Monday October 5, 2026
Good morning, The Hague. Today: soil animals in Zuiderpark score a near-perfect 9.8, the A13 speed check restarts after a system replacement, and the Early Music Open Stage features self-curated Renaissance to classical performances.
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 / 69°F (1° warmer than yesterday) · Lo 15°C / 58°F · 0% chance of rain · wind SW 17 km/h (9 knots)
🚲 Cycling: Good cycling all day.
🌙 Sun & moon: Sunrise 07:50 · Sunset 19:11 · Last Quarter · Golden hour 18:41 to 19:11
🌊 Outdoors: Air quality fair (AQI 40) · grass pollen low
💶 Markets: AEX 1,117 (+1.3%) · S&P 500 7,723 (+0.7%) · €1 = $1.12 · $1 = €0.89
Soil animal count in Zuiderpark scores 9.8: A birdwatcher and a city ecologist spent 45 minutes digging through De Eendenkooi, a closed-off patch of Zuiderpark. Their tally put The Hague second behind Leeuwarden in the national soil animal contest.
Readers back 92-year-old waterskier, and debate her risks: Wilma Bloemen has waterskied for 42 years and still takes to her wakeboard at De Wollebrand in Honselersdijk. Reader reactions mixed admiration with questions about emergency care costs and personal responsibility.
A13 speed check to restart after system replaced: The camera system on the motorway between Rotterdam and The Hague was taken out of service last year without an announcement. It has now been replaced and is being tested.
Koninklijk Huis seeks flower arranger for royal palaces: A vacancy has opened in the Bloemenkamer, the flower room that supplies arrangements to the royal palaces. The post pays up to 4,457.77 euros gross a month.
Hague scouting group marks 95 years with reunion: Be Pals-Prinses Juliana opens its clubhouse to former members on 10 October. Around 60 people have signed up, and privacy rules make older contact details impossible to keep.
De Rode Olifant on the Zuid-Hollandlaan was once Esso's Dutch head office: Work on the Zuid-Hollandlaan building started in 1921 and finished in 1924, under the name Petrolea. Esso moved its Dutch head office to Breda in 1987.
PeuterPret musical storytelling session with Music Monkeys: Toddlers and their parents sing, move, and try out real instruments guided by a children's picture book. 5 October, 10:30, Bibliotheek Mariahoeve. 📅 KIDS WORKSHOP
Painting, drawing and odd materials in Art-S-Cool's weekly workshop: Artist Angelique runs it weekly, with painting, drawing and crafting, free for ages 7 to 12, registration needed. 5 October, 15:30, Bibliotheek Transvaalkwartier. 📅 KIDS WORKSHOP
Techno, house and trance at The Crave at PIP: Expect an all-night club session running across heavy techno, house and trance inside the industrial cultural space. 5 October, PIP. 📅 ELECTRONIC / DANCE
All-night electronic sets at Parish Gaynight + BÄR Bunker: Four guest DJs share the booth across six hours of late-night electronic sets for a queer dancefloor. 5 October, 23:00 - 05:00, BÄR Bunker. 📅 ELECTRONIC / DANCE
Late electronic sets at Borderlines #4: GLITCHR, YON ETA, and Haddow take over the decks for a six-hour electronic club night running until four. 5 October, 22:00 - 04:00. 📅 ELECTRONIC / DANCE
Voorlinden Klassiek pairs a morning concert with museum entry: An hour in the museum auditorium with young classical players, and your ticket covers entry to the galleries afterwards. 5 October, 10:00, Museum Voorlinden. 📅 CLASSICAL
Renaissance to classical, self-curated, at the Early Music Open Stage: Royal Conservatoire students pick their own programmes, from renaissance to classical, solo or in ensembles, free with registration. 5 October, 19:30, Amare Studio, Amare. 📅 CLASSICAL
Fantasy Fest in Rijswijk: cosplay, markets and folk metal: De Broodfabriek hosts Fantasy Fest on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October under the theme Twisted Trick or Treat. Adult tickets cost 18 euros, with a weekend ticket at 28 euros.
Twenty-six dance styles in Danserfgoed voor DUMMIES: Free to attend with advance registration, a show that works through belly dance, Irish step, capoeira and the Viennese waltz. 5 October, 20:00, Bibliotheek Ypenburg. 📅 DANCE / PERFORMANCE
Audio-visual talk on The Hague's historic country estates: Heritage specialist Korneel Aschman traces links between grand townhouses and surrounding countryside estates using historic maps and archives. 5 October, 13:30, Museon - Omniversum. 📅 TALKS / IDEAS
Folk horror Midsommar introduced by folklore scholar Arjan Sterken: Ari Aster's sunlit Swedish nightmare screens with Dutch subtitles after an English opening talk exploring pagan folklore traditions. 5 October, 19:30, Filmhuis Den Haag: Studio B. 📅 FILM
Isabelle Huppert spies on her neighbours in Histoires Parallèles: Farhadi's French film runs 141 minutes with English subtitles, Huppert as a novelist spying on her neighbours. 5 October, 10:45, 13:45, 12:45, Filmhuis Den Haag: Studio B. 📅 FILM
O'Casey's Comedy Night brings eight standups to the pub: Eight stand-up comedians perform a two-hour show upstairs, followed by an informal after-show meetup with the line-up. 5 October, 19:00 - 22:30, O'Casey's Irish Pub & Restaurant. 📅 COMEDY
Mosaic art using your own broken crockery: A small morning workshop where women turn shattered household tableware into new mosaic pieces while discussing fresh starts. 5 October, 10:00 - 11:30, De Huiskamer van Leidschenveen (BOL). 📅 WORKSHOP
Street crime and dark history on a guided walking tour: Ninety minutes on foot through central streets, stopping at historical murder scenes, execution spots, and old city landmarks. 5 October, 17:30, Lange Voorhout. 📅 TOUR
Nepnieuws interactive lecture at Centrale Bibliotheek: An interactive talk breaking down misinformation, disinformation, and modern urban legends using real examples from society. 5 October, 19:00 - 20:30, Centrale Bibliotheek, DOK B. 📅 WORKSHOP
Board games, card tables and trivia at BlueBlood: Tables of board games, card matches, and an interactive pub quiz run across four casual evening hours. 5 October, 18:00 - 22:00, BlueBlood | Nikkei Cuisine Restaurant. 📅 GAMES / HOBBIES
Try Cuban salsa footwork in a free beginner class: A sixty-minute taster lesson introduces foundational steps and partner turns for complete newcomers or those needing a refresher. 5 October, 20:30 - 21:30, Latin Soul Dance. 📅 CLASS
Watch 120 hackers probe city systems at Hâck The Hague 2026: The city puts its own systems in front of 120 ethical hackers, who present what they find to the room. 5 October, 07:00, Atrium Den Haag. 📅 CONFERENCE
Immunisatie vandaag en morgen, a vaccination symposium at Nieuwspoort: A morning of talks on vaccination science, practice and policy, chaired by Ted van Essen, plus a vaccination moment. 5 October, Nieuwspoort. 📅 CONFERENCE
Good to know
New on Dutch streaming: Doing Life (Netflix), The Croods (Prime Video), Smile (SkyShowtime), The Producer (HBO Max)
New on the big screen: Pressure is now showing at 5 cinemas, and Insidious: Out of the Further at Pathé Scheveningen and Pathé Spuimarkt. Showtimes here.
Overheard on Reddit: A post asking where to donate children's toys in The Hague area led to suggestions including the toy market on Westeinde and thrift stores, though the original poster preferred direct donation over resale, and eventually connected with another local parent who needed toys for their young children while a commenter also recommended donating to the children's hospital for patients and their siblings.
Today's supermarket deals: Ben & Jerry's Vanilla pecan blondie (1+1 free) from Albert Heijn, All Knorr world dishes, meal mixes, risottos or pastas (2+1 free) from Jumbo.
Did you know? The Mauritshuis museum in The Hague is literally named "Maurice House" after the nobleman whose home it once was.
90 years ago today: On October 5th, 1936, Dutch poet and ship's doctor J. Slauerhoff, famed for his restless seafaring verse, died in Hilversum at only 38.
Looking ahead – next week
The bigger things coming up in The Hague over the next seven days.
• The Hague Cocktail Week · Sunday 4 October to Sunday 11 October
• Museum Night The Hague · Saturday 10 October
• Food La Route · Thursday 8 October
• Eneco Tour · Tuesday 13 October
In case you missed it
Our three most clicked-on items from yesterday’s newsletter.
In tomorrow’s edition: In tomorrow's edition: Huiskamer Danspaleis takes over Bibliotheek Segbroek, Fireside Peace Chats explores peaceful nations and violent homes at Leiden University College The Hague, and an international conference on Gender Justice in International Criminal Law convenes at ISS.
Have a great Monday.
Running something in The Hague? Tell us about it and we will take a look.
The city's soil is thriving, which is something worth celebrating as autumn settles in.
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