The activities listed below are just a curated sample of what’s going on in The Hague. Check out our completely redesigned events calendar here.
At a glance
🌦️ Weather: Hi 21°C / 70°F (about the same as yesterday) · Lo 16°C / 61°F · 9% chance of rain · wind W 26 km/h (14 knots)
🚲 Cycling: Mostly fine, a shower is possible.
🌙 Sun & moon: Sunrise 07:30 · Sunset 19:39 · Waxing Gibbous · Moonrise 18:34 · Golden hour 19:09 to 19:39
🌊 Outdoors: Air quality fair (AQI 40) · grass pollen low
💶 Markets: AEX 1,111 (+0.8%) · S&P 500 7,765 (-0.0%) · €1 = $1.15 · $1 = €0.87
Tap water PFAS levels exceed recommended health limits: Testing shows tap water in North and South Holland exceeds recommended safety thresholds for forever chemicals. Health officials note the water remains safe to drink despite the elevated readings.
Eneco Tour prologue brings road closures to Zuiderpark: Professional cyclists will race an individual time trial through The Hague on Tuesday 13 October. Drivers face parking bans and extensive street closures around the park throughout the day.
Local football canteens expand their matchday menus: High attendance at regional division matches has kitchens broadening what they serve alongside traditional fried snacks. Clubs now offer everything from fresh fruit and falafel to restaurant dishes.
Subsidies offered for green facades and garden hedges: The municipality and Duurzaam Den Haag are subsidising climbing plants and native hedges this autumn. The campaigns aim to cool streets and support wildlife by replacing paving with greenery.
New local gift card launches in The Hague: A dedicated gift voucher has been introduced for independent shops and hospitality venues across the city. Over sixty local businesses have signed up to participate from launch.
Donations top €30,000 for generous Hague father: A local father offered his final bank balance to a stranger during a hidden-camera test in Den Haag Zuidwest. A public fundraiser set up afterwards has raised tens of thousands of euros.
Free sailing, paddling, and canoeing for children: Children get out on the water to try out sailing, canoeing, and stand-up paddleboarding for free. 23 September. 📅 OUTDOOR / ACTIVE
Beleef het Binnenhof als nooit tevoren: Discover the history and renovation of the Binnenhof through Kidsproof Den Haag's recommended family excursion exploring the famous parliamentary complex. 23 September, Binnenhof. 📅 MUSEUM / EDUCATIONAL
Hart Beach youth surf and skate lessons: Young skaters and surfers head out to learn coastal board skills with the Scheveningen beach crew. 23 September. 📅 OUTDOOR / ACTIVE
Free Wednesday afternoon drop-in crafting at Muzee Scheveningen: Children four and older paint, draw, and work with fabric alongside a museum teacher in the Zeelab. 23 September, Muzee Scheveningen. 📅 KIDS WORKSHOP
PeuterPret morning stories and play for toddlers: Picture books read aloud to children aged two to four, followed by simple crafts, songs, and dancing. 23 September, bibliotheek Moerwijk. 📅 KIDS WORKSHOP
Toddler storytime for early language at Dakota: Trudy shares picture books each month to help little listeners build early vocabulary and focus. 23 September, Theater en Filmhuis Dakota. 📅 STORY / READING
Half-hour chamber music at Raad van State lunchpauzeconcerten: Royal Conservatoire ensembles play a free lunchtime chamber music recital inside the historic Gotische Zaal. 23 September, Gotische Zaal. 📅 CLASSICAL
Late electronic sets at The Crave club night: Underground electronic producers Pearson Sound and Dr. Rubinstein take the decks for an all-night dance session. 23 September, 23:00 - 05:00. 📅 ELECTRONIC / DANCE
Trafassi celebrates 45 years onstage at Paard: Edgar Burgos leads the classic party band through four decades of hits, marking milestones with an energetic live set. 23 September, PAARD. 📅 WORLD / FOLK
CONTRA brings police reality to life with dance and theater: Journalistic interviews with police officers form the basis for an energetic blend of live music, movement, and sharp text. 23 September, De Nieuwe Kolk. 📅 THEATER
Poeziebar brings guest readings, speed poetry and dancing: Three guest poets join Jos Nargy and Joep Hendrikx for rapid verses, an open mic and dancing. 23 September, Het Nationale Theater - Zaal 3. 📅 THEATER
Josephine Baker brought to life at Branoul: Manon Barthels blends spoken text, archival imagery, and music into a biographical stage portrait of the performer. 23 September, Theater Branoul. 📅 THEATER
English standup at PePijn's Comedy Club: A live English-language comedy lineup takes the stage for an evening of fresh standup routines. 23 September. 📅 COMEDY
Graduation Show: Emerging Asian Talents at Namuso Gallery: Nine recent art school graduates of Asian descent display their developing studio practices across diverse contemporary media. 23 September, Namuso Gallery. 📅 ART / MUSEUMS
Ten characters in Marcel Hensema's solo Eldorado: A lone actor portrays ten mobile home park residents resisting a corporate buyout across one stage. 23 September, Het Nationale Theater - Theater aan het Spui. 📅 THEATER
Alphabetum XI: De Bibliotheek opens at West Den Haag: Thousands of modern art volumes from the late Vincent van Gogh scholar Evert van Uitert go on display. 23 September, West Den Haag. 📅 ART / MUSEUMS
Shared vegetarian supper at Kloosterkerk's Open Tafel: Locals sit down together over an affordable home-cooked vegetarian meal served in the church's basement crypt. 23 September. 📅 SOCIAL / DRINKS
Half-hour guided tour of the Binnenhof renovation: Information centre guides talk visitors through the history, present state, and future architectural plans of the parliamentary complex. 23 September, Informatiecentrum Binnenhof Renovatie. 📅 TOUR
Clothed model drawing session at Kunstkerk: Bring sketchbooks and pencils for two hours of quick warm-ups and longer poses with ten artists. 23 September, 18:30 - 20:30, Kunstkerk. 📅 WORKSHOP
Small-group Dutch language lesson on Verrijn Stuartlaan: One hour of focused spoken Dutch practice in a small face-to-face group with personal guidance. 23 September, 12:30 - 13:30, Verrijn Stuartlaan 2. 📅 CLASS
Evening yoga open to all levels on Wassenaarseweg: Ninety minutes of gentle practice suited to all ages, organized by SVITLO with no prior experience needed. 23 September, 20:00, Wassenaarseweg 76, Den Haag. 📅 CLASS
Drawing assignments and exhibition at Make It Art Worthy: Drop by the gallery space to view current drawings or pick up practical creative assignments on your own. 23 September, 11:00 - 16:00, Make It Art Worthy. 📅 WORKSHOP
PizzAI 070 meetup on AI in education: Guest speakers talk over practical classroom tools before everyone splits into an interactive exercise over pizza. 23 September, 18:00 - 21:00, Hogeschool Inholland Den Haag. 📅 NETWORKING
Cloud engineering talks at Azure Fest NL: A full afternoon of developer presentations, platform case studies, and practical architecture tips from working professionals. 23 September, 13:00, Sopra Steria. 📅 CONFERENCE
Speak with a community coach during Walk-In Hour: An informal open door hour to share neighborhood ideas, voice practical concerns, or talk over personal suggestions. 23 September, 18:00 - 19:00, Verrijn Stuartlaan 2, Rijswijk. 📅 NETWORKING
Good to know
New on Dutch streaming: The Last Mountain (SkyShowtime), Obarnata elha (Netflix), Fired Up! (HBO Max), Sherlock (Disney+)
New on the big screen: Forgotten Island opens Friday at 3 cinemas, and Downtown at Filmhuis Den Haag and Pathé Buitenhof. Showtimes here.
Overheard on Reddit: A thread warning locals about a terrible experience with a driving school that repeatedly canceled lessons and overcharged drew frustration from commenters, who urged the poster to actually name the company so others could avoid it.
Today's supermarket deals: Perla Superiore Origins Colombia coffee beans (2e halve prijs) from Albert Heijn, All Fuze Tea (2+1 free) from Jumbo.
Did you know? In 1848, it was everyday residents of The Hague, not politicians, who rallied to save the historic Binnenhof from a plan to tear it down entirely.
146 years ago today: On September 23rd, 1880, thirteen-year-old Frederick Bogaardt was kidnapped and murdered in The Hague's dunes after a ransom demand.
In tomorrow’s edition: Hermine Deurloo and Anton Goudsmit perform ProJazz at Bibliotheek Loosduinen, Het Danspaleis visits Musicon, and Speechless pays tribute to Martijn Padding.
Have a great Wednesday.
Running something in The Hague? Tell us about it and we will take a look.
Autumn cycling along the coast calls for an extra layer against the North Sea wind.
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