Duinfestival Heemskerk: Cycling from performance to performance | Saturday, August 29, 2026
You cycle through the dunes, park your bike somewhere, and suddenly there's an orchestra. Or a storyteller. Or someone playing the accordion, pan flute, foot percussion, and ping-pong balls all at once.
I didn't make up the last part.
On Saturday, August 29th, the Heemskerk Dune Festival celebrates its tenth anniversary. And I still think it's a brilliant concept: not a festival grounds where you walk from stage A to stage B, but a shared bike tour through the Heemskerk dunes with stops along the way for new performances.
You never know what's lurking around the next bend.
I think that's exactly why it's so much fun.
The program includes music, theater, storytelling, and cabaret at various locations along the route. This year, for example, you'll encounter the street orchestra TOOS, which effortlessly switches between Puccini and Rammstein. Luuk Lenders brings a veritable collection of instruments, and De Trekzakken play country, Americana, folk, and bluegrass.
In addition, there is the Leuk Koor from Castricum with over thirty women, the storyteller Piet Paree tells the story of the beachcomber Krelis Tand, and the Balcony Players bring Gypsy, Ragtime and world music.
And then you just continue cycling.
Unfortunately, the cycling route is fully booked.
Now for the bad news for everyone who's thinking: Give me that bike.
The cycling route is already sold out.
Fortunately, this is not one of those cases where this tip is completely useless. The starting point at the d'Evelaer community center and the endpoint at the De Vrijheit beach pavilion are freely accessible and can be visited without a ticket.
This way you can still experience some of the Duin Festival.
And quite honestly: going to a concert and listening to music at the end with your feet in the sand on the beach in Heemskerker sounds pretty good, even without the bike tour.
Practical information
Date: Saturday, August 29, 2026
Starting point: Community Center d'Evelaer, Luttik Cie 35 in Heemskerk
Program begins at 3:15 p.m.
Departure of the cycling groups: 15:30, 16:00 and 16:30
End: no later than 9:30 pm at the De Vrijheit beach pavilion
Bicycle route: sold out
Start and end: free entry without a ticket
5 things you might not know
The Duinfestival is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. Apparently, some people have been asking themselves for ten years: Why don't we just build the stage somewhere in the dunes?
The street orchestra TOOS has around fifty pieces in its repertoire and can switch from Italian film music to Rammstein within a single festival day. Try creating a Spotify playlist from that.
Luuk Lenders uses, among other things, Irish flutes, ocarinas, accordion, pan flute, foot percussion, and ping-pong balls. Sometimes he even plays three or four instruments simultaneously. For that reason alone, I want to see how that works in practice.
The Leuk Koor from Castricum has only been active since the beginning of 2026 and already performs with over thirty women at the Duinfestival. That was pretty fast.
The final act takes place on the beach. That's still much nicer than shuffling home through a parking lot after the last performance.
This event is part of Uitgeest's local events calendar. The full events calendar can be found at www.boutiquestay.nl/uitagenda