The 1000 Strings Festival (formerly the Dutch Harp Festival) will take place April 18, 2026, at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, The Netherlands. The program starts at 4 p.m. with pre-festival activities for all ages, including the final of the World Harp Competition 2026, a performance featuring the largest harp orchestra in the Netherlands, and a special children’s performance. According to a press release, the 1000 Strings Festival “celebrates music that breaks boundaries and brings people together, with the harp at its heart—a symbol of peace, imagination, and pure creative power.” Tickets are available on the festival website.
The festival will open with a performance by its artistic director Remy van Kesteren, an international performer and recipient of the 2025 Podium Prize in recognition of his innovative contributions to Dutch music. The first performers in the line-up have been announced, including:
- Dutch harpist Lavinia Meijer
- Scottish harpist and singer Rachel Newton
- French harpist Jean-Baptiste Haye with his Quintette Le Bateau Ivre (flute, harp, violin, viola, and cello)
- Breton harpist and singer-songwriter Kevin Le Pennec (winner of the 2024 World Harp Competition in Utrecht)
- Belgian harpist Margaret Hermant (featuring the ensemble Echo Collective)
- Korean zither duo Dal:um
- Dutch singer-songwriter Trijntje Oosterhuis
- Dutch harpist Gwyneth Wentink, presenting a program about Indian spy and musician Noor Inayat Khan
- Ethiopian band QWANQWA
For more information, visit the 1000 Strings website.
