Storytelling Festival Nijmegen
5 Years!
With this year's theme Celebration we celebrate 5 years of Storytelling Festival Nijmegen, and wonder what else do we have to celebrate? An anniversary, a wedding, freedom, diversity, our health, ourselves or just life? Are you ready to celebrate your story?
>>
A weekend full of storytelling, accompanied by music & comedy, introducing a lineup of diverse and refreshing storytellers diving in to all that is cause to celebrate. Join us December 11th-13th as we journey through these three days of celebrations! We will be guided on this journey by storyteller and comedian Soula Notos as our festival host extraordinaire. As we see every night as a package experience curated with love for a full night of stories, we sell only daytickets (more like evening-tickets...)
* All performances / shows during the festival are English language.
* During this event, images and video content will be created for promotional purposes.
Say no more, let's celebrate! Direct me to the ticket shop >
2025
Opening Night | December 11th
Tonight we kick of the 5th edition of the Storytelling Festival Nijmegen, introducing a lineup of diverse and refreshing storytellers diving in to all that is cause to celebrate! A grand line up of short celebratory stories by Crystal Hassell, Osama Karkout, Raffi Feghali and Roxana Gavrilut, music by Aymar Torres and hosted by Soula Notos.
Purple Friday | December 12th
Purple Friday (Paarse Vrijdag), the national day of solidarity with our rainbow community, celebrating diversity and freedom to love and be loved as you desire. Love is Love!
Starting of with Can Bora's HENNA NIGHT REIMAGINED: Unveiling the Spectrum of Self. A queer celebration of human existence, touch, and inclusivity. What if tradition could narrate a new story? Henna Night Reimagined transforms the traditional Turkish Henna Night into an inclusive performance that fosters a sense of belonging for all. Once a ritual focused solely on the bride-to-be, it now becomes a celebration for everyone—of love, care, and community that transcends all boundaries.
Followed by Queer Shorts! Let’s come together for a night of queer stories, hosted by Soula Notos! After all, what’s a better way to celebrate and strengthen the community, and to fight bigotry than sharing stories and laughs. Featuring Sytze Bouma, Bronwyn Isaac and Joseph Kearney.
Self-Saturday | December 13th
On this night, we dive deep into the party that is taking place within ourselves. We celebrate our mental and physical health, or in some cases lack thereof, and life itself. Three extraordinary stories that explore and celebrate the self in a combination of storytelling and comedy. Or, for those who prefer something a little darker, dramedy!
Featuring no less then three perfomances: Başak Layiç s Divine Madness; Who is insane? Find out in this ritual performance where music and theatrical storytelling guide you through the depths of madness and the Divine Feminine. Annica Muller's THIS IS FUCKING CHAOS; a Stand Up Dramedy show and a work in progress, diving into humor as both a remedy and a revolutionary force. How on earth did we come here, and where the hell is this going to? And Fer Rodil; as a teenager, Fer started wondering how it must feel to know that death is looming. He had many feelings about it, mostly negative. Now Fer is on a deadline, no pressure.
Every day:
Every evening the Vintage Sound System will brighten up the foyer with their signature sounds! They have been around for more than 15 years, revealing themself in more and more guises and collaborations, but sticking to its analog base: two turntables, a mixer, a set of analog amplified speakers and, of course, always Fresh Fat Vinyl'. The collaboration with Meneer Otis goes way back, therefore once again with 'plus plaisir': three nights, three DJs and lovely beats!
!!
Can’t wait to celebrate?
In the run-up to our festival we’re heading out to Radboud University's Cultuur op de Campus op Thurday November 27th to take you on a trip into the world of storytelling guided by host Renske Ebbers, producer of Mezrab | House of Creation. On this night you will see two previews from both our festival program ( Başak Layiç ‘Divine Madness’) and our regular program (Danni Cullen ‘We All Fall!’). Based on these storytelling sets, Renske will talk to the creators and the audience about the art of storytelling.
Private Parties
Every year we host a closed parallel program for educational organizations (students) during our festival. In 2025 this program will be; Geoffrey van der Ven's What's the Difference? What can an owl, a duck, and the goddess Athena teach us about shame? What began as an exploration of queerness and feeling different has evolved into a profound story about the psychology of concealment and shame. A storytelling performance and talk diving in to the workings of shame and celebrating the self.
Also interested in making storytelling a part of your educational program?
Check out last years pictures below (c) Mike Witjes SFN2024