This was Kunstnacht 2025
Posted: 22 September 2025, 21:11 hour
Last Saturday, the thirteenth edition of Kunstnacht took place in Nijmegen. With over 2,600 visitors on Saturday and 1,000 during the pre-party on Friday, the organizers consider it a successful edition, where art, connection, and surprise took center stage.
Nijmegen transformed into one giant cultural discovery zone on Saturday evening. Despite a rainy start to the day, it cleared up just before Kunstnacht kicked off and remained surprisingly mild: perfect for an evening of exploring art and performances. Visitors poured into the city early in the evening, from the city center to the Honig and the NYMA grounds, to discover the program at no fewer than 38 locations, a significant increase compared to the 20 locations in 2023. Thanks to an extensive fringe program, such as Delinus, the smallest taxi ever, there was plenty to experience along the way. The atmosphere was lively, open, and inviting, and the additional locations ensured a pleasant spread and natural flow through the city.
Queues formed at peak times at some well-attended programs with limited capacity. Using the map and targeted push notifications via the Kunstnacht app, the organizers were able to provide visitors with more targeted information and thus better distribute them across the 38 locations.Popular program items included:
Poet on the Tower on the Stevens' Skywalk:
Visitors climbed to the roof of the Stevens Church and enjoyed poetry by Jet Sterkman, Rik Sprenkels, and Kyrke Otto, who recited it on the skywalk.Rolling Minas at the Lindenberg:
Dancing skaters Laura, Bochi, and Miret let loose to music. A fusion of musical sounds and skating created an impressive spectacle.Pink Party Dance Along by Introdans at De Vereeniging:
Visitors danced along to Introdans' swinging dance production, inspired by the tolerant disco culture of the 1970s.AZOTH at the Mariënburg Library:
Where a dark maze full of light, sound, and queer stories could be found.Hannah van der Heide's Wickerwork at the Latin School
In the unique setting of the Latin School, Hannah van der Heide presented her installation "Vlechtwerk", which uses mycelium as a metaphor to visualize the non-hierarchical relationship between humans and nature.
Side program by Mees de Rozario
The iconic rave organ by Mees de Rozario brought unexpected beats to the city and entertained visitors along the way.
Night party as the final chord of Kunstnacht
After an evening packed with culture, Kunstnacht 2025 concluded with a bang at De Vasim. Accompanied by brass band Musica Sucura, visitors were led swinging to the afterparty. Julia van Praag, Power to the Pipo, and Shamson, among others, were on hand with a generous dose of music and energy. Hubert and Wereldlab collaborated on the production of this festive finale.
Kunstnacht 2026
Kunstnacht proved once again that the power of art lies in encounters, experiences, and unexpected perspectives. For visitors who can't get enough of Kunstnacht, there's good news: on Saturday, September 19, 2026, Kunstnacht returns with a new edition.
Hopefully see you then!
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