The most special festival in the Netherlands: Into The Great Wide Open on Vlieland
Cozy island vibes, a few thousand people, dancing children, oysters from the mudflats, art installations, specialty beers and good wine, camping scenes, the sea and music for all tastes. That is Into The Great Wide Open festival on Vlieland. What makes the festival - in addition to the aforementioned - the most special festival in the Netherlands, are the magically beautiful settings of the stages spread across the island. Nature, music, delicious food and a nice atmosphere.
We were there – years ago – when our hair was still wild. And experienced ITGWO as a great adventure. With your festival crew walking through the woods – magically lit in the evening – from performance to performance. At night – with a bit of luck with one of the bands performing earlier – singing by the campfire on the beach. And we sometimes slid some fan mail under the tent door of our idol. Those were the days.
This time we experienced the festival from a different side. At least as adventurous and magical. With our daughters – aged 3 and 5 – on our backs from performance to performance. Through those same woods. Only this time we peaked early in the day. And discovered that the programming is wonderfully diverse.
In any case, we would love to visit The Islands. And Vlieland is a favorite. See our old but still current list of favorites here: 10 x Waddentips (and a bit)
From classical string orchestras to – not really our thing, we discovered – rough garage box sidewalk disco. And literally everything in between. Such as afrobeat Kokoroko from London and Kokoko! from Congo, the danceable Hot Chip, folk rock from Strand of Oaks, the Arab composer Faraj Suleiman, Eefje – no explanation needed – de Visser, neosoul from Jungle and Brussels rap from Zwangere Guy.
Wake up in the morning sitting on the moss in the shade of the trees to a piano concert with a view of the cute lighthouse and the sea. And finish at night in the camping disco. It's all possible. Between the adventures and the music, you can do a lot. Looking at art; life-size sculptures for ants (almost invisible to humans), holographic light fields, a spatial musical instrument. Let children get creative in the children's workshop, bake failed cakes or transform into wild creatures. Listen to a talk, buy crappy souvenirs (or just look at them and laugh about them), surf with surfana, discover what ITGWO does for sustainability. From little babies to fun grandparents, everyone is welcome and there is plenty to do for everyone.
Our own experience is that whether you are young, old, wild or calm. Likes classical, rock or house. Oysters, Mediterranean dishes, eating white table linen, vegan street food or an ordinary pizza make you happy. Please enjoy a specially brewed cider, kombucha, orange wine or a very normal draft beer. From continuing until you can't anymore or enjoying it quietly and going to sleep on time. Whether you like sleeping in a simple tent or prefer a bit more comfort and a bed. And above all, you are not averse to beautiful nature, a friendly atmosphere, friendly people of all ages and a great adventure. That Into The Great Wide Open festival is a must to experience. The minor issue is that the tickets are sold out in seconds. Of course, you can always be ready when ticket sales start and let fate decide whether you can be there. We will be ready to take a chance again at the beginning of 2020 Into The Great Wide Open to dare. Including our wild-haired little rockstars of course.
