Music Garden Festival Castricum: 35 bands in 21 gardens | Sunday, September 13, 2026
A festival where people open their gardens for live music? Of course, we have a soft spot for that.
This summer we participated in the Open Tuinen Podium Uitgeest again. And once you've experienced how much fun it is when your own garden suddenly transforms into a small festival grounds, you immediately understand why we couldn't pass up this tip.
On Sunday, September 13th, things get even more exciting in Castricum and Bakkum: 21 venues, 35 bands and ensembles, and six hours of music. Admission is free. You just have to figure out where to start.
Just ring the bell and go into the garden.
That remains the entertaining part of such a festival.
You walk or cycle down a perfectly ordinary street, turn into a garden somewhere, and suddenly find yourself in front of a band. No barriers, no huge stage, and no €8.50 beer in a plastic cup. Just musicians and audience close together.
Each performance lasts forty minutes, followed by a twenty-minute intermission. Plenty of time, then, to linger, walk to the next venue, or hop on a bike. You can plan your route using the interactive map.
From the sixties to bluegrass and classical music
With 35 acts, the program covers a wide spectrum.
Take the Monkeys, for example. This band was founded in 1965 and still plays music by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, CCR and the Shadows, to name just a few.
Just a few gardens away, you'll find country, oldtime, bluegrass, and Americana music sung in Dutch at Clear Horizon. Or at Koperkwintet Emergo, an ensemble that has itself existed for around forty years.
That's actually what I like best: You don't have to commit to a particular style of music beforehand. You can just start cycling and see where you end up.
Practical
Date: Sunday, September 13, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Location: 21 sites spread across Castricum and Bakkum
Program: 35 bands and ensembles
admission free
Performances: Blocks of 40 minutes with a 20-minute break in between.
A voluntary contribution for the musicians is appreciated.
The festival will take place even in bad weather, however, performances in locations where it is not possible to play under a roof may be cancelled.
5 things you might not know
5 facts I actually like
The Monkeys have been around since 1965. That means this band was making music even before the first moon landing – and on September 13th they will simply be playing in a garden in Castricum.
One address on Bachstraat is almost like a festival within a festival: several artists perform there, including Clear Horizon, Eva's Echo, the brass quintet Emergo, Ladies Choice, Playground, and the saxophone quartet Emergo. Theoretically, you could make yourself comfortable and stay there forever.
Not every "music garden" is actually a private garden. Music is also played in community gardens, in Captain Rommel's Garden, and even on campsites.
The musicians do not receive a fixed fee from the organizer. The festival relies on volunteers and donations from visitors; musicians can leave behind items such as a cap, a violin case, or a QR code. Traditional yet modern.
And secretly, this is my favorite band: BuccaSwing and Undercover, who played in our garden this summer at the Open Tuinen Podium Uitgeest, are also on the Muziektuinen program. From Westergeest to Castricum – we're almost starting to follow them.
This event is part of Uitgeest's local events calendar. The full events calendar can be found at www.boutiquestay.nl/uitagenda