Rotterdam expecting hundreds of thousands of visitors to World Port Days this weekend

Rotterdam is expecting hundreds of thousands of visitors to the World Port Days this weekend. This annual maritime event takes place on the water around the Erasmusbrug and the nearby harbors and quays. The schedule includes shows, demonstrations, excursions, and activities about everything related to the Rotterdam port and working in it.

The event, which is having its 47th edition this year, had an attendance of between 350,000 and 400,000 people in the last few years.

A new feature at the World Port Days this year is the Festivalsquare, a central meeting point during the event. This square has a day and night program with performances, interviews, debates, cultural and nautical entertainment, food and drink establishments, and activities for children. The location is the Baltimoreplein, a large open space between the Cruise Terminal and the World Port Center on the Kop van Zuid.

People can also walk over the recently reclaimed land in the Rijnhaven during the weekend. Over the next few years, thousands of homes and a park with a beach will be built in this area.

Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb opened the World Port Days at 10 a.m. on Friday. He did this with the Port Authority's CEO, Boudewijn Siemons, the Commander of the Naval Forces, Vice Admiral René Tas, and Niels Woudstra, the organization's chairman behind the World Port Days. The event will last until Sunday.