More to explore
There is plenty to explore at Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival beyond the main stages. Wander around the Noordplein for market stalls and food, join a workshop, dive into delightfully absurd theatre, enjoy cheerful kids’ activities, or bring your own instrument and play a tune with some new friends.
The Rotterdam Bluegrass Academy
Master the Grass!
This is your chance to take your bluegrass skills to the next (or higher) level! Join our Rotterdam Bluegrass Academy for bluegrass masterclasses, taught by top musicians who perfectly capture the essence of these genres. Whether you’re just starting out or already have some experience, there’s something for everyone!
Why join?
- Learn the tricks of the trade from the best in the field
- Develop your technique on instruments like banjo, bass, mandolin and guitar
- Make new friends who share your passion for this beautiful music
Costs:
Masterclass ticket € 65,- (including service fees)
Masterclass ticket + festival pass: €105,- (including service fees)
Get your ticket now and become part of our vibrant bluegrass community!
This year you can also buy a separate ticket per masterclass; see the masterclasses below.
Bluegrass Bootcamp with the Henhouse Prowlers
Date: Friday, July 3th 11:00-16:00 hrs
Doors open: 10:30
Location: Nivon Huis, Dirk Smitsstraat 76, Rotterdam
Ticket: €35 including service fees
This year’s workshops at the Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival will look a little different. From 11:00–15:30 on Friday, musicians of all instruments are invited to Bluegrass Bootcamp, hosted by the Henhouse Prowlers.
This 5-hour intensive will include focused instruction on individual instruments, vocal harmony sessions, and discussions and demonstrations around band dynamics and ensemble playing. At the end of the afternoon, participants who wish to take part will have the opportunity to perform on stage,with the Henhouse Prowlers, putting the techniques and lessons from the day into practice.
Appalachian Fiddle Masterclass: Tradition, Style & Sound with Hillary Klug
Date: Friday, July 3th 16:30-18:30 hrs
Doors open: 16:00
Location: Nivon Huis, Dirk Smitsstraat 76, Rotterdam
Ticket: €25 including service fees
Join acclaimed dancing fiddler Hillary Klug for an immersive masterclass in traditional Appalachian old-time fiddle. Rooted in the living traditions of the American South, this session draws from Hillary’s own musical upbringing—learning to play fiddle in rural Middle Tennessee at local square dances, where rhythm, groove, and community are at the heart of the music.
Participants will learn several classic old-time fiddle tunes, taught both by ear and with provided sheet music, allowing players of different learning styles to fully engage with the material. Hillary will break down bowing patterns, phrasing, groove, and tone, offering practical tips to help you capture an authentic old-time sound.
This class goes beyond the notes—focusing on feel, rhythm, and the subtle techniques that bring these tunes to life, just as they’re played for dancers in real community settings. Whether you're looking to deepen your connection to traditional music or refine your stylistic approach, you’ll leave with new repertoire, greater confidence, and tools you can immediately apply to your playing.
Skill Level: Intermediate, students should know how to play the instrument, and they should know the notes, and they should be able to play a few tunes up to speed. Students should bring their own instruments, and they can bring an audio or video recorder to record practice tracks to take home and practice.
Songwriting and Poetry With Kaia Kater
Date: Friday, July 3th 16:00-17:15 hrs
Doors open: 15:30
Location: Nivon Huis, Dirk Smitsstraat 76, Rotterdam
Ticket: €25 including service fees
Have you ever sat down to write a song or poem, only to feel frustrated and give up because it seems like you’re constantly running into clichés? This class is designed to address that very challenge by offering a generative workshop focused on free writing and the creation of original material.
Through various exercises and techniques, participants will learn to unlock their creativity and develop unique ideas that stand out. Additionally, the class will delve into understanding typical songwriting tropes and clichés, providing insights into why they are so common and how they can be effectively used or creatively subverted. By the end of the workshop, students will have a toolkit of strategies to enhance their writing, enabling them to produce work that is both fresh and resonant.
Banjo Workshop For Beginners With Kaia Kater
Date: Saturday, July 4th 15:00-16:00 hrs
Doors open: 14:30
Location: Nivon Huis, Dirk Smitsstraat 76, Rotterdam
Ticket: €25 including service fees
This workshop is designed for people who are interested in learning to play the clawhammer banjo from the ground up, no previous experience required! During the session, we will cover the fundamental techniques of clawhammer banjo playing, focusing on developing proficiency through various exercises.
Additionally, we will work on single string techniques to practice precision and control. If time permits, we will also learn and play a simple tune, using the techniques learned in class.
Participants are asked to bring their own 5-string banjo.
Rethinking Strumming: Expanding the Guitar's Role in Bluegrass with Damn Tall Buildings
Date: Saturday, July 4th 12:00-13:30 hrs
Doors open: 11:30
Location: Nivon Huis, Dirk Smitsstraat 76, Rotterdam
Ticket: €25 including service fees
This hands-on masterclass focuses on expanding your approach to rhythm guitar beyond standard strumming patterns. Together, we’ll explore ways to vary feel, dynamics, and groove, while learning how to bring out important tones within chords for greater musical expression.
It’s a practical way to expand your approach to strumming and the guitar’s role in bluegrass and other styles of music...
Skill level: All levels welcome (participants should be comfortable playing basic chords such as G and C)
Banjo Masterclass with Enda Scahill
Date: Sunday, July 5th 11:00-12:00 hrs
Doors open: 10:30
Location: Nivon Huis, Dirk Smitsstraat 76, Rotterdam
Ticket: €25 including service fees
Enda Scahill is a 4 string Irish banjo player, and has had many decades' experience mixing Bluegrass licks and elements into Irish music, adapting Bluegrass tunes to the Irish repertoire, and exploring the shared tunes connecting both traditions. Join Enda for a fun workshop playing the tunes that span both Irish and Bluegrass music.
Enda Scahill is the bridge between the Irish tenor banjo and Appalachian Bluegrass. His style blends the swing of Irish music with the percussive drive of American roots music.
The Core Hybrid Techniques
Ornaments: Integrating slides, hammer ons, pull offs and flattened 3rds/7ths into standard Irish reels.
Double-Stops: Using two-string harmonies and open-string drones to mimic the 5-string "high lonesome" sound.
Advanced Picking: Moving beyond strict Irish triplets into syncopated cross-picking and Bluegrass-style accents.
Shared Tunes: Exploring "cousin" melodies like The Red Haired Boy or Arkansas Traveler that exist in both traditions.
Workshops
Appalachian Percussive Dance with Hillary Klug: Flatfoot, Buck Dance & Clogging
Date: Saturday, 13:50 - 14:35
Location: Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival, De Zwijnenstal
Join two-time National Buck Dancing Champion Hillary Klug for a high-energy introduction to traditional Appalachian percussive dance. Explore the distinct styles of buck dancing, flatfooting and clogging, where rhythm drives the movement and the dancer becomes part of the music.
Participants will learn foundational steps, rhythmic patterns and stylistic details that define each tradition, along with tips on timing, groove and musicality. All levels are welcome, so come ready to move, make music with your feet and connect with a living Appalachian tradition.
Wear boots, oxfords, tennis shoes or, even better, tap shoes. No sandals or flip-flops, folks!
Jamming with the Jam Pope
Feeling inspired to play some bluegrass yourself during the festival? You totally can! On the grounds, there’s a large yet cozy jam area set up. So bring your instrument along (you can safely store it in our guarded locker in between jams), and join ‘Jam Pope’ Laurens Joënsen and your new bluegrass buddies for a jam session. From beginners to advanced players, everyone is welcome.
Don’t be surprised if you suddenly find yourself jamming with artists you just saw on stage!
Kids
Museum for a Little Bit of Modern Art
Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival is a family-friendly festival, and we believe kids deserve workshops that are just as creative, high-quality and wonderfully offbeat as the rest of the programme. That is why all kinds of special kids’ activities will take place at the Museum for a Little Bit of Modern Art during the festival.
This playful pop-up art project invites children to create their own artworks under the guidance of the “museum director”. Their masterpieces can then be auctioned off in De Zwijnenstal.
The Clay Brigade will also be back, giving kids plenty of room to build, shape and create with clay. And makers’ collective De STU returns as well: Maaike Kalkhoven and Aimee LaFArgue will bring their homemade interactive games. Kids and other festival visitors can play the games and help build new ones in the making.
And did you know that children up to and including 14 years old get free access to the festival when accompanied by an adult?
The Zwijnenstal
At the Zwijnenstal (the Pigsty;) you never quite know what to expect and that's exactly the point. One thing is certain: it's going to be another gloriously chaotic spectacle packed with music, strange surprises and good old fashioned bluegrass fun.
Expect a colourful mix of entertainment, from a Murder Ballad puppet show filled with gruesome musical tales to Dancing with the Devil. Yes, you read that right. A Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival first. Put on your dancing shoes and don't forget to say a little prayer beforehand.
The musicians of Jesus Evil Highway will take over Cosmo & Bobje's Zwijnenstal throughout the weekend, serving up all kinds of old time bluegrass amusements between the concerts, including vertical pole climbing and endurance pole hanging. You might also run into wandering magicians, have your fortune told by a real fortune teller, or let the kids join a belly dancing class with local legend Soraya.
In short: expect another wonderfully organised mess.
Suitable for adults and children aged 12 and up.
Food & Market
Food
Need a cold drink between dances? Head to one of the festival bars, where you'll find local beers, soft drinks, coffee and fresh mint tea, all served with a smile.
Feeling hungry? We've got you covered. From Dutch mini pancakes and pulled pork sandwiches to falafel, Japanese sandwiches, curry dishes, nachos and wood fired pizza. Fancy some freshly cut fries with homemade mayonnaise or an ice cream for dessert? You'll find plenty of treats to keep you going all weekend.
At Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival, good food and good music go hand in hand.
This year's food vendors include Pofferchickies, Esa Nachos, Falafval, Fratelli e Pizza, O-Fu-Tei, Schell, De SmaakVolvo and Koen's Ice Cream.
Market
Put together your perfect bluegrass outfit at the one and only Rotterdam Bluegrass Market!
Browse a colourful collection of records, CDs, vintage clothing, jewellery and all kinds of unique treasures. Looking for a fresh festival look? Get your hair styled bluegrass style, pick up a temporary tattoo for the kids, or go all in with a permanent tattoo from one of the festival's official tattoo artists.
You can also stop by the merchandise stand for a brand new Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival 2026 T-shirt, cap or tote bag to complete your festival outfit.
New this year are two exceptional instrument makers. Bulas Instruments from Poland and Avantgarde Violins from Switzerland will showcase their handcrafted instruments at the festival. Be sure to visit Avantgarde Violins, where instruments are built live on site. It's a rare chance to experience the craftsmanship of instrument making up close.
Market participants include: Bulas Instruments, Avantgarde Violins, Bonsoir Saar, Cynthia Vintage Clothing, Gina's Hats, Eliza Vintage Prints, Catch by Joy, Nine Lives Vintage, Pintage, Strictly Country Records, Doco Sophie Illustrations, Toine Jewellery, Lil Miss Red Temporary Tattoos, Kaar en Kleur, The Office Tattoo and Moxie Hair.
