Buzzcocks and Rammstein tribute band Vannstein lead Friday’s programme, while Fear Factory closes the Main Stage on Saturday. Four stages will be used across the weekend, giving established international names, emerging artists, tribute acts and performers from the Dutch underground their own corners of the festival site.
Festival expands into full weekend
Baroeg Open Air has traditionally taken place on a single Saturday, but its 2026 edition begins on Friday afternoon and continues throughout Saturday. More than 300 volunteers help organise and operate the festival, which remains closely connected to Rotterdam’s alternative music community.
The organisation has broadened the programme to bring the audiences of its guitar-driven and electronic stages closer together. BOA is also working with the new Fiesta Futura festival, which will use the same Zuiderpark site on Sunday 13 September. Director Leon van Rijnsbergen says the organisation is looking forward to welcoming thousands of visitors, while acknowledging uncertainty caused by late ticket purchases and pressure on event subsidies.
Friday led by Buzzcocks
English punk band Buzzcocks is one of the principal names on Friday’s Main Stage. The group shares the stage with Vannstein, Manchester post-punk band IST IST and the blues-rock sound of Leif de Leeuw Band.
The Playground offers a heavier and more psychedelic alternative. Belgian post-metal group Pothamus performs alongside Heath and Bokkeryers, the sludge band featuring Pablo van de Poel of DeWolff. Friday therefore works as a compact opening evening before the programme spreads across four stages on Saturday.
Saturday crosses musical boundaries
Fear Factory closes Saturday’s Main Stage with industrial metal from Los Angeles. The stage also features British electro-punk band Fat Dog, Belgian post-metal group Psychonaut, Japanese metalcore band Crystal Lake, Polish blackened death metal band Hate, Graceless and Rotterdam post-hardcore band Teardrinker.
The Electronic Stage moves between rave, drum and bass, darkwave, punk and hip-hop. IJSLAND, formed by Hang Youth frontman Abel, rapper Sef and producer Faisal, appears alongside The Bloody Beetroots, Merikan, Diary Of Dreams, Gladde Paling, ACTORS, BUG and Eelco. The Playground and Stroomstoot stages add everything from a Slipknot tribute and Swedish post-punk to breakcore, heavy dubstep and industrial hardcore.
More than live music
Saturday also brings back the festival market, where organisations and businesses from the rock and metal scene present their work. Announced participants include Aardschok, No Guts No Glory, Rock Central and Vrienden van Baroeg. A dedicated podcast area will return after its introduction at the previous edition.
Younger visitors can head to the children’s area for face painting, crafts and a photo booth. Rotterdam characters Beb and Toos, together with the Krooswijk family, will provide entertainment around the toilet facilities. Children aged 12 and under can enter both festival days free of charge.
Complete Baroeg Open Air line-up
Friday 11 September
Main Stage
- Vannstein, Netherlands, Rammstein tribute
- Buzzcocks, United Kingdom, punk rock
- IST IST, United Kingdom, post-punk
- Leif de Leeuw Band, Netherlands, blues rock
Playground
- Pothamus, Belgium, post-metal
- Bokkeryers, Netherlands, sludge
- Heath, Netherlands, psychedelic rock
Saturday 12 September
Main Stage
- Fear Factory, United States, industrial metal
- Fat Dog, United Kingdom, electro-punk
- Psychonaut, Belgium, post-metal
- Crystal Lake, Japan, metalcore
- Hate, Poland, blackened death metal
- Graceless, Netherlands, death metal
- Teardrinker, Netherlands, post-hardcore
Electronic Stage
- IJSLAND, Netherlands, electro, hip-hop and rave
- Merikan, Italy, drum and bass and neuro
- The Bloody Beetroots, Italy, electro and rock DJ set
- Diary Of Dreams, Germany, darkwave
- Gladde Paling, Netherlands, rave and drum and bass
- ACTORS, Canada, post-punk
- BUG, Netherlands, punk rave
- Eelco, Netherlands, metal dubstep
Playground
- Psychosocial, Netherlands, Slipknot tribute
- Gerald ‘Incubus’ Minelli & The Laws perform Sarcófago, Brazil, black and thrash metal
- Then Comes Silence, Sweden, post-punk
- YoungRubbi, Netherlands, punk rap
- Lijkschouwer, Netherlands, post-black metal
- Tigerknife, Netherlands, hardcore
- Novelization, Netherlands, black and death metal
Stroomstoot
- Hellfish, United Kingdom, UK hardcore
- Dina Summer, Germany, electro wave
- Cancel, Belgium, hard techno and industrial hardcore
- Baseck, United States, breakcore and rave
- Outerspass, Netherlands, trap and hip-hop
- Elle Rich, Netherlands, heavy dubstep
- Aliienmia, Bulgaria and Netherlands, crossbreed and drum and bass
- Noire Antidote, Netherlands, post-industrial
An image showing the general atmosphere at Baroeg Open Air. Photo credit: Deniece Brouwer
Tickets and practical details
Baroeg Open Air begins at 16:30 on Friday 11 September. The festival site opens at 12:00 on Saturday, with the first performance scheduled for 12:30. The final acts finish at approximately 22:15 on both days. Tickets are available through https://www.baroegopenair.nl/tickets, while children aged 12 and under receive free admission.
How to get there
Baroeg Open Air takes place in Zuiderpark, beside Rotterdam Ahoy. Zuidplein is the most convenient metro and bus station, followed by a walk through the park entrance near Ahoy. The municipality also lists Slinge as an option, while parking is available around Ahoy. Check the latest RET information before travelling, particularly if weekend engineering work affects the route.
