What’s On in Den Haag This April: The Student Version

Den Haag in April has more going on than the city’s reputation for international seriousness suggests. This is the student version — meaning: things that are free, cheap, or worth the money even on a budget of €800 a month.

Koningsnacht and Koningsdag (April 26-27): The biggest two-day event in the Netherlands. Koningsnacht on the 26th is the night markets and parties, Koningsdag on the 27th is the flea markets and street music. Den Haag does it well — smaller than Amsterdam, less chaotic, the Malieveld (Malieveld, Den Haag) and the Binnenhof area are the centre of gravity. Wear orange if you want to feel part of it. The flea markets start early — I’ve found good things by 9am and nothing by noon. Go early.

Parkpop prep: Parkpop (parkpop.nl) is the free outdoor music festival in Zuiderpark in late June, but the build-up starts in April with smaller shows. Keep an eye on the Paard van Troje programme (paard.nl — Prinsegracht 12) for warm-up acts and side events — the April programme usually has something worth €12-15 that feels disproportionately good for what it costs.

Museum Meermanno (meermanno.nl — Prinsessegracht 30, Den Haag) is the book museum. It’s small, €10, and completely specific. If you care about the history of printing and manuscripts it’s better than anything of its size in the Netherlands. If you don’t care about that, skip it. I go once a year and come out with the specific feeling of having learned something that cost me nothing to care about.

The Zeeheldenkwartier terrace season: April is when the neighbourhood terraces open up properly. The happy hours I wrote about last week run until April ends, and the Dunne Bierkade waterfront (Dunne Bierkade, Den Haag) on a clear afternoon in April is the kind of thing that makes you feel good about the choice to live here on a budget instead of somewhere easier.