Are you also eagerly awaiting the Oerol programme?
In just three months, the 44th edition of the Oerol Festival will kick off on Terschelling. Filled with excitement for the upcoming festival, we are thrilled to present the first wave of names for Oerol 2025 today. From Friday 13 to Sunday 22 June, you can immerse yourself for 10 days in a thrilling mix of site-specific performances, music, spoken word, talks, street theatre, and visual arts. We invite you to join us on an adventure—discover, connect, experience, and celebrate together in Terschelling’s unique natural surroundings.
Experimentation and established names
Across Terschelling’s natural landscape, at the festival hub, the Bostheater, the West-End Theatre, and the brand-new Strandtheater (an arena by the sea designed by Collectief Walden), you will be surprised by a fusion of disciplines from renowned artists and experimental work by emerging creators. Bostheater, the West-End Theatre, and Strandtheater provide space for deeper exploration and expansion of the programme, offering an exciting addition for new creators and audiences alike.
Blaudzun and Sarah Janneh
After ten years, Blaudzun returns to Oerol to work on a new project at the Bostheater. Additionally, he will perform at festival hub de Deining on 19 June. New to Oerol is the Terschelling-born artist MAYA MARIA. She embraces her femininity in her music, blending Alt-R&B with Art Pop. Multi-talented Sarah Janneh takes on a dual role—developing her music theatre production Brabo Leone at the Bostheater, while also being the regular guest on Opium op Oerol by AVROTROS.
De Poezieboys, Joost Oomen & Explore the North will perform their new production GEESTEN at Natuurtheater de Nollekes, Together, they dive into the wondrous world of inspiration. The NUT, Martin Rombouts, and George Tobal Productions, all familiar with Oerol, are now collaborating on three performances about capital and its downsides, initiated by Oerol. The leading Frisian multilingual theatre company Tryater will present Foekje, a play about the legendary runner Foekje Dillema, in a gymnasium in West-Terschelling. This performance will include audio description and subtitles.
An international flair comes from the Belgian urban acrobats of Be Flat. Hanging from facades and leaping from rooftops, their spectacular show Follow Me offers a fresh perspective on the island. Fellow Belgian Piet van Dycke, who made an impression with his company Circumstances in 2022 with EXIT and in 2024 with Glorious Bodies, now presents BEYOND, a poetic performance where six acrobats explore human vulnerability and the limits of dependency.
In Praise of Folly
Oerol is a total sensory experience. The Veenfabriek taps into this with de Clown, a satirical music theatre piece that uses humour as resistance against oppression, inspired by the work of Syrian writer Muhammad al-Maghut. De Clown blends food, music, and text into a unique theatrical experience where the audience comes together to dine. At the West-End Theatre, Hélène Vrijdag presents my sweet nasty lunacy—her response to Erasmus’ In Praise of Folly: a lecture performance that spirals out of control, a hysterical hyperpop EP, and an angry ode to the weird femme.
At festival heart Deining, a rich music line-up is programmed across multiple stages, alongside two daily talk shows and a delicious food selection. The festival heart also serves as the starting point for several performances and visual art installations in the landscape. In the villages of West-Terschelling and Midsland, street theatre can be enjoyed daily. An Oerol festival wristband is required for performances, visual art, street theatre, and music at Deining.
Curious about what else to expect at Oerol 2025? Keep an eye on this page for the latest updates.
Tickets and festival wristbands
Tickets for site-specific performances go on sale on 23 May. Friends of Oerol get priority and can purchase tickets from 20 May. An Oerol festival wristband is required for street theatre and music at Deining. These are now available for purchase.
