Grachtenfestival kicks off in Amsterdam

The 26th edition of the Grachtenfestival kicked off in Amsterdam on Friday. Spanning ten days, the city will serve as a backdrop for concerts ranging from classical music to jazz. In addition to the many free concerts, there are also nearly 150 other performances for which attendees need to purchase tickets.

"Music can be found everywhere, thanks to the almost 600 musicians performing this year," said festival director Marie-Luce Bree. "There are some real gems this year, making the choice difficult."

The festival started on Friday with a free concert at the Y-helling of the NDSM site in Amsterdam-Noord. From 6:30 pm, attendees can listen to the National Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands, conducted by Wouter Vossen. Pianist Nikola Meeuwsen will also be performing Ludwig van Beethoven's fifth piano concerto. The opening night will conclude festively with a performance by the jazz band the Roaring Cats.

The Tolhuistuin in Amsterdam-Noord will be the heart of the festival for this edition. Over the next ten days, between 10:00 am and 1:00 am, nearly 50 concerts will be showcased there, constituting over a quarter of the total performances. There will also be a daily live broadcast, the radio program "Earbites" from NPO Klassiek, with Dieuwertje Blok as host.

The festival will run until August 20. Last year’s edition attracted over 25,000 visitors. Previous editions of the festival annually drew around 50,000 people.