HAPPENING 1–30 June 2026 | Rotterdam Architecture Month returns this June with a city-wide programme of exhibitions, tours, talks, films, workshops and public events. The 2026 edition asks a practical but urgent question: what does a circular city look like?
Rotterdam Architecture Month focuses on the circular city
Rotterdam Architecture Month 2026 is centred on circularity and building without waste. This year’s festival heart is in the Keilekwartier in M4H, where the new Test Site Materialenwerf shows how used building materials can be collected, processed and given a second life.
The Materialenwerf has been designed by Studio ACTE and functions as a working test site rather than a conventional exhibition space. It brings together residents, designers, builders and local organisations around one visible question: how can Rotterdam build differently?
Festival heart in Keilekwartier M4H
The main festival hub is the Test Site Materialenwerf at Vierhavenstraat 56. Nearby, the Keilepand at Keilestraat 9F hosts exhibitions, talks and programme events. Together, the two locations form the centre of the 2026 edition.
The festival heart opened on Wednesday 3 June and remains active throughout June. Entry to many parts of the programme is free, unless a specific event states otherwise.
Events across the city
Rotterdam Architecture Month includes around 125 events at more than 40 locations in the city. Below are several highlights from the current programme.
5 June, tour and lunch at the Voedseltuin
Visitors can join a tour and lunch at the Voedseltuin, one of the green spaces connected to the wider M4H area and the festival’s circular city theme.
5 June, Great Rotterdam Architecture Quiz
The Great Rotterdam Architecture Quiz takes place in the evening and offers a playful way to test your knowledge of the city’s buildings, streets and urban history.
6 June, Hidden Gardens Rotterdam
Hidden Gardens Rotterdam opens up private and semi-hidden green spaces across the city. The event gives visitors a closer look at how gardens, courtyards and pockets of greenery shape everyday Rotterdam.
6 June, guided tour of the Van Nelle Factory
A guided tour of the Van Nelle Factory offers a chance to visit one of Rotterdam’s best-known architectural landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
6 June, Keile Blokmarket
The Keile Blokmarket brings a festival atmosphere to the Keilekwartier, with market stalls, local makers and a late-afternoon programme in and around Keilecafe.
12 June, Rotterdam Architecture Prize 2026
The Rotterdam Architectuurprijs 2026 will be awarded on Friday 12 June. The annual prize recognises outstanding architectural work in the city.
20 June, Day and Night of Architecture
The Day and Night of Architecture returns on Saturday 20 June, with tours, visits and activities at multiple locations in Rotterdam. The programme is one of the month’s main public architecture events.
21 June, AFFR presents Wall-E
Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam joins the programme with a screening of Wall-E at the Keilepand. The film fits neatly into this year’s wider conversation about waste, reuse and the future of urban life.
24 June, Bouw met Aarde!
Bouw met Aarde! takes place at Hal4 aan de Maas and focuses on building with earth. The symposium connects architectural practice with material research and more sustainable construction methods.
26 June, Vrouwen in Architectuur
Vrouwen in Architectuur takes place at the Keilezaal on Friday 26 June. The event continues the conversation about visibility, influence and representation in the architecture profession.
28 June, Community Day
The festival closes its final weekend with Community Day at the Test Site Materialenwerf. The event invites visitors back to the festival heart for an accessible programme around circularity, neighbourhood life and shared city-making.
Directions to the festival heart
The 2026 festival heart is in the Keilekwartier in M4H. The area is close to the Voedseltuin and can be reached by bike, public transport or on foot from nearby parts of M4H and Delfshaven. Check the official programme before visiting, as some events require registration or take place at other locations across the city.
Test Site Materialenwerf
Vierhavenstraat 56
3029 BS Rotterdam
Keilepand
Keilestraat 9F
Rotterdam
