Four Days Marches Nijmegen

For seven days in July, Nijmegen is one big party. The Vierdaagsefeesten run parallel to the International Four Days Marches and have grown into the largest free event in the Netherlands — more than 1.5 million visitors, forty stages and over 1,200 performances.

✅ Free admission — the Vierdaagsefeesten are completely free. Just walk in and enjoy the stages, music and atmosphere.

Free entry — just walk into the city centre.

Background

The festivities have existed since 1970, starting as a side programme to the walking march that has taken place since 1916.

What you’ll find

Music everywhere

Forty stages across the city centre. From dance in Hunnerpark to Dutch party music on Faberplein Stage. The biggest acts play on the Waalkade.

Via Gladiola

On the final day, the walkers are welcomed along the Waalkade decorated with thousands of gladioli. One of those moments that stays with you.

Fireworks over the Waal

Every evening ends with fireworks above the river. Arrive on time for a good spot on the Waalkade.

The festivities have run since 1970, starting as a modest sideshow to the walking march that’s been held since 1916. Since then they’ve grown into a fully independent festival that takes over Nijmegen’s entire centre — the Waalkade, the Valkhof, the Kelfkensbos and dozens of squares and streets around them. Around 1,500 volunteers keep the whole thing running, a scale that matches a festival of this size.

Dance and EDM fill Hunnerpark, while Dutch-language party music takes over the Faberplein Stage. The Waalkade hosts the festival’s biggest acts — in 2024, Goldband drew a crowd that danced all the way to the water’s edge. For something more low-key, dozens of smaller stages are scattered throughout the city.

Pink Monday

The Monday of the festival week has its own identity: during Roze Maandag (Pink Monday), the whole city centre turns pink, with drag shows and an exuberant atmosphere felt across every corner of town.

The Waalkade

The Waalkade itself is the beating heart of the whole festival. Food trucks, bars, the biggest stage and most of the crowds all come together here, but it’s also the most scenic spot in the festival, with a view over the river and the bridge.

The Vierdaagsefeesten take place in 2027 from 17 to 23 July in the centre of Nijmegen. Nijmegen station is about a ten-minute walk from downtown, and NS runs extra trains throughout festival week. Anyone planning to stay over should book well ahead, since hotels and campsites in the area fill up fast. The fireworks start around half past ten each evening, and the Waalkade fills quickly beforehand, so it pays to arrive early for a good view.

What makes the week work is the sheer number of hands behind it and the fact that, despite the crowds, nowhere feels roped off or exclusive — locals and visitors mix at the same bars and stand shoulder to shoulder for the same fireworks.

Practical info

• • Date 2027: 17–23 July
• • Entry: free
• • Getting there: Nijmegen station, 10 min walk to city centre
• • Programme: vierdaagsefeesten.nl