Festival voor de Vloed
Welcome to the fourth edition of Festival voor de Vloed! Every year, in the run-up to the storm season, which begins on October 1, Dordrecht fills with creativity, art, and a lively atmosphere. Street theatre surprises you in unexpected places, artists conjure up installations throughout the city, and in historic attics you can experience remarkable adventures.
Walk through stories, enjoy performances, and playfully discover what living with water means for our city. Surrounded by rivers, we keep our feet dry with ingenious flood defenses, dikes, and flood barriers. And what if things still go wrong? Then it is better to be prepared.
Do you have an emergency kit in your attic? Do you know your neighbors? Do you know where to go if the water comes? During the festival you will learn together with the people around you how to prepare for a flood, so that you will be fully ready when the water rises!
Why this festival?
Dordrecht is vulnerable when water levels rise, which is why the city and its residents are protected by strong dikes and flood defenses. The threat of high water is always present, but with the start of the storm season on October 1 there is an even greater chance of flooding.
By bringing together culture, science, and civic engagement, Festival voor de Vloed reflects the multifaceted identity of Dordrecht. In this way, we work together toward a safe, social, engaged, and resilient Dordrecht. We have been doing this together with our partners for five years.
Behind the festival
In recent years Dordrecht celebrated remarkable historical milestones — the Synod of Dordt, 800 years as a city and the St Elisabeth's flood. These gave rise to wonderful cultural projects, such as the city opera 'Maria, Empress of Dordrecht'. With Festival Voor de Vloed we look ahead instead: how do we get the city and its residents ready for the storm season?
Wouter Sieuwerts
Director & Artistic Lead
With Festival Voor de Vloed I bring art, water and the city together. Dordrecht sits on an island, surrounded by rivers — vulnerable when the water rises. By drawing attention to water safety in a playful, connecting way, residents experience for themselves what they can do. And together we celebrate that the city is ready for the flood.
Wouter is a designer and artist whose work breaks down the boundaries between art, technology and design. As founder of Tolly Wolly Studio he has built a body of work that reflects his unique vision and creativity — with an innovative approach to materials and techniques, and a deep exploration of the interaction between people and objects.
We do this together
We don't make Festival Voor de Vloed alone. Together with a dedicated team, our partners and countless volunteers, we set the whole city centre in motion every year. Will you help?
Become a volunteer