ROTTERDAM, 26 August 2026 – Fancy getting married in Rotterdam without actually getting married? Fiesta Futura is inviting four couples to take part in My Big Fat Roffa Wedding on Sunday 13 September, a series of symbolic weddings with live music, outfits, speeches, photography and a first dance in the Zuiderpark.
You can sign up with a partner, friend or whoever you love, whether you want to test the waters before a real wedding, renew your vows or simply celebrate a new relationship in a rather less conventional way. Applications are open until 3 September, with the selected participants announced on 7 September.
Four weddings in the Zuiderpark
The weddings take place in the Bruiloftsschuur, or Wedding Barn, a dedicated part of Fiesta Futura where four pairs will temporarily tie the knot during the festival. And temporarily really is the important word here: these are symbolic ceremonies and not legally recognised marriages.
Fiesta Futura takes care of much of what you would normally spend months organising. Outfits, a wedding photographer, speeches and drinks are part of the experience, while special masters of ceremonies guide participants through the ceremony and towards the all-important first dance.
The exact wedding theme remains a surprise until the day itself. Participants are assigned a theme and ceremony time, although the time is shared in advance, presumably because arriving late to your own wedding would be taking the relaxed approach slightly too far.
Participants must be at least 18 years old. The ceremonies will also be photographed and filmed, and the resulting photos will be sent to participants afterwards. Signing up therefore means agreeing to being recorded during the event.
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Live wedding music from different cultures
Each wedding comes with live music reflecting different ways of celebrating love. The programme features Fabijan Balkan Brass Band & Balkan Fusion Dance, Matsa Ranga, Omar Alshahari and Wassima, with sounds ranging from Balkan and Greek traditions to Moroccan music.
Fabijan Balkan Brass Band brings together Serbian and German influences through energetic brass music. The group also performs alongside Balkan Fusion Dance, created by Ana Baric, whose dance style combines Balkan traditions with contemporary movement, including circle dances, fast footwork and expressive hip movements.
The wedding programme fits neatly into the wider idea behind Fiesta Futura. The new Rotterdam festival is built around celebratory music from different parts of the world, mixing brass, Balkan music, cumbia, electronic sounds and other styles in the Zuiderpark.
The main festival line-up includes artists such as Los Bitchos, Shantel & Bucovina Club Soundsystem, Balkan Paradise Orchestra, Rotterdam’s Tabanka, Evelyn Dupuy, TECA and Fabijan Balkan Brass Band. There will also be a food court and festival market.
You can join without getting married
If being the centre of a temporary wedding ceremony sounds like a bit much, you can simply watch the weddings instead. The surrounding programme also includes playful wedding activities, including learning how to throw or catch a bouquet and how to write either an excellent or intentionally terrible wedding speech.
Applications for My Big Fat Roffa Wedding close on Thursday 3 September. You can sign up via:
The organisers will announce the selected participants on 7 September. No separate registration is needed if you only want to watch the weddings or visit Fiesta Futura itself.
More information about the wedding programme is available at https://www.fiestafutura.nl/nieuws/my-big-fat-roffa-wedding.
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Fiesta Futura is free to visit
Fiesta Futura takes place on Sunday 13 September 2026 from 13:00 to 22:30 in the Zuiderpark. Admission to the festival is completely free and you do not need a ticket. Children aged 15 or younger must attend with an adult.
Food and drinks will be available inside the festival grounds, and bringing your own is not permitted. Bars and food stands accept card payments; visitors carrying only cash can load money onto a temporary payment card. Lockers are also available.
The festival is wheelchair accessible, although the organisers note that moving through the site may become more difficult when it gets busy. Fiesta Futura will also go ahead if it rains, with two large covered stages available.
In other words, you do not actually have to get married to make a day of it. But if you have ever wanted wedding photos, a first dance and the full ceremony without explaining anything to a civil registrar afterwards, this may be your chance.
How to get there
Fiesta Futura takes place in the Zuiderpark in Rotterdam-Zuid. The organisers recommend travelling by public transport, bike or on foot. Zuidplein and Slinge metro stations are both within walking distance, while buses 44, 68 and 70 also serve the area. Paid parking applies in the surrounding neighbourhoods, with P+R Slinge suggested as an alternative.
