Amsterdam, Brussels & Cologne Cultural Highlights 2008
Each a b c city offers innumerable cultural and historical treasures, combined with ‘joie de vivre' and traditional European charm. This year Amsterdam is hosting the 60th Holland Festival, the largest performing arts festival of the country, while Brussels is inviting everybody to its one of a kind annual Belgian Beer Weekend. On April 16th, the famous art fair ART Cologne will open its doors again to contemporary art lovers in Cologne. Please read on:
Amsterdam - 2008
May 30 - June 20, 2008
Holland Festival - Amsterdam
This year is the 60th anniversary of Holland's largest performing arts festival. It celebrates the end of the cultural season with the best of music, theater, dance, film and opera in superb venues throughout Amsterdam.
www.hollandfestival.nl
August 16 - 24, 2008
Canal Festival (Grachten Festival) - Amsterdam
AA summer spectacle for music lovers, filling the Amsterdam summer evenings with classical music. Large crowds of people will gather in the city center to enjoy the free classical concerts on and around the Amsterdam canals. Highlight is the Prinsengracht concert which takes place in front of the Pulitzer hotel.
www.grachtenfestival.nl
October 3, 2008 - January 18, 2009
Van Gogh Museum: 125 Favorites Aquired with the Support of the Rembrandt Association
In 2008 the Rembrandt Association celebrates its 125th anniversary with an exhibition in the Van Gogh Museum. More than thirty Dutch museums have collaborated to stage the best works of art, acquired by the Rembrandt Association, showing pieces from the 12th century to contemporary art, among them are Vermeer, Rembrandt, Matisse, de Kooning, Manet, Bruce Nauman and many more.
www.vangoghmuseum.com
November 3, 2008
Museum Night - Amsterdam
Amsterdam will once again celebrate Museum Night. More than 40 museums and institutions will open their doors from 7 pm until 2 am! All museums will organize special events.
www.holland.com
November 20-30, 2008
IDFA - International Documentary Festival Amsterdam - Amsterdam
One of the world's most prestigious documentary film festivals offers over 200 high-quality documentaries and an extensive program filled with workshops, readings and forums about the aspects of documentary filming
www.idfa.nl
November 23-30, 2008
Pan Amsterdam - RAI, Amsterdam
The RAI in Amsterdam hosts this Annual Art and Antiques Fair, featuring a myriad of intriguing finds and rare delights.
www.pan-amsterdam.nl
Brussels - 2008
April 16-30, 2008
Royal Greenhouses Open to the Public:
Each year for a very short period of time the Greenhouses of the Royal Palace at Laeken are open to the public.
www.visitbelgium.com
July 1 & 3, 2008
Ommegang Pageant
Yearly colorful pageant on Brussels’ Grand’Place commemorates a celebration in honor of Emperor Charles V in the 16th century.
www.visitbelgium.com
August 14-17, 2008
Flower Carpet on the Grand Place
A million begonias for one single carpet! The famous Carpet of Flowers covers over 3,000 square feet right in the center of the Grand Place which is listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO. With a different design each time, these begonias offer a wide range of vivid and glowing colors and can be best admired from the balcony of the City Hall, which is open to the public for the occasion.
www.flowercarpet.be
September 5-7, 2008
Belgian Beer Weekend
The Belgian Brewers’ association and the ‘Chevalerie du Fourquet des Brasseurs’, in collaboration with the City of Brussels organizes the annual Belgian Beer Weekend on the Grand’Place. Many small, medium-sized and large Belgian breweries will present their best selections of beers. Beer aficionados should also check out our Beer Lovers guide.
www.weekenddelabiere.be
December 2008, all month
European Christmas Market
Winter fun, an ice skating rink and much more await visitors in the warm and friendly atmosphere of downtown Brussels. A holiday shoppers’ delight!
www.visitbelgium.com
Cologne - 2008
Until March 30, 2008
Piet Mondrian Exhibition
Until the end of March the famous Ludwig Museum presents one of the world’s largest and most important Mondrian collections. It traces the development of the artist from his impressionist and cubist beginnings to the founding of De Stijl in 1917 and neo-plasticism and to his abstract constructivist meditations of horizontals and verticals.
www.mueseenkoeln.de
April 16 – 20, 2008
Art Cologne
Art lovers from all over the world will be attracted to the annual "Art Cologne", Germany’s most important art fair. Young art from the 21st century will be shown at the art fair 2008 from April 16 - 20. The lively Cologne gallery scene and the museums offer their own supporting programs.
www.artcologne.com
July 12, 2008
Cologne Lights
On July 12, the "Kölner Lichter" will set the sky ablaze above the cathedral city. A large convoy of boats and a grand firework display with synchronous musical accompaniment will be the climax of a colorful party in the Old Town.
www.cometogermany.com
October 29 – November 2, 2008
Cologne Fine Art – Cologne
Cologne – the fine art fair venue for tradition and innovation COLOGNE FINE ART with new date in the autumn to fuel new perspectives in the art market An exciting fresh start for this traditional art and antiques fair – a long list of innovative developments – an impressively broad range of fine and applied art from antiquity to the present day. COLOGNE FINE ART is a top-flight market platform for high-value fine art objects.
www.cologne-fine-art.com
End of November – December 23rd, 2008
Christmas Markets
The six idyllic Cologne Christmas markets have been growing increasingly popular year after year. Festive Christmas concerts, atmospheric Advent boat trips on the Rhine River as well as Crib trails round off the holiday program.
www.koelntourismus.de
For a complete list of events in 2008, please visit: www.koelntourismus.de
