The Oyster Opening World Cup 2019 will go down right here in Rotterdam during the 'Gastvrij Rotterdam' hospitality trade fair. Participants from 24 different countries will participate at the event.
On Monday 23 September 2019, the Oyster Opening World Cup will be held during the Gastvrij Rotterdam 2019 hospitality trade fair in Ahoy. On this day, 24 countries will compete for the coveted title. An expert jury will judge the participants on speed and presentation and will determine the winner of the Oyster Opening World Cup 2019. The presentation of the spectacular finale in Ahoy is in the hands of oyster man Barend Havenaar and winegrower Barbara Verbeek of the Wijntheater.
The rules
During the Oyster Opening World Cup 2019, 24 participants from 24 countries will compete with each other. Each participant will receive thirty flat oysters from Zeeland and a wooden competition plate measuring 50 by 70 cm. The aim is to open the oysters as professionally as possible in the shortest possible time. Speed and presentation are taken into account in the assessment, which takes place via a points system. For example, it is checked whether the meat has not been cut to pieces, whether the opened oyster is free of grit and whether the oyster meat has been cut loose from the shell. The individual with the fewest penalties, the best presentation points and the fastest time can call him- or herself the best oyster opener in the world. Currently, the world record of 2 minutes and 11 seconds is in the name of Anti Lepik from Estonia.
The jury
An expert jury will determine who becomes the world champion. This group of professionals consists of Felix Wilbrink (culinary journalist from De Telegraaf), Wil van Merkensteijn (education and communication specialist from Schmidt Zeevis), Hasse Johannesson (Sweden, Oyster Opening World Cup 2019) and Stephen Nolan (Ireland, multiple world champion oyster opening). The rules that are used are drawn up by the World Oyster Opening Association.
Arrival of participants in Rotterdam
On Sunday, September 22 at 17:00 hours, the 24 flag-bearing international participants will arrive at Hotel New York's docks by boat. There, they will be welcomed with oysters from the Oesterij and oyster beer from the Scheldebrouwerij.
For more information on the Oyster Opening World Cup 2019, visit the Wijntheater website.
Event details
Oyster Opening World Cup 2019
Place: Rotterdam Ahoy Ahoyweg 10, 3084 BA Rotterdam
Date & Time: 23 September 2019 | 15:00 - 18:00
Featuring: World class Oyster Openers Entrance/Tickets: Free
Love jazz, classical and music from around the world? Then Muziek op de Rotte (Music on the Rotte) is an event you are gonna want to check out. Entrance is free and the music is lovely.
Music on the Rotte is a three-day musical carousel in which compelling classical music, gritty crossovers, irresistible jazz, enchanting vocals, quirky Balkan blues and dazzling percussion effortlessly go hand in hand.
Music on the Rotte 2019
In 2019, Music on the Rotte takes place on 13, 14 and 15 September. This year, the festival welcomes Benjamin Herman & the Robin Nolan Trio, North Sea String Quartet, Spijkers and Artvark & Drums United, among others. The line-up:
• Mainport Barbershop Singers (MBS) • Rotterdam Chamber Music Society (RCMS) • Sami Dalmis w/ Tansiyon • Jansouz Ensemble • North Sea String Quartet • Benjamin Herman & the Robert Nolan Trio • Koninklijke Rotterdamse Post Harmonie • Samira's Blues • RYSK (Rotterdam Yurttan Sesler Korosu) • Sarava'n feat. Magda Mendes • Isabel Bermejo w/ "The Impact" • Boven de Sterren • Red Herring • Spijkers • Conjunto Papa Una • Yorleine • Winston Scholsberg's Multi Jam • Vocalsz: Thierry & Djeliviah • Artvark & Drums United • Vocalsz: Jeremy Garcia & Band • Son de Aqui
On Friday 13 September (18:00-23:00)
Classical, Avant-Garde, Gipsy Jazz and Persian tones, it all happens on the first night of Music on the Rotte. The evening ends with jazz icon Benjamin Herman and master guitarist Robin Nolan. They bring irresistible gipsy jazz to Muziek op de Rotte.
On Saturday 14 September (13:00-23:00) On Saturday, the programme starts with the Dutch-language Balkan Blues by Spijkers. There's also Venezuelan band Conjunto Papa Upa. They perform Venezuelan rhythms fused with sixties surf rock, samba and guagancó. Also, stick around for the beautiful Turkish choir RYSK, the magnetizing spirituals of Samira's Blues, Surinamese Kaseko by Boven de Sterren and many more acts.
On Sunday 15 September (12:00-19:00) Sunday starts quietly with meditative Ta Chi exercises (free to join), but do not underestimate this day. There's Multi jam by Winston Scholsberg, saxophone quartet Artvark together with Drums United as well as modern cumbia music by Son de Aqui.
Event details
Music on the Rotte 2019
Place: Zaagmolenkade / Noordplein
Date(s) & Time(s): 13 - 15 September 2019
Featuring: Benjamin Herman & the Robin Nolan Trio, Son de Aqui and more... Entrance/Tickets: 100% Free
Event type: Music Festival
You can find additional information as well as the official festival line-up on the Muziek op de Rotte website.
Location: Noordplein
The event takes place on the shore (Noordplein) as well as on the docks (Zaagmolenkade). For extra help getting there, check out our directions to Noordplein.
If you're a fan of folk music, you're going to love this. Devendra Banhart, the nicknamed "high priest of L.A. Freak Folk" will perform at Annabel in Rotterdam on 1 February 2020.
L.A. Freak Folk
Devendra Banhart will come to Rotterdam on Saturday 1 February 2020. The peculiar standard-bearer for 'Freak Folk' will give a concert in Annabel. Devendra Banhart, once named the 'High Priest of L.A. Freak Folk', writes music that can only be described as a whirlwind mystical folk, raga spirituals and Latin-American rock. Banhart has the unique ability to illuminate that sweet spot between absurdity and melancholy. He can be described as a sensitive soul, a poet, performer, activist as well as a visual artist and musician.
Devendra Banhart's new album 'Ma'
Banhart's new album 'Ma' will be released on 13 September. The simply titled 'Ma' is Devendra Banhart's third for the American label Nonesuch. In a deceptively cunning way, Banhart delves into the nature of unconditional motherly love: passing on wisdom and cherishing that wisdom, the relationship from mother to child and what happens when that special bond is broken.
Djemaa el Fna is an annual Moroccan food festival in Rotterdam. Experience the rhythmic drums, rich spices, well-seasoned food and atmosphere of the Djemaa el Fna square in Marrakesh without leaving the country.
If you've ever been to Morocco, you probably know what this festival is all about. The Djemaa el Fna festival is inspired by the square with the same name in Marrakesh. A lively marketplace that transforms into a large outdoor restaurant in the evening. It is a square full of living heritage: the street artists, traders and chefs carry centuries of tradition with them.
The Djemaa el Fna festival at Museumpark aims to replicate that Marrakesh atmosphere right here in Rotterdam with the addition of Rotterdam's own wealth of cultures and traditions. Wander around the souk, sample tasty dishes, listen to talented artists and discover the colourful culture of the Middle East in the heart of Rotterdam.
Djemaa el Fna by Fleur Beerthuis 002
Djemaa el Fna Programme 2019
Visitors to Djemaa el Fna be treated to an extensive cultural program that includes music, literature, theatre, comedy, spoken word, culinary talk shows and more. In between the performances you can enjoy delicious meals. Visit the classic white stalls to taste unique family recipes as well as street food prepared by over 40 chefs. The traditional sounds of Dakka Marrakchia and classic Amazigh tunes can be heard everywhere in the square.
The weekend is full of performances, talk shows and workshops.
• Weet Smakelijk! (Tasty Knowledge) Throughout the weekend you'll enjoy Dutch poet Derek Otte talking to young creators about what they're doing and what the influence of culture and identity is on their work during the "Weet Smakelijk'" talkshow. Otte: "In Weet Smakelijk, Mounir Toub and myself, will talk about the role that art and pop culture play in bringing together different worlds within one and the same world: the one that we share now." At the same time, Mounir cooks the guest's favourite dish and young spoken word artists are given a stage.
• Talkshow van de Liefde (Talkshow of Love) Talkshow of Love is presented by Yasmina Aboutaleb. She talks to young pioneers about love, culture and religion. The popular food blogger Mooncake provides a tasting and the new book by Abdelkader Benali is presented. All the while, folks will be treated to various kinds of delicious snacks. There's also musical entertainment by Yallah! Yallah!, Samira's Blues and Kaoutar Gadir.
• 50 years of Moroccan migration Theatre-maker Fadua el Akchaoui is performing a trimmed-down version of the popular performance Mabrouk, in honour of fifty years of Moroccan migration. Earlier this year, Mabrouk was performed once by El Akchaoui, together with Nasrdin Dchar in Theater Zuidplein. The Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra accompanies El Akchaoui. Also, Verhalenhuis Belvédère has recorded important, shocking and astonishing stories from Mabrouk. These will be shared on Saturday and Sunday.
Festival Downtown is an exciting electronic music festival in downtown Rotterdam. The festival features various trailblazing local and international performers pushing the boundaries of electronica in the broadest sense of the genre.
Festival Downtown Rotterdam
Festival Downtown is known and respected for its progressive and above all diverse line-up. Each year, the Festival is looking to grow and aims to do so by booking solid headliners and local heroes and niche artists. Although the Festival is generally aimed at electronic and electronically inspired music, there is a lot of diversity on offer. At Festival Downtown, there's room for singer-songwriters, non-western artists, progressive hip-hop as well as electronic punk and the thickest heavy bass from the UK.
Artist line-up - Festival Downtown
This year, at WORM, Club Vibes and Brasil Binkie, expect to see, among others:
• 1OAK • Raketkanon (BE) • Roska (UK) • Masego Soundsystem • Gabber Modus Operandi (IND) • Fracture (UK) • Medicine Boy (DE) • The Dead Cvlt • Hard Headerz • DRVG CVLTVRE • HUNNA Soundsystem • Dentalhon & Tisci London • DJ Shanodin • DJ Sirene • Yorobi • EYCEE • AmangDjaso & Sun O.C. • OSC1899 • Rob Donkers • Boris Scorpio ... and many more.
Locations - Festival Downtown
This year, the partly freely accessible festival will once again grow in the number of participating venues: in total, there are fifteen fixed areas and one pop-up. The main festival locations are WORM, Club Vibes and Brasilbinkie.
WORM WORM is divided into two areas. In the upstairs room, Downtown brings together two movements that originated in Jamaica and developed further in the UK.
The Soundsystem culture has its origins in the Jamaica of the early 1950s. When large groups of Jamaicans emigrated to the United Kingdom, they were rejected in many clubs and pubs. By literally building their own big speakers, they were able to celebrate their own culture. In the suburbs of the big British cities, reggae and dub music melted together with genres such as hip-hop into a new genre: grime. In those suburbs, this movement among young people is the dominant culture. One of the biggest sound systems is active in Rotterdam: Masego. For the festival, they will be linked to the Rotterdam-based Grime collective BASH, which, among others, the UK grime-legend Roskovoor managed to snare the festival.
In the downstairs hall of WORM, the festival enters into a collaboration with the young Rotterdam collective Hunna and the stubborn Rotterdam label Hard Headerz. Both have their origins in hip-hop but are also clearly influenced by what is happening in the UK in the field of grime and related genres. The hip-hop label 1OAK is currently in the spotlight. 1OAK is the label Sevn Alias founded after he decided to leave the successful Rotterdam Airlines, where he was seen as the undisputed leader. Halfway through June this year the long-awaited compilation album was released on tracks of 1OAK members Sevn Alias, Lucass, Mensa, Bokke8 Philly, Beertje and Cinco. This will be one of the first shows of 1OAK as a collective.
Club Vibes For the better electronic raw sound, Downtown joins forces in Club Vibes with the Rotterdam booking office Cloudhead (a.o. De Likt, Hausmagger and Juiceboxxx) and the Dutch indie music platform The Daily Indie. Headliner there is the Belgian Raketkanon. Known for their epic shows at festivals such as Zwarte Cross, Paaspop and Pukkelpop, the group released their new album RKTKN#3 along the way; a record full of dystopian, electronic beats, synth-layered soundscapes and hypnotic grooves.
The South African dreamnoise-duo Medicine Boy currently operates from Berlin. With their progressive, electronic music, they embody a true do-it-yourself-punk mentality. Although their latest album Lowerop was released under the prestigious label Fuzz Club, this duo still does their own management and all bookings all by themselves.
The Rotterdam-based super group THE DEAD CVLT, consisting of hardcore drum&bass legends Thrasher and Limewax and hardcore punk legends Lemmy and Sjarm13, will open the evening.
Brasilbinkie Brasilbinkie is located in the middle of the skatepark on West-Blaak. But during Downtown, this place is transformed into a club. In collaboration with Pantropical, Bass Odyssey and Noodlebar, they'll host an experimental program.
Rotterdam is known all over the world for the only musical genre that ever originated in the Netherlands: gabber. This movement went around the world and was picked up in Indonesia. There, the rave-weirdo's of Gabber Modus Operandi mixed it with metal, noise and indigenous music. In electronic music, this absolute buzz act has been around for some time now and will release their already legendary album HOXXXYA this month.
Later in the night, Fracture will take over the show. Besides being a veteran deejay, this heavy bass pioneer is the man behind the London Astrophonica label.
In the basement of Brasilbinkie, Festival Downtown will shine a light on the development in the field of modular synthesizers with none other than DRVG CVLTVRE as the headliner. The show on the modular stage will be broadcast via a Silent Disco system; a world first!
Tickets / Wristbands / Free entrance
Though the festival takes place at multiple locations, the line-up at WORM, Club Vibes and Brasilbinkie are extra special. To attend the shows at these locations, you need to get a ticket. An All Areas wristband is also available in limited quantities. The shows at the other venues are all free.
What to expect at Festival Downtown Rotterdam
Festival Downtown: Event details
Festival Downtown 2019
Place: Various locations in the Nieuwe Binnenweg area incl. WORM, Club Vibes, Brasilbinkie
Date(s) & Time(s): 5 October 2019 |
Featuring: 10AK, Raketkanon (BE), Roska (UK), Medicine Boy (DE) Entrance/Tickets: WORM ticket: €10 Club Vibes: €10 Brasilbinkie: €8 All Areas wristband: €15
