Theatre festival Boulevard spreads in time and space; Festival this year from 5 to 22 August with new festival heart in Zuiderpark.

Theatre festival Boulevard 's-Hertogenbosch is preparing for its 37th edition. An edition in which the organisation is still reckoning with ongoing measures around the corona virus. To better ensure 1.5 metres distance between visitors, Boulevard is making a new festival centre this year. In the Zuiderpark in 's-Hertogenbosch, we will realise a new meeting place with a spacious layout. In addition, the festival will deviate from the traditional 11 days in the coming edition, in order to spread out the programme and thus the visitors more. The festival will take place from Thursday 5 to Sunday 22 August. The programme will be announced in June, after which ticket sales will start via www.festivalboulevard.nl.

Longer period

For the first time in 36 years, the festival lasts longer than 11 days. This allows programme sections to play for longer, often with several plays per day. In this way, the festival hopes to sell about half the number of tickets as before the pandemic, while also ensuring the 1.5-metre distance between visitors. "The desire to be able to show work and meet audiences is greater than ever and palpable in all the conversations we have with creators. As a festival organisation, it is fantastic to be able to offer perspective at this time and build a festival where head and heart are set in motion and where meeting and joy is part of the daily offering," said programmer Tessa Smeulers.

More spacious design

For the programme in 2021, the festival puts special focus on performances at venues in and around the city with plenty of space, preferably outdoors. In addition, we are creating a new festival heart in the Zuiderpark in 's-Hertogenbosch where more space is available. This will make it possible to place theatre tents with a larger capacity, while the public space remains large enough for audiences to move around (at an appropriate distance from each other) and use the catering facilities. Director Viktorien van Hulst: "We want to create a safe meeting place that meets the need, especially now, for proximity, for meeting and for sharing stories. Like last year, we consciously choose to have a physical festival more spread out in time and space. The first drawings show that the Zuiderpark offers a very nice place for a new festival heart."

Bossche summer

Like last year, the festival is part of the Bossche Zomer: an initiative in which two months of space is given to entrepreneurs, institutions and visitors to come together (with the RIVM measures as a prerequisite) in innovative and creative ways in familiar and new places.