Spanjaardsgat Festival 2026

The Spanjaardsgat Festival celebrates five days of orchestral music of all genres, performed by professional orchestras and enthusiastic amateurs.  

The theme of the 2026 festival is “Summer Carnival”. This theme will be reflected in many different ways, from Latin America to Kielegat.

Programme:

• Wednesday 27 May 

- 1.30 pm: Children’s performance, specially designed to introduce young visitors to live music in a playful way. This performance will be staged twice in the morning for primary schools. 

- 7.30 pm: Official opening. The Breda Festival Orchestra will present a wonderful, varied programme.

• Thursday 28 May 

- 7.30 pm: Emma Kok with the 100-strong Military Academy Orchestra (MAO) 

As in previous years, this concert will also be broadcast live to various residential and care homes.

• Friday 29 May 

- 8.00 pm: Anneke van Giersbergen with the National Youth Fanfare Orchestra (NJFO). 

• Saturday 30 May 

- 10.00 am: The large training wind orchestra, comprising students from Nieuwe Veste and the Breda wind orchestras, will perform together with a large children’s choir.

- 4.00 pm: Spanjaardsgat Music Quiz for music societies, big bands and brass bands. 

- 7.00 pm: Sing-along evening with a Summer Carnival theme, performed by a 60-piece orchestra made up of carnival bands from Breda and the surrounding area. Featuring various artists. The programme ranges from carnival to disco and from Dutch hits to South American music. 

• Sunday 31 May

- 1.00 pm: ‘Salsa in the harbour’. Dancing to live salsa music