December brings winter’s chill, festive lights and an appetite for cosy activities in Rotterdam. How will the city balance the allure of seasonal markets with the need to warm up from the cold? And what new developments should you keep an eye on this month?
Weather and seasonal changes
December is the start of true winter in Rotterdam. Short days and damp air make temperatures feel colder than the actual reading on the thermometer. Expect daytime highs in the single digits and regular showers interspersed with crisp, clear mornings. The city’s street trees have shed their leaves by now, so wind coming off the Maas can feel biting. With darkness arriving before 17:00, many residents adjust their routines, choosing to commute by tram or metro and seeking out indoor entertainment. As 2025 ends the region typically sees the first frosts; remember that cycle paths can be slippery, so allow extra time on your journey and dress warmly.
Winter markets and celebrations across the city
December’s weekends fill up fast thanks to a cluster of distinctive events. From 6 to 21 December the Deliplein Winterplein transforms Katendrecht’s square into a neighbourhood festival. Light installations illuminate the historic warehouses, while workshops and market stalls create a community feel. Residents can meet local artisans, take part in crafts or enjoy seasonal treats; the event is intentionally intimate and is organised by residents themselves.
Mid‑month Trompenburg Tuinen & Arboretum hosts its Green Christmas Market on 12–14 December. More than sixty stalls offer goods from local entrepreneurs and new vendors such as Noam Hen and Wollo Family. There are glow‑in‑the‑dark sip‑and‑paint sessions, children’s games, climbing trees, guided walks and a mix of savoury and sweet food stalls, including dim sum and mulled wine. Visitors are encouraged to buy e‑tickets early, as the botanical garden expects crowds and parking is limited.
Rotterdam Zoo extends its opening hours for Winterse Verwondering, a series of “winter evenings” on 19, 20 and 26–27 December and 2–3 January. Illuminated routes like the Polar Bear Trail and a “Magical Forest” offer a different perspective on the zoo’s landscapes, and there is an ice‑skating rink plus a Winterplein serving hot chocolate and mulled wine. Sustainability is a key theme: LED lights reduce energy consumption, and the food stalls focus on eco‑friendly ingredients.
The month ends with a high‑rise celebration: Skybar Celest at De Zalmhaven reopens after water damage and will host a New Year’s Eve party on 31 December. From the 57th floor you can watch the National Fireworks at the Erasmus Bridge while enjoying cocktails, small dishes and a DJ accompanied by a saxophonist. Tickets cost €249 and include a selection of bites and two drinks. Celest’s team notes that the bar will resume weekend bookings from 2 January, so the party doubles as a soft reopening.
Art and exhibitions exploring Rotterdam’s past and present
The Belasting & Douane Museum tackles recent Dutch history with “Toeslagen Tragedie”. Running from 28 November 2025 through 1 November 2026, this exhibition examines the childcare benefits scandal. Broken mirrors and rusted gears symbolise systemic failures, while personal stories of affected families dominate the narrative. The show’s curators hope to ensure the scandal remains part of public memory and have scheduled debates and activities throughout the year.
At Kunsthal Rotterdam, “Destination Rotterdam” (13 December 2025 – 8 March 2026) compares Baedeker travel guides from around 1900 with paintings from Museum Rotterdam. The juxtaposition highlights how tourists once experienced the port city and shows how harbour expansions and the construction of the Witte Huis changed its skyline. Visitors can trace early modernisation through travel‑writing and art. Another Kunsthal exhibition, “Drawn: Rotterdam!” (18 October 2025 – 15 February 2026), invites three artists—Amber Rahantoknam, Minne Ponsen and Christine Saalfeld—to explore freedom eighty years after liberation. Their comics, large drawings and gouaches respond to themes such as safety and daily life; the works will later join Rotterdam’s permanent collection.
Live music warms up December nights
Early in the month, Brazilian carnival collective Monobloco stops at LantarenVenster on 1 December. Celebrating their 25th anniversary, the group combines samba, pop, funk and Música Popular Brasileira with percussion workshops that have inspired thousands of drummers. The following night, 2 December, Irish folk quartet The Kilkennys play the Oude Luxor Theater. Celebrating their own 25‑year milestone, the band introduces an expanded line‑up incorporating whistle and uilleann pipes and encourages sing‑alongs; tickets range from €17.50 to €34.50.
On 4 December, singer and multi‑instrumentalist Valerie June performs at BIRD. Known for blending folk, soul, gospel and roots music, she will play songs from her album Owls, Omens and Oracles. BIRD’s venue in the Hofbogen is famed for jazz‑inspired performances and its intimate atmosphere.
Mid‑month the focus shifts to ambitious collaborations. On 16 December hip‑hop legends DJ Premier and The Alchemist share the stage at Annabel. The producers, known respectively for jazzy boom‑bap and darker cinematic beats, fuse their musical universes for a one‑off show; doors open at 19:00 and the performance starts at 20:00, with tickets around €34.75.
On 19 December, vocalist Lucy Woodward teams up with the New Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra at LantarenVenster. Woodward’s eclectic background—from collaborating with Snarky Puppy to the Quincy Jones Orchestra—meets the ensemble’s blend of jazz, soul and pop. The line‑up includes saxophonists Joris Posthumus and Ben van Gelder, guitarist Anton Goudsmit and drummer Vincent Habout and tickets cost €23.
The festive spirit continues after Christmas. Licks & Brains’ Funky Xmas arrives at LantarenVenster on 27 December with a big‑band sound that fuses jazz and funk. The Dutch ensemble, featuring vocalist Simone Roerade (Mrs. Hips), hip‑hop collective Vlijmscherp and singer Jared Grant, reworks soul classics into a funky Christmas special and tickets are €18. The following night, 28 December, Rotown showcases local producer and songwriter Loveth Besamoh. His release show blends Cameroonian roots with new wave, afro rock, krautpunk and electronica; a four‑piece band adds both introspective and raw elements. The concert starts at 20:30 and tickets cost €15.
Food and drink news
Art and dining merge at Hilton Rotterdam’s SevenPaintings, an immersive show where each of seven courses is paired with a classic artwork through projections and storytelling. Taking place on Friday and Saturday evenings with additional holiday dates, the experience costs from €149 and aims to engage all the senses.
Cinema Culinair returns to Rotterdam in December. Guests watch films such as The Grand Budapest Hotel or Ratatouille while dishes that appear on screen are served at the exact moment they appear. Tickets start around €79 and vegetarian menus are available. Because the concept relies on precise timing, organisers encourage punctuality.
Rotterdam is also tackling food waste through a partnership between the city and the Province of South Holland. Programmes like Shareaty and Het Nieuwe Nassen receive support to redistribute surplus food and educate residents about reducing waste. The collaboration aims to make the city’s food system more sustainable and socially inclusive.
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City updates and urban developments
On the Wilhelminapier, a new automated parking system will serve residents of the future De Sax high‑rise. Lödige Industries will install a fully automated facility between the two towers, providing 334 parking spaces on ten levels and 34 charging points for electric vehicles. Cars are handed over at entry bays; machines store and retrieve vehicles, freeing up street‑level space and reducing internal traffic. Fire safety is emphasised through a foam‑based extinguishing system. Construction of De Sax starts in late November 2025, with work on the parking system beginning in April 2028 and completion expected in May 2030. Developers BPD and Synchroon plan 916 apartments and shared facilities, making the installation the largest automated car park in the Netherlands.
In Kralingen‑Oost, Rotterdam has unveiled an ambition document for a new Excelsior stadium. The plan envisions a larger football ground combined with community sport, recreation, health facilities, housing and green space. The existing Woudestein site will be redeveloped into Nieuw Excelsior Stadion, with walking and cycling routes prioritised, and public space arranged as a welcoming entrance to the east side. Club director Daan Bovenberg notes that by combining training facilities, workspaces and health care, the stadium can anchor the district with activity throughout the week, not just on match days. Alderman Chantal Zeegers emphasises that the project will provide student housing close to Erasmus University and create a green stadium square, with improved cycling and pedestrian connections. The stadium forms part of the city’s broader “East Flank” strategy to build about 30,000 homes between Prins Alexander and Zuidplein and to link Kralingen to IJsselmonde via a new bridge.
The municipality is also investing in social infrastructure. Under the Stadse Werken programme, ten construction firms will replace around 40 kilometres of sewers while offering training and jobs to Rotterdammers on benefits and vulnerable young jobseekers. The SEIP agreement ties public contracts to social conditions so that infrastructure projects boost employment and support local SMEs. Another initiative addresses persistent street nuisance. A new offensive targets about seventy rough sleepers who cause disproportionate disruption: individual case management combines tailored care with legal measures and district bans. Street teams made up of outreach workers, municipal officers and police will guide people toward shelter, care or return options. To support recovery, the city plans to create fifteen single‑occupancy places with 24/7 guidance for those unable to stay in group facilities, and it is exploring temporary housing solutions like tiny houses.
Financial wellbeing is also on the agenda. On 14 November the city joined Stichting Financieel Gezond Nederland, a coalition aiming to strengthen financial health nationwide. Alderman Abigail Norville explained that joining SFGN allows Rotterdam to exchange knowledge and develop new ideas for helping residents manage debt. The partnership will build on existing programmes such as Social Debt and Geldfit and organise themed sessions to develop practical solutions.
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Bridging cultures through dance
If you want to experience contemporary dance, Kalpanarts brings Triple Vision to Schouwburg Rotterdam on 5 December. Choreographer Kalpana Raghuraman blends Indian dance traditions with urban and contemporary styles to create a three‑part performance marking the company’s tenth anniversary. The work comprises a revival of the duets Tara—where dancer Indu Panday and bassist Mark Haansra merge Indian classical dance with rhythmic rock—and Fluid, which challenges masculinity by pairing breakdancer Jan Schellekens with vocalist Shashwathi Jagadish. The evening culminates in the premiere of Whisper, where Laila Gozzi uses movement to express the frustration and resilience of those struggling to be heard within the medical system. Through this mix of dance, music and narrative, Kalpanarts illustrates how cultures can meet and evolve.
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