Haarlem Live launches as new multi-day city festival

Haarlem has introduced a new city festival, Haarlem Live, which replaces the former Haarlem Jazz & More. The new event is designed to be a broader cultural festival, integrating music, local talent, hospitality, and social safety.

Unlike its predecessor, which lasted three days, Haarlem Live extends over five days. The festival aims to encourage visitors to move through the city center by utilizing various locations, including the Grote Markt, Botermarkt, and Klokhuisplein, as well as numerous local cafés and indoor venues. The musical programming spans multiple genres, including jazz, pop, soul, funk, blues, and Dutch-language music.

Recent performances at the inaugural event included the Thijs Boontjes Dans- en Showorkest and the ska ensemble Eskalatie. The transition marks a shift from a concentrated focus on large outdoor performances at a single central location to a more distributed urban experience.