Essentially The Hague for Monday 2 November: Shops board up, ice cream parlour reopens, Duterte trial date

Monday November 2, 2026

Good morning, The Hague. Today: shops along the shopping streets board up ahead of a Gen Z protest, a Halloween walk traces the city's murders and executions, and Pearl & The Oysters bring lounge pop and Brazilian rhythms to town.

Duterte trial to open at ICC on 30 November: Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte faces three counts of crimes against humanity of murder and attempted murder when hearings begin at 10:00 before Trial Chamber III. Judges will ask how he pleads, then hear opening statements. The ICC will stream proceedings with a 30-minute delay.

Matteo reopened The Hague's oldest ice cream parlour: The Fahrenheitstraat shop closed abruptly in 2009 when its Italian owners decided to return home, and his father, who ran an insurance office, took it over months later. The two worked side by side for fifteen years, and the 32 flavours still use recipes from 1935.

Rotterdam Centraal closed to all trains on November 7-8: ProRail is replacing the 25-year-old signalling system around the station, so nothing runs from 1 a.m. Saturday until 5 a.m. Monday, November 9. High-speed services between Rotterdam, Schiphol and Breda are affected too, with NS laying on replacement buses and metros. Further work follows in IJsselmonde from November 29.

Hague shops board up ahead of Gen Z protest: Kruidvat, Guess, Lego and Tommy Hilfiger were among the city centre stores covering their windows on Friday after social media calls urged young people to riot. No protest has been registered, but police will be visible on the Malieveld and some shops will stay shut all weekend.

Halloween walk traces The Hague's murders and executions: A furious crowd killed Johan and Cornelis de Witt on the Plaats in 1672, a former execution ground; Johan's tongue and his brother's finger are still displayed at the Haags Historisch Museum. The route also takes in a sundial linked to a rhyme about a murdered child.

Opera singer performs at Hague nursing home Oostduin: Josephina Hoogstad started singing in care settings after her grandmother had a brain haemorrhage and found little to do in rehab. At Oostduin she mixes opera with film music and songs residents recognise, and staff say some leave the room still singing on the way to the lift.

Why Scheveningen's harbour rocks are big and loose: Searches for a missing 18-year-old kitesurfer at the Zuidelijk Havenhoofd turned attention to the boulders there. A researcher at the Deltares institute explains that rough, loose blocks drain energy from waves, while a solid structure would have to be taller and wider, and would cost more.

Duck and dessert lift new Reinkenstraat neighbourhood restaurant: PIEK, on Reinkenstraat, builds its menu on Alpine comfort food, with uneven results: the vegetarian soup, the rösti and the schnitzel all fell short. A reviewer rated the French duck and the crème caramel highly, and praised a personal wine list spanning classics, natural wines and low-alcohol options.

Hague-born photographer Andréa Lobel dies at 59: Born above her grandmother's art and antiques shop on Het Spui, she worked for years as an educational specialist and was voted teacher of the year three times before taking up photography seriously. Her husband will soon travel to Italy to collect an arts award on her behalf.

Amsterdam among four cities building 27% of new homes: A land registry study covering homes already approved or under construction found the four cities' share rising from 18%. Apartments will make up 75% of new Dutch homes, against about 50% recently, and they are shrinking: only 13% are planned above 90 square meters.

Lounge pop, Brazilian rhythms and city pop from Pearl & The Oysters: The Paris-formed, LA-based duo of Juliette Pearl Davis and Joachim Polack play songs from sixth album Monkey Mind. 2 November, 20:00, PAARD, Kleine Zaal. POP / ROCK

Roots blues and rock guitar with Dudley Taft at Musicon: An American blues rock player, Berklee-trained, with a set drawn from his whole catalogue of solo albums. 2 November, 20:00, Musicon. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Environmental Harm as an International Crime, photography and a panel on ecocide: Photographs of environmental damage open the evening, then ICC and campaign lawyers discuss treating ecocide as an international crime. 2 November, 17:00 - 20:00, The Hague Humanity Hub. TALKS / IDEAS

Two Matra sports cars parked in the Louwman Museum's Great Hall: The mid-engined Djet and an M530 from the same years stand on show, included with a museum ticket. 2 November, 11:00, Louwman Museum. ART / MUSEUMS

Build an ofrenda at a free Día de los Muertos evening: You help assemble the traditional altar, enter the Catrina contest, get face paint and eat Mexican food; no Dutch needed. 2 November, 19:30, Latin Soul Dance. FESTIVALS

Light a candle for someone you miss at the Noorderkerk: An All Souls hour of music, a short reflection and silence, with coffee and talk afterwards for anyone who stays. 2 November, 19:30 - 20:30, Noorderkerk Den Haag. TALKS / IDEAS

Free information market on the Binnenhof renovation, with VR headsets: Stands and short talks cover the Hofvijver works, plans for Lange Poten and the Plein, plus a medieval ring found on site. 2 November, 16:00, Korte Vijverberg 2. TALKS / IDEAS

AI art, interactive works and library objects in free Broncode exhibition: The national library shows pieces from its collection alongside experiments made with AIxDESIGN artists; entry is free on weekdays and Saturdays. 2 November, 10:00, KB nationale bibliotheek. ART / MUSEUMS

Two hours of Dutch cabaret with Micha Wertheim voor iedereen: Wertheim performs solo in Dutch for two hours, tickets normally €22.50, with laughs and a few sharp intakes of breath. 2 November, 20:15, Theater de Veste. COMEDY

Myself and other planets, a Jakob Grosse-Ophoff sculpture run into April: Sculpture from a single artist, on view until April, with later Monday openings and entry from nothing to €22. 2 November, 10:00, Museum Beelden aan Zee. ART / MUSEUMS

Catch Karimah Ashadu's FLUID at KM21 any day but Monday: Eleven to five daily except Mondays, running right through to April, with ticket prices topping out at €16. 2 November, 11:00, KM21. ART / MUSEUMS

Pubquiz & Burgers at Milu, teams of two to six: Questions on pop culture, history, sport and science, with the option of a meat or veggie burger beforehand. 2 November, 19:15, Restaurant & Bar Milu. GAMES / HOBBIES

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