New Aftersea festival brings Scheveningen to life in late summer
Scheveningen is set to host a new two-day late-summer festival. During Aftersea, on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 September 2026, cultural venues, museums and seaside locations will open their doors to live music, film, art and special evening programmes.
By Myriam Dijck
One of the most notable features is the return of musical performances to the historic Kurzaal at the Grand Hotel Amrâth Kurhaus. Performances and activities will also take place at various locations along the coast, including the Oranjehotel National Monument, the Beelden aan Zee Museum, REBORN Whitehouse, Podium aan Zee, Strandhuis Hito and The Fat.
Vibrant Scheveningen
Organiser Charlotte Los of the Buitengewoon Scheveningen Foundation says: “With Aftersea, we’re kicking off the cultural season in Scheveningen. The festival brings together established and new cultural institutions, venues and beach locations in a single joint programme. In this way, we’re showing that Scheveningen remains vibrant even after the summer.”
Aftersea also marks the start of a series of events at Whitehouse, formerly known as EVE. Charlotte Los continues: “This gives Scheveningen a versatile event venue and a permanent stage for high-quality concerts, events and cultural programming, all year round.” On 12 September, the line-up here will include Samba Roots Amsterdam, amongst others.
"With Aftersea, we’re kicking off the cultural season in Scheveningen… This shows that Scheveningen is still buzzing even after the summer.”
Charlotte Los
Grandeur
During Aftersea, the Kurhaus is once again seeking to reconnect with its rich musical and cultural history, the most famous example of which is the legendary concert by The Rolling Stones in 1964. “With Aftersea, we are taking an important step towards our ambition to restore the historic Kurzaal to its status as a leading venue,” says Bob van Herpen, general manager of the Kurhaus. “We want to develop a programme that does justice to the grandeur and rich history of the Kurhaus, whilst at the same time inspiring a new generation of visitors.”
On Friday evening, 11 September, De Wilde Noordzee will be performed in the Kurzaal. In this show, keyboardist Sven Figee, together with his four-piece band, brings the nature documentary to life with live music. The music is combined with underwater footage and personal stories from diver Peter van Rodijnen. The performance is being staged in Scheveningen for the first time, just a few metres from the sea that takes centre stage in the story.
Thousands of candles
A day later, Scheveningen will host another premiere. On Saturday 12 September, Fever’s international Candlelight Concerts will come to the Kurhaus. The historic hall will be illuminated by thousands of candles for the occasion. The first concert will centre on Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. Later in the evening, well-known songs by Coldplay and Imagine Dragons will be given a classical rendition.
The opening of Aftersea will take place at the Oranjehotel on 11 September, featuring a programme centred on freedom, the spoken word, movement and music, in the run-up to the annual commemoration on 19 September. The programme includes spoken word, a performance by the Korzo dance company, and Dutch-language indie-folk and pop from the band Meyendel.
That same evening, Museum Beelden aan Zee will be taken over by Jazz070. During After Hours X Jazz070, performances from The Hague’s jazz scene will be held amongst the museum’s sculptures and exhibitions.
On Saturday, Podium aan Zee presents an evening of reggae featuring Heights Meditation and Mr Lion ‘The Selector’. PAARD’s monthly Dune Sessions will move to Strandhuis Hito especially for Aftersea, where artist TOS from OSHI and musicians from the Royal Conservatoire will hold a public jam session. The festival will conclude with an after-party hosted by PIP at The Fat.
Aftersea takes place on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 September 2026. The full programme, start times and ticket information can be found at aftersea.nl.
