What's Really Happening Inside Amsterdams Landjuweel Festival!

The festival began in 1975 as "Het Vliegerfeest" (the Kite Festival), hosted by the Amsterdam Balloon Society in Ruigoord. Its success led to an annual reimagining called Landjuweel—Dutch for "jewel of the land." The name draws inspiration from 17th-century competitions among amateur poets and theatrical troupes in the Low Countries . Today’s Experience Hosted in the creative refuge of Ruigoord, the festival is a multi-day open-air event where artists, performers, and visitors—spanning all ages—co-create the atmosphere. Here, the boundary between audience and performer dissolves: attendees often participate as creators, builders, volunteers, or dancers . Values & Sustainability The festival focuses on sustainable practices—decorations use upcycled materials, waste is minimized, and festival operations follow the principles of Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Even beverages use a cup system to avoid single-use plastics .