HAPPENING 9-10 MAY 2026 | The Halal Village Festival is returning to Ahoy Rotterdam this spring for a two-day edition built around halal food, shopping, talks, workshops and live experiences. After four successful editions, the event is expanding further, with organisers now presenting both a summer and a winter edition.
For Rotterdam, this is one of those events that says something about the city as it actually is: diverse, food-driven, family-oriented and very comfortable bringing different communities into the same space. The Halal Village Festival presents itself as the largest halal festival and expo terrain in the Netherlands, and this year’s edition again takes over Ahoy with a broad lifestyle and food programme.
Across two days, the halls will be filled with national and international speakers, entertainment, workshops, live demonstrations, brands, products and halal food concepts. Organisers are also pitching it as a strong platform for businesses and brands looking to reach a growing and increasingly conscious audience.
What to expect at Ahoy
The main attraction sounds wider than a standard food festival. Yes, food is a major part of it, but the event also leans into culture, inspiration, shopping and community. That combination helps explain why it has built momentum over multiple editions and why Ahoy remains a fitting location for it.
For visitors in Rotterdam, the appeal is fairly straightforward. You can go for the food stands and end up staying for the wider atmosphere, or arrive with family and treat it as a full afternoon out. The organisers describe it as a place where seasonal specialities, trends and new ideas all come together under one roof.
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Dates, times and tickets
The Halal Village Festival takes place on Saturday 9 May and Sunday 10 May 2026 at Ahoy Rotterdam. Opening hours are 11:00 to 20:00 on Saturday and 11:00 to 19:00 on Sunday. Tickets are valid for one day only, so you choose either Saturday or Sunday rather than both.
The ticket options include Fast Lane, Family and Evening tickets. Fast Lane gives you access to a separate entrance queue and includes a goodie bag on arrival. A Family ticket covers two adults and three children aged 4 to 11, while the Evening ticket is only valid from 17:00. Children’s tickets also apply to ages 4 through 11.
Family-friendly and easy to navigate
One practical detail that matters is accessibility. The organisers say all spaces are open to everyone and that the festival is accessible for prams, wheelchairs and rollators. They also describe the event as strongly family-friendly, which fits the wider atmosphere they are trying to create.
There are prayer spaces on site, and while bringing your own food is technically allowed, the organisers are clearly nudging visitors towards the food stands instead. Tickets can be bought only through the official website, with iDEAL available online, while cash payment is also possible at the door.
The Halal Village Festival returns to Ahoy Rotterdam with halal food, shopping, talks, workshops and family-friendly events.
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Why this matters in Rotterdam
For an international Rotterdam audience, the festival offers something more useful than just a niche lifestyle event. It gives you a direct look at a large and visible part of the city’s social and cultural life, packaged in a way that is public, accessible and easy to step into.
Ahoy is already one of Rotterdam’s main event venues, but what changes here is the atmosphere. Expect food, retail, family groups, shared spaces and a crowd that reflects the city beyond the usual festival clichés. In other words, this feels less like a specialist expo and more like a lively urban gathering with a clear halal focus.
How to get there
The Halal Village Festival takes place at Ahoy Rotterdam, Ahoyweg 10, 3084 BA Rotterdam. That puts it right by Zuidplein, one of the easiest transport hubs in the city, with metro and bus connections from across Rotterdam and the wider region. If you are coming by car, it is worth checking in advance which Ahoy car park is closest to your entrance.
More information
More information and tickets are available here:
https://thehalalvillagefestival.com/
https://thehalalvillagefestival.com/tickets/
