FAQ

Every year in June, when the days are at their longest, the Oerol Festival takes place, the largest site-specific arts festival in Europe. And all this on the small Wadden island of Terschelling, for over 42 years now. With approximately 25 site-specific performances, street theatre, music, visual arts, storytelling, and talks, Oerol offers an experience that resonates with you for ten days straight and stays in your thoughts for 365 days.

Read more about Oerol and its rich history here.

Save the date!

• Oerol 2026: Fri 12 to Sun 21 June
• Oerol 2027: Fri 11 to Sun 20 June

Oerol takes place on the beautiful island of Terschelling. Each year, people from all over the world gather here to enjoy a unique festival experience amidst the natural beauty and rich culture of this Wadden Sea island. The festival spans from east to west, from the dyke to the beach. It’s literally ‘oerol’ (Terschelling dialect for ‘everywhere’).

Dogs on a leash are allowed at the festival hub. Unfortunately, our four-legged friends are not permitted at performances unless they are a service, assistance, or guide dog. In such cases, the dog must wear a harness clearly indicating that it is a service dog.

If you’re unsure whether there are too many stimuli for a dog during the performance, please contact us at toegankelijkheid@oerol.nl.

It is not allowed to bring your own food and drinks to the festival hub de Deining, except for bringing your own water bottle. There are water refill stations on the festival grounds.

Stay hydrated, people!

There’s plenty for children to enjoy during Oerol. Various shows and performances are organised specifically for our young visitors.

Starting 7th May 2025 (14:00 CET), the full program of the Oerol Festival 2026 will be available online, including recommendations for shows suitable for children or the whole family to attend.

That’s the big question, one even meteorologists can sometimes struggle with. What we can tell you is that our programme isn’t just about a wide range of acts and experiences; you might also encounter varying weather conditions. That’s why our advice is: dress in layers! Make sure your festival outfit can always be adjusted to the weather conditions and pull out all the stops: from colorful ponchos to trendy sunglasses. And never forget: while the weather may be changeable, the atmosphere at the festival always remains radiant!

PS. Once the festival begins, you’ll find the daily weather forecast and information about high and low tide times conveniently located on the homepage of our website. How handy is that!

Have you lost something or found something during Oerol? You can register the item at www.verlorenofgevonden.nl.

If you believe your item has been found, you can come to the town hall. If you have found an item, you can hand it in at the festival heart De Deining in West aan Zee, the Oerol office in Midsland, or the town hall in West-Terschelling.

Opening hours of the town hall during Oerol:
Monday (June 15)        09:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Tuesday (June 16)       09:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Wednesday (June 17) 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Thursday (June 18)     09:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Friday (June 19)          09:00 AM – 12:00 PM

If you have any questions, you can contact the municipality of Terschelling at 0562-446244 (weekdays only).

All items left behind on ships, grounds, and baggage wagons of Doeksen shipping company are collected and kept for three months in the depot in Harlingen.

Lost something on the train? Then you can contact NS or Arriva.

Taking a photo, video, or audio recording of a performance or show is only allowed with prior written consent from the respective musician or theatre maker and the Oerol organisation.

Don’t worry, our team is here for you. Contact us via the question mark icon in the bottom right corner of the (drop down) menu. Our flowbot will first attempt to answer your question. If that doesn’t work, feel free to leave a message so we can quickly assist you further.

If you want to change your contact details or address, you can easily do this within your My Oerol account. Go to the section ‘Data’ and there you can change your name, postcode, address, city and telephone number.

Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to change the email address of your account yourself. Send an email to helpdesk@oerol.nl with your full name, your old email address and your new email address. We will then change your email address in our systems.

Are you a Friend of Oerol? Then you can easily submit changes in your My Oerol account via the form “Submit changes”.

The service points are currently closed. The first service point will reopen on Wednesday, June 10. Keep an eye on this website for opening hours.

You bet! Since 1982 Oerol has always programmed a lot of street theatre. In addition to the well-known spectacle and circus performances, we also introduce newer and lesser-known forms of street theatre.

How/what/when will be known starting when we launch the programme online. From that moment on, you can start planning your festival schedule.

First and foremost, it’s important to travel to Harlingen Haven, as the ferries operated by Rederij Doeksen depart from there. They’ll take you across the Wadden Sea to the island of Terschelling. While you enjoy the sea views, you might even spot some seals!

Also, check out our handy collection page Plan your visit for more information on transportation, accommodation, tickets and sales, accessibility, and much more.

You can stay in a holiday home or hotel, but there are also many campsites on Terschelling. You can find information through the VVV Terschelling (Tourist office). Tip: Don’t wait too long to book!

Also, check out our handy collection page Plan your visit for more information on transportation, accommodations, tickets and sales, accessibility, and much more.

The bicycle is the most common mode of transportation on Terschelling during Oerol. There are various bike rental shops spread across the island. There is also a bus service operating on the island, but not all Oerol locations are easily accessible by public transport.

Arriving by car? Park outside the villages as much as possible and come to festival hub De Deining by bike. There is also a taxi service available on the island.

Check out our handy collection page Plan your visit for more information on transportation, accommodations, tickets and sales, accessibility, and much more.

Upon presentation of a festival wristband, you can attend all visual arts locations* during the day at your own pace, and you’ll have access to festival hub de Deining featuring live music acts, DJs, talks, storytelling, performances, and tasty festival food. By purchasing a festival wristband, you support Oerol and contribute to ensuring we can continue offering a unique program, including free street theatre in the villages.

If you plan to attend Oerol for just one or two days, you can also purchase a day pass. These will be available from 7th May at 14:00 CET.

If you wish to attend a performance, you’ll need both your festival wristband or day wristband and a separate ticket. Regular ticket sales begin on 15th May at 20:00 CET.

*Please note: visual arts and street theatre start from Saturday 13th June. The complete programme and schedule will be available from 7th May at 14:00 CET, so you can start planning then!

From 1 December at 14:00, festival wristbands for Oerol 2026 will go on sale. Keep an eye on this page. Once ticket sales have started, you can buy tickets via the website.

Ticket sales schedule 2026:
🕑 11 May | 12:00 | start of ticket sales for press/professionals
🕑 12 May | 20:00 | start of ticket sales for Friends
🕑 15 May | 20:00 | start of regular ticket sales

To buy a wristband, you need to log in to Mijn Oerol.

Would you like to become a Friend and secure your favourite performances in the presale? You can. Sign up as a Friend here.

Please note: only buy performance tickets and festival wristbands via our website or via TicketSwap.

In the table below you can find the prices for festival wristband & daypass for Oerol Festival 2026.

For more information, click here.

Absolutely! We offer special discounts for children and young people up to and including 35 years old. Children aged 0 to 3 can attend Oerol for free. Children and teenagers aged 4 to 17 enjoy a reduced rate on festival wristbands and – in some cases – tickets. For young people up to and including 35, special Jopie wristbands are available.

Check out our Tickets & sales page for more information.

During the festival, it’s possible to buy tickets for performances that are not yet sold out both online and at a service point.

Please note that tickets bought at the service point (printed tickets) are € 1,00 more expensive per ticket compared to purchasing online.

Once your payment is complete, you’ll receive the tickets by email. Please also check your junk/spam folder, as the tickets may accidentally end up there. When you log in to your My Oerol account, you’ll find all your purchased tickets under ‘Order history’. There you can download your tickets again and/or email them to yourself.

No, we do not accept returns for performance tickets or festival wristbands. Tickets are excluded from the 14-day right of withdrawal. You will only receive a refund if we have to cancel the festival. Of course, you can pass your tickets on to someone else or resell them.

However, it is possible to easily and securely sell your tickets through TicketSwap.

If you want to order tickets for another Oerol Friend, you’ll need that person’s subscription number. This number starts with a V- and changes every year. You can find the subscription number under ‘My Subscriptions’ in your My Oerol account.

If you purchase a festival wristband or day pass online, you will receive a ticket via email. Show your ticket at a service point on Terschelling during the festival. In return, you will get your colourful festival wristband.

No, this used to be an option in the past, but it’s no longer possible. You can only purchase your festival wristband through our official website.

Yes, if you purchase something via our website, you need to log in through My Oerol first. In your My Oerol account, you can also find all your purchases.

Yes, you can. For your orders, you’ll receive a ticket. You can also give these away to someone else. The festival wristband also makes a very nice (birthday) gift!

Festival hub de Deining is largely wheelchair accessible, with adapted toilets available. For the part of the festival hub located on the beach, wheelchair mats are laid out, and a limited number of beach wheelchairs are available.

To see which programme components are easily accessible with a wheelchair, you can select the ‘Wheelchair Accessible’ filter in the programme overview (starting 7th May). The access paths to these programme components are paved or semi-paved. If this is not the case, we are happy to assist in finding an alternative route to the performance or Expedition. Click here for more information or contact our accessibility coordinator at toegankelijkheid@oerol.nl.

Click here for extensive information about accessibility at Oerol. Are you looking for specific information or need assistance at the festival? Contact us at toegankelijkheid@oerol.nl.

You can become a Friend through this link or at the Friends house at festival hub de Deining!

PS. You can also give Friendship as a gift!

The ticket pre-sale for Friends & Pioneers begins on 12th May at 20:00 CET.

You do not need your subscription number for the Friends pre-sale. This number is automatically linked to your My Oerol account.

You only need the subscription number (starting with V-) if you are also ordering tickets for other subscription holders.

When you are the first one through the queue and want to order tickets for another Friend, you will need their subscription code. This number starts with a V-. Be aware that this number changes every year.

Log in to My Oerol (top right). Select ‘Subscriptions’ in the My Oerol menu.

If you have a valid subscription, your subscription code (starting with V-) will be listed here.

Every year, special activities are organised for our Friends and Pioneers, often in collaboration with artists, and/or local entrepreneurs from Terschelling. Think of horse-drawn cart rides, walks over the Boschplaat, or intimate performances at special locations. With each Friendship, you have the opportunity to choose one exclusive activity.

It’s important to know that participation is based on availability, so act quickly if you’re interested in any of our Friend events. First come, first served!

The Friend events will be included in the programme overview starting from May 6th at 20:00 CET.

Yes, that’s possible! You can use the number of tickets you are entitled to for one performance or spread them across multiple performances. We have a maximum of 8 tickets per performance. Do you want to order more tickets because you’re coming with a group? Try doing it in multiple transactions or contact us via the question mark in the (drop down) menu on the website.

We recommend checking your subscription before the Friends presale begins. This way, you’ll know exactly how many tickets you can order. You can view your subscription via My Oerol (log in via the right upper corner on the website).

You can become a Friend of Oerol starting from € 28.00 per year. Additionally, there are subscriptions available for € 56.00 and € 84.00.

Click here for more information about the Friendships.

Of course, that choice is entirely up to you. For example, if you’re entitled to 4 tickets, you can choose to attend two performances with someone else, watch four different performances alone, or enjoy a show with a group of four people.

With a Friends wristband, you indicate that you are a Friend of Oerol. This offers benefits such as discounts at various island businesses and the opportunity to participate in special Friends events, combined with a (free) ticket.

On the other hand, a festival wristband is essential for access to the festival hub and the Expeditions, which are visual art installations scattered across the island. To attend performances, you also need tickets in addition to your festival wristband.

If you’d like to increase your Friendship, you can do so by signing up for an additional Friendship via www.oerol.nl/steun-oerol/word-vriend.

The Friendships you sign up for through the website are one-time contributions. Next year, you’ll remain a Friend at the original amount. After the festival, we’ll contact you to ask if you’d like to upgrade your existing Friendship to a recurring one.

When you log in after purchasing with the email address registered with us, both Friendships will be linked to your existing account. This allows you to use both Friendships to purchase tickets during the Friends Presale.

Do you want to pour beers for partying visitors, guide festival-goers to the coolest performances, or ensure that the audience knows where to go? Check out this page. Starting early April you can sign up as a volunteer.

Good question! Of course, we want to thank you for your voluntary contribution during the festival. We do this in the following ways:

• you’ll receive a free festival wristband;
• you’ll have a free camping spot;
• you’ll get a 50% discount on bike rental;
• we’ll provide lunch and dinner on the days you work;
• you’ll receive a 50% discount on performances if you volunteer between 6 and 13 days, and a 75% discount if you volunteer for 14 days or longer;
• we have a volunteer gift for you;
• and of course, you’ll have an unforgettable experience!

Click here for more information, and see you at Oerol!