Events in Waalwijk: what's on throughout the year

Waalwijk celebrates all year round, with the biggest crowd-pullers around the Raadhuisplein (town hall square) and the Markt. The year opens with the kermis (funfair) in April and King's Day. Summer brings terraces with live music, September the Kennedymars and October the Oktoberfest. December brings Sinterklaas, the IJsparadijs (ice paradise) and the Lidocross.

Bakstenen muziekkiosk met boogramen en een galerij aan het Raadhuisplein in Waalwijk
Photo: A. J. van der Wal, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

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Calendar 2026-2027

April brings the funfair and King's Day, summer the summer terrace, September the Kennedymars and December the IJsparadijs.

The reference date for this page is 16 October 2026. The calendar on this site reads from the same data file.

Which events are on in Waalwijk in spring?

The kermis opens the outdoor season. In 2026 the rides stood on the Unnaplein, the car park right next to the centre, from Wednesday 8 to Sunday 12 April11. The dates for 2027 are not yet known; expect April.

On King's Day the centre revolves around the vrijmarkt (free street market). On Monday 27 April 2026 the blankets were laid out from 12.00, while the Raadhuisplein was packed with tin-can throwing, XL sjoelen (Dutch shuffleboard) and a bouncy castle. The shops were open that afternoon2. King's Day 2027 falls nationally on Tuesday 27 April; the Waalwijk programme will follow.

Teams compete in the Wollukse Kwis, a town quiz with challenges out on the streets. The fifth edition ran in 202623.

What is there to do in Waalwijk in summer?

On Saturday evenings the Markt turns into an open-air living room during the Waalwijks Zomerterras (Waalwijk summer terrace). In 2026 there were four free evenings between 11 July and 22 August, each from 20.00 until midnight, with bingo, local bands, a piano show and a DJ3.

The Waalwijkse Zomerweken (Waalwijk summer weeks) bring together music, talks and workshops in the three villages. GO Waalwijk took over the organisation from the Stichting Halve Zolen Festival22. Dates for 2027 will follow.

On Sunday 30 August 2026 the first Wijnfestijn (wine festival) took place in the Stadstuin15.

Which events are on in Waalwijk in September and October?

September is the busiest month. On 6 September 2026 the final stage of the ZLM Tour cycle race finished in Waalwijk16. In the same month the first Kennedymars van De Langstraat took place, over 80 kilometres. The second edition is already fixed for 11 and 12 September 202712. The old 80 van de Langstraat has stopped; you can read why on the sport page.

On Sunday 27 September 2026 local clubs and societies presented themselves at the free GO Waalwijk Festival, with performances on five stages7.

The Oktoberfest celebrated its tenth edition on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 October 2026 in a marquee in the car park on the Taxandriaweg14. The municipality granted a licence until 23.309. Whether there will be an eleventh edition is not yet known.

What is there to do in Waalwijk in winter?

Winter begins with Sinterklaas. On Sunday 15 November 2026 he arrives in the harbour on his steamboat, after which the procession heads to the Raadhuisplein619.

From Saturday 12 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 the Waalwijk IJsparadijs fills the Raadhuisplein, a covered 15 by 25 metre rink with skate hire and curling17. At the first edition, more than six thousand skaters took to the ice18.

On Friday 18 December 2026 at 18.30 the free Herdertjestocht (shepherds' procession) sets off from the Raadhuisplein. Two days later, on Sunday 20 December, ACW'66 runs the 58th Lidocross over the unpaved paths of the Lido2021.

How do you find smaller activities in Waalwijk?

For the centre, Welkom in Wolluk keeps the calendar, including the Sunday shopping days. In 2026 there is Sunday shopping on the last Sunday of every month, with extra Sundays in December4. For sport, culture and neighbourhood activities for all ages, GO Waalwijk is the place to look. On its events page, the municipality itself refers to GO Waalwijk and to Bezoek de Langstraat for the wider region8.

Frequently asked questions

When is the IJsparadijs in Waalwijk open in 2026?

The Waalwijk IJsparadijs is open from Saturday 12 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, on the Raadhuisplein. The rink is closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. You can hire skates on the spot, small children get skating aids, and the bar next to it is free to enter. The daily programme is on the organiser's website.

When does Sinterklaas arrive in Waalwijk?

Sinterklaas arrives in Waalwijk harbour on Sunday 15 November 2026, at around 13.00. The harbour area opens at 12.00. A parade then follows to the Raadhuisplein, where the mayor welcomes him. The arrival is free and you do not need to register.

Where is the funfair in Waalwijk held?

Waalwijk's kermis is held on the Unnaplein, a car park right next to the centre. In 2026 the funfair lasted five days, from Wednesday 8 to Sunday 12 April. The dates for 2027 have not yet been published. Check the official funfair website in spring or the calendar on this site.

When is the next Kennedymars van De Langstraat?

The second Kennedymars van De Langstraat is on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 September 2027. The organising foundation announced this after the first edition. Start and finish are on the Raadhuisplein in Waalwijk. The 2027 route will follow later; in 2026 there was also a half march alongside the full march.

Sources

  1. Welkom in Wolluk, Evenementen (events) (accessed 16 October 2026), welkominwolluk.nl/evenementen
  2. Welkom in Wolluk, Koningsdag 2026 (King's Day), welkominwolluk.nl/koningsdag-2026
  3. Welkom in Wolluk, Waalwijks Zomerterras 2026, welkominwolluk.nl/waalwijks-zomerterras-2026
  4. Welkom in Wolluk, Koopzondagen (Sunday shopping), welkominwolluk.nl/koopzondag-waalwijk
  5. GO Waalwijk, Activiteiten (activities), www.gowaalwijk.nl/activiteiten
  6. GO Waalwijk, Sint intocht Waalwijk (Sinterklaas arrival), www.gowaalwijk.nl/activiteiten/sint-intocht-waalwijk
  7. GO Waalwijk, GO Waalwijk Festival, www.gowaalwijk.nl/nieuws/zondag-27-september-go-waalwijk-festival-in-centrum-waalwijk
  8. Gemeente Waalwijk, Evenementen (events), www.waalwijk.nl/evenementen
  9. Gemeenteblad Waalwijk 2026, 434409 (Oktoberfest), zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/gmb-2026-434409.html
  10. Kermis Waalwijk, www.kermiswaalwijk.nl
  11. Kermis.nu, Kermis Waalwijk 2026 (secondary), kermis.nu/kermis/52/waalwijk/kermis
  12. Stichting Kennedymars van De Langstraat, kennedymarsvandelangstraat.nl
  13. Stichting De 80 van de Langstraat, press release 29 January 2026, www.80vandelangstraat.nl/persbericht
  14. Oktoberfest Waalwijk, www.oktoberfest-waalwijk.nl
  15. Wijnfestijn Waalwijk, wijnfestijnwaalwijk.nl
  16. ZLM Tour, Etappes 2026 (stages), zlmtour.nl/etappes
  17. Waalwijk IJsparadijs, www.waalwijk-ijsparadijs.nl
  18. Langstraat Media, 28 September 2026 (secondary), langstraatmedia.nl/het-ijsparadijs-in-waalwijk-keert-deze-winter-terug
  19. Omroep Brabant, Sinterklaas arrival (secondary), www.omroepbrabant.nl/nieuws/6022567/intocht-sinterklaas-waalwijk-vergunning-verleend
  20. Huis van Sinterklaas Waalwijk, Herdertjestocht, www.sint-kersthuiswaalwijk.nl/herdertjestocht
  21. ACW'66, Lidocross 2026, lidocross.acw66.nl
  22. De Vrienden van Waalwijk, Waalwijkse Zomerweken, vriendenvanwaalwijk.nl/waalwijkse-zomerweken
  23. Stichting De Wollukse Kwis, www.wolluksekwis.nl
  24. Bezoek de Langstraat, Agenda (calendar) (secondary), www.bezoekdelangstraat.nl/agenda
  25. Het Koninklijk Huis (the Royal House), Koningsdag, www.koninklijkhuis.nl/onderwerpen/activiteiten-en-werkzaamheden/koningsdag

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