The Holland Festival has preserved a wealth of information since its inception in 1947.
This archive is a feast of recognition for lovers of performing arts. It offers a unique opportunity to rediscover iconic performances, get to know artists and their work better and delve into the rich history of the festival. The video clips, performance information, artist biographies and famous festival posters are a treasure trove of inspiration - not only for nostalgic festival-goers, but also for a new generation of performing arts enthusiasts. From today, you can browse the digital archive from 1990 to 2024 via https://hollandfestival.nl/nl/archief.
In the run-up to the 80th edition in 2027, the entire archive will be unlocked to make a vital contribution to the performance history of the performing arts in the Netherlands.
Holland Festival Pearls
The Holland Festival Pearls are also part of the archive: the 150 videos collected together with the VPRO that give a wonderful overview of the productions in past decades, from Steve Reich playing his Six Pianos himself to stage rehearsals with Erik Vos from 1963.
What can you find in the archive and the Pearls?
Content, credits, biographies, and mostly visual material of all performances are available digitally for fans, creators and researchers. What did the first poster look like? When was William Kentridge first in the festival (1998 with the opera Il returno d'Ulisse By Claudio Monteverdi). Which performance was Hatsune Miku with long before she sold out AFAS at the 2015 Holland Festival? (The End, by Keiichiro Shibuya and Hatsune Miku, the first Vocaloid opera made up of 3D projections) We have mapped this information and it is now conveniently and searchably online, complemented by Pearls full of behind-the-scenes peeks, interviews and excerpts from performances and rehearsals.
