The best events in Zeeland
Music, dance, theatre, sport: you name it, everything in Zeeland takes place close to the water. We are a region of festivals and events. Whether you choose to brave the elements or immerse yourself in the culture and landscape of Zeeland, there’s something for everyone here. Below, we’ve put together a list of some of the best festival and events in Zeeland. Read on ...
Kustmarathon
This 42-kilometre run, across beaches, through forests and over the dunes, from Burgh to Zoutelande, is an epic battle against the elements! The Zeeland Kustmarathon has acquired a name for being the most arduous and yet the most stunning marathon in the Netherlands. The event also includes a walking marathon, held over the same route. Over the years, the event has also been expanded to include an MTB ride, a Ladies’ Run, a Mini-Marathon and Light Coastal Run. The Zeeland Kustmarathon is held during the first weekend of October every year.
DAM-X
DAM-X is an event for surfboarding bravehearts who congregate one weekend each year at one of Zeeland’s most popular watersports venues to show off their surfing prowess. This is a must event for those who enjoy watching spectacular surfboarding skills, held annually at Brouwersdam as part of the European Championships for freestyle windsurfing. The speed, the stunts and the sails, in all their vibrant colours, is a sight to behold and will fairly take your breath away. If you’d like to take up surfing, DAM-X holds a range of watersports workshops all weekend for you to participate in, for example, windsurfing, sailing, paddleboarding and bodysliding.
Festival van Zeeuwsch-Vlaanderen
For decades, this festival - held in Zeeland-Flanders - has been the largest classical music event in the province and over the years it has also built up a formidable reputation on the international scene. Now, it is one of the better-known classical music events in Western Europe. Held over the course of a month, concerts take place at multiple venues throughout Zeeland-Flanders, featuring all kinds of performances, from symphony orchestras to solo artists.
Concert at Sea
What once began as a small-scale celebration of the Zeeland band Bløf, has now become a major festival: Concert at Sea, held at Brouwersdam. Held over two days, the event now attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year and big-name bands are queuing up to play the gig. As well as the giant Ferris wheel towering above the festival terrain, the event hosts street theatre and has a dazzling array of food vendors selling everything from classy cuisine to traditional burger and chips. The festival site, located where the land and sea converge, includes a large sandy beach.
Havendagen Terneuzen
Located on the shores of the Westerschelde estuary, Terneuzen hosts its traditional fishery days once every year. The Havendagen event is all about Terneuzen and the special connection the town has with the water. Music, dance and lots of maritime-themed activities form the backdrop to Terneuzen’s special ‘ode to the sea’, when the place comes alive with a fun-packed programme of good old-fashioned activities. The event attracts visitors from far and wide, who come to celebrate the town’s rich seafaring past and explore the port’s idiosyncratic character. The Havendagen festival takes place during the last week of June and is an event not to be missed.
ZeelandJazz
ZeelandJazz is a unique ten-day festival which takes place on both sides of the Westerschelde estuary. The event attracts national and international jazz artists to podiums located in both Terneuzen and Middelburg, the first weekend of the festival being held in Terneuzen and the second in Middelburg. Porgy & Bess, a cultural centre with an impressive portfolio of jazz and blues events, helps coordinate the festival programme in Terneuzen. The Kloveniersdoelen, an events venue in Middelburg, also has a long association with jazz music. Jazz concerts take place in the gardens of this classical building in June when the fine summer evenings are at their longest.
Yerseke at Sea
Discover all there is to know about mussels, oysters and more at Yerseke at Sea. Once every year, the mussel capital of the Netherlands celebrates its very own ‘black gold’. Come and savour the food and fun, discover local crafts and products, and marvel at the seafaring skills of the fishermen and their boats. Kids can come and join in the fun at a special children’s play area.
Film by the Sea
A film festival by the sea, with its own literary award: just two of the reasons why tens of thousands of visitors flock to Vlissingen every year. Film by the Sea takes place in Cinecity, a cinema complex close to Vlissingen’s famous seafront promenade. The film festival singles itself out on account of the Dioraphte Film and the Literary Competition. A prize is awarded every year by an international jury for the best book-to-film adaptation.
Vestrock
Vestrock, a three-day festival held in the historic town of Hulst, is one of the fastest growing festivals in the Netherlands. On the Sunday, there is even a Vestrock Junior for kids. And the festival even boasts its own beer: Vestrock Blond. The event is an eclectic mix of music, theatre and education and has been nominated several times for the European Festival Award. The festival is held at Buitenvest in the historic fortified town of Hulst.
Zeeland Nazomerfestival
The Zeeland Nazomerfestival is a late summer festival which hosts an impressive array of performances at special locations in Westkapelle, such as the former sugar mill in Sluiskil or ‘t Grôôt Ôôt, an old pier which juts out into the sea. In 2025, the music events at the Abdijplein have been cancelled, but a full programme of side events has been organised alongside the performances on location.
Jazz by the Sea
Jazz by the Sea is a music festival held in Domburg, drawing in jazz enthusiasts from far and wide every year. This characterful seaside village provides a unique backdrop for the event. The combination of jazz and swing, along with the North Sea in the background, provides for an amazing experience: as you listen to the live music, the sound of waves crashing on the beach is never too far away. It doesn’t matter whether you happen to be a jazz fan or just like to immerse yourself in a music-filled ambiance, Jazz by the Sea is highly recommended!
