Summer in Amsterdam is also festival season and none is more prominent than De Parade, which is celebrating it’s 15th anniversary in 2005. This is one of those festivals that everyone tells you is a must-see. I’ve never actually been but I am planning to go for the first time this year.

De Parade (The Parade) is a traveling circus/funfair festival and draws upon medieval fair traditions without involving you in too much hippy, new-ageism festival antics. I get the impression this Dutch version is much darker and more surreal which appeals to me. As was custom at medieval fairs they “show off” by giving the audience a taste of their performance on a stage outside the tents in which they perform.

Having already visited Rotterdam, Den Haag and Utrecht, De Parade reaches Amsterdam on the 29th July and stays in the Martin Luther King Park until 14th August. Expect strange people, bizarre performances and lots of good food and drink. If you fancy it, check out their website for the performance agenda, ticket sales and directions or even better catch De Parade boat, which departs from Waterlooplein and takes you down the river Amstel to De Parade.

De Parade 2005
Date: 29th July – August 14th, 2005
Place: Martin Luther Park, Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)33 465 4555
info@deparade.nl
https://www.deparade.nl

90sqm
Address: 52 LevantPlein, 1019MB Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 419 2525
info@90sqm.com
https://www.90sqm.com