HAPPENING 27–28 JUNE 2026 | South Explorer returns on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 June, opening studios, cultural spaces and less familiar creative locations across Rotterdam South. More than 350 artists are taking part at 42 locations, with Feijenoord getting its own festival day on Saturday before the route moves to Charlois on Sunday.
Across the weekend, you can find painting, photography, sculpture, film, installations, ceramics, music, performance, workshops and open studios. The programme ranges from established cultural organisations to artists working from former schools, neighbourhood buildings, gardens and spaces that are usually closed to casual visitors.
Feijenoord opens on Saturday
Saturday 27 June focuses on Feijenoord, with most locations open from 12:00 to 18:00 unless stated otherwise. The route stretches across several parts of the district, with participants including De Hillevliet, Fenix, Buitenplaats Brienenoord, Gemaal op Zuid, Heer Daniel Studios, Kunstfabriek Zuid, NIFFO, PB3 and Verhalenhuis Belvédère.
De Hillevliet hosts its own free neighbourhood festival, turning the building into a meeting point for workshops, exhibitions, open studios, food and live performances. The programme includes graffiti and painting sessions, a new mural made with local young people, spoken word, a food market, brass music, a Ukrainian choir and several bands and singer-songwriters.
At Fenix, visitors can follow the In-between route through All Directions, bringing together work by ten women artists exploring migration. This particular route costs €2 in addition to the museum’s regular admission ticket, so it is one of the programme elements that does not fall under the wider free-access format.
Buitenplaats Brienenoord brings art into a greener setting on the Van Brienenoord island. Its makers and students from Willem de Kooning Academy will present the outcome of research into how art and nature can exist together within one location.
Do you run a business? RotterdamStyle is looking for a main sponsor. Get exclusive visibility across our website for a fixed fee. Interested? Contact us 🤝
Charlois follows on Sunday
On Sunday 28 June, the focus moves to Charlois. Participating locations include C3-Studios, Charloisse Poort, CultuurWerkplaats Tarwewijk, Dokhuis, Foundation B.a.d., Halte Charlois, Shimmer, Studio Pompstraat, Take-A-Way Collective, VARIA, WOLk and several individual studios.
C3-Studios on Huismanstraat opens more than 60 studios and project spaces, with the Portraits exhibition in the GYM, garden workshops, open studios and concerts in the basement. The location also extends the programme beyond the usual daytime route, with a Charlois kick-off featuring food, performances and music at 18:00 on Saturday, followed by an afterparty on Sunday evening.
Do you run a business? RotterdamStyle is looking for a main sponsor. Get exclusive visibility across our website for a fixed fee. Interested? Contact us 🤝
The Ootje Festival returns to the garden of Stichting ’t O-tje on Struitenweg for what is announced as its final edition at that location. The free programme combines performances and music with wood-fired pizza, art made from leftover building materials, and stalls selling items including records and cake.
South Explorer is also giving artists without their own studio or exhibition space a place in the programme for the second year. C3-Studios, CultuurWerkplaats Tarwewijk and ’t Pandje are among the locations providing room, allowing more artists based in Rotterdam South to show their work.
Do you run a business? RotterdamStyle is looking for a main sponsor. Get exclusive visibility across our website for a fixed fee. Interested? Contact us 🤝
More than an open studio route
The festival works best when you treat it as an exploration rather than trying to complete everything. Large institutions sit alongside home studios, neighbourhood workshops, former school buildings and artist-run spaces, making the route a way to see parts of Feijenoord and Charlois that may be outside your usual Rotterdam routine.
A new exchange with the Greater Rotterdam Open Studio Weekend (Groot Rotterdams Atelier Weekend, GRAW) also connects artists based in the south with creative communities elsewhere in the city. Artists from both programmes will visit one another, broadening the event beyond its two main districts.
Plan your South Explorer route
Most participating locations are open from 12:00 to 18:00, but individual times and admission conditions can differ. Fenix opens from 10:00 to 17:00, while C3-Studios starts at 11:00 and also has evening activities. The festival itself is promoted as free, although an individual institution or additional route may charge its usual admission or a supplement.
You can view the participating locations and programme through https://www.southexplorer.nl/. Paper programme booklets with a map will also be available at festival locations, which can be recognised by South Explorer flags and posters.
Do you run a business? RotterdamStyle is looking for a main sponsor. Get exclusive visibility across our website for a fixed fee. Interested? Contact us 🤝
How to get around
Cycling is likely the easiest way to move between several locations. From the north side of the river, you can reach Charlois through the Maastunnel’s cycle and pedestrian tunnel, while the Erasmus Bridge provides a direct route towards Feijenoord, Afrikaanderwijk, Hillesluis, Bloemhof and Tarwewijk.
By public transport, Maashaven and Zuidplein metro stations are useful starting points. Oud-Charlois can also be reached using bus 44 from Rotterdam Central Station, tram 2 from Maashaven or bus 70 from Zuidplein. Choosing Feijenoord on Saturday and Charlois on Sunday prevents the weekend from becoming one long race between map pins.
