Crossing Border Festival

Crossing Border is an inspiring cultural festival based in The Hague with a unique combination of spoken word, music, special film screenings and visual arts. Over the years Crossing Border has evolved to become one of the foremost international, interdisciplinary literature and music festivals in Europe.

Programme Crossing Border 2026 (To be completed)

The festival evenings will take place at the Royal Theatre Koninklijke Schouwburg and in a separate spiegeltent next to the venue.

Literature programme

Édouard Louis (FR), Jeanette Winterson (UK), Tony Tulathimutte (US), Georgi Gospodinov (BUL), Catherine Lacey (US), David Keenan (SCO), Barbi Marković (SER), Olga Ravn (DEN), Abdelrahman ElGendy (EGY) andMichael Smith (UK).

Music Programme

Dry Cleaning (UK), aja monet (US), Zoh Amba (US), Modern Woman (UK), Penelope Isles (UK), Flora Hibberd (FR), L.Y.R. (with Simon Armitage) (UK), Roufaida (NL) and Dan English (US).

Crossing Border Kids 
The Crossing Border children's program brings a selection of authors and illustrators of children's literature who showcase the best artistic and literary quality in books aimed at pre-readers (0-4), beginning readers (4-8) and middle school students (8-12). In addition, there will be a number of activities that will appeal to teenagers. You can expect hands-on workshops, interviews about the creative and artistic process behind the stories and of course storytime (reading) from the authors themselves. 

With a selection of authors and illustrators, the organization has tried to bring a diversity of voices, languages ​​and life experiences. They believe that stories connect us all and weaving a cobweb of stories can germinate compassion, kindness and understanding in the world.