HAPPENING 12–15 NOV '26 | Trompenburg Gardens & Arboretum is opening after dark for four evenings of illuminated trees, light art and outdoor activities in Rotterdam's Kralingen district. Trompenburg by Night returns from 12 to 15 November 2026, with glowing pathways, interactive installations, creative workshops and the chance to discover the botanical gardens in an entirely different light.
From Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 November, visitors can explore Trompenburg between 17:00 and 21:00, when selected parts of the gardens will be illuminated. Rather than following a fixed route, you're free to wander between specially lit trees, discover artworks and experience the atmosphere of the gardens after sunset. The four-night programme combines art and nature with activities ranging from lantern-making and painting to guided evening walks and forest bathing.
Light art brings the gardens to life
The 2026 edition features light installations by artists including Rotterdam's Coen den Haan, whose work explores the hidden ways plants communicate beneath the ground. Utrecht-based collective Front404 will bring its projection Ghost Town to the gardens, adding another layer of visual storytelling to the nighttime setting.
Interactive experiences are also part of the programme, including Ben de boom (Be the Tree), which invites visitors to experience a connection with nature through technology and light.
While the artworks add something unusual to the visit, the gardens themselves remain central to the experience. Selected trees and pathways will be illuminated, revealing shapes, branches and textures that often go unnoticed during daylight hours.
Trompenburg emphasises that this is not a fully illuminated walking trail. Only part of the botanical gardens will be lit, and there is no prescribed route or lengthy walking circuit. Visitors can explore at their own pace and spend as much time as they like enjoying the installations and evening atmosphere.
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Creative workshops and activities for children
Families can take part in a glow-in-the-dark scavenger hunt, searching for nocturnal animals hidden around the gardens with the help of a blacklight torch. Children who solve the clues can collect a small surprise from garden restaurant Flora. The activity is suitable for ages four to twelve and costs €2.50 per child, available at Flora during all four evenings.
Children can also create their own botanical-themed lanterns before carrying them through the illuminated gardens. The lantern-making workshop is available each evening between 17:00 and 20:00 and costs €9.95 per child, excluding regular garden admission. Advance booking is required.
Adults looking for something creative can join Glow in the Dark Sip & Paint, where participants create fluorescent botanical artwork under blacklight. The sessions begin at 19:00 and cost €22.50 per person, including two drinks but excluding garden admission. Booking in advance is necessary.
For a more reflective experience, Trompenburg is offering guided evening walks with its green guides. These begin at 19:00 on all four evenings and cost €6.75 per person, excluding admission. The guides introduce the illuminated trees and explain more about the garden's botanical collection.
On Friday 13 November, visitors can also join a special moonlight forest-bathing session. Beginning at 19:00, the €32 experience includes a slow, sensory exploration of the garden in darkness and a tea ceremony beneath the night sky. Regular garden admission is charged separately.
There will also be opportunities to warm up with hot chocolate, glühwein and roasted marshmallows, making the evening suitable for visitors who simply want to enjoy a relaxed autumn outing.
Illuminated trees and garden pathways during Trompenburg by Night in Rotterdam.
An alternative to De Grote Schijn in Rotterdam
Trompenburg by Night may be particularly appealing this year because De Grote Schijn will not return to Rotterdam's Kralingse Bos in 2026. After six editions, organisers have confirmed that rising production costs have made another Rotterdam edition financially unviable for now.
Although the two events have different approaches, both offer the opportunity to experience illuminated natural surroundings after dark. De Grote Schijn was known for its elaborate audiovisual production along a dedicated forest route, while Trompenburg by Night is a smaller, more informal experience that combines light art with the botanical gardens and a programme of workshops and activities.
It's therefore a welcome option if you were hoping for an atmospheric evening walk among illuminated trees without leaving Rotterdam this autumn. Trompenburg has its own character, with the added attraction of discovering the plants and landscapes of one of the city's most established botanical collections.
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Practical information and tickets
Dates: Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 November 2026
Opening hours: 17:00 to 21:00 each evening
Location: Trompenburg Gardens & Arboretum, Honingerdijk 86, 3062 NX Rotterdam
Regular admission: €12.50 for adults, €6.50 for visitors aged 13 to 25, and €2.50 for children aged 5 to 12. Children aged four and under enter free. Admission is also free with a valid Museumkaart, Rotterdampas or Trompenburg annual pass.
You do not need to reserve a ticket to visit the illuminated gardens. However, additional activities such as Sip & Paint, lantern-making, guided walks and forest bathing require separate payments and, in most cases, advance reservations.
The event and its facilities are accessible to wheelchair users and visitors with pushchairs. Dogs are not permitted, except assistance dogs. Trompenburg also notes that the programme will go ahead in less favourable weather conditions.
For the complete programme and reservations, visit Trompenburg by Night's official event page.
Illuminated trees and garden pathways during Trompenburg by Night in Rotterdam.
How to get there
Trompenburg Gardens & Arboretum is located at Honingerdijk 86 in Rotterdam's Kralingen district, east of the city centre. The gardens are accessible by bicycle and public transport, with metro station Voorschoterlaan within walking distance. If you're travelling by car, parking in the surrounding streets is subject to local parking regulations.
