museum night

saturday 28 september

Get ready for an unforgettable night at the Fries Museum on Saturday, September 28th, from 7 PM to midnight! This is your chance to explore the museum in a whole new light—literally. The evening will be packed with inspiring, unexpected activities that will take you from the exhibitions to the hallways, and even to the theater spaces, all while enjoying art, fashion, live music, and performances. DJs and bands will keep the party going late into the night!

One of the night’s highlights is the brand-new exhibition, ‘Yes, I do!’. Dive into various activities related to the exhibition, like offline Tinder (find your museum date!), a fragrance bar, and even a real-life ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ with wedding gown try-ons! And don't miss out on the awesome music lineup, created in collaboration with Neushoorn.

Date: Saturday, September 28
Time: 7:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Tickets: Be sure to book online on time! Last year museum night was sold out.
Sign up here, select 28th September

~~Early Birds: €8,50 (sold out)~~
Regular: €12.50
Cards such as Museum Card and Friends Lottery VIP card are not valid for this event.

Come hang out, get inspired, and make memories with friends!

schedule museum night

download het blokkenschema

yes, I do!

on display now

for every atom...

with work of Semâ Bekirović

live music

In collaboration with Neushoorn, the museum presents a diverse music programme featuring bands, singer-songwriters and DJs. Our museum hall becomes a playground and GINGE makes a spare entrance key for everyone! The singer-songwriter from Leeuwarden celebrates the humour of childlike imagination and the boundlessness of our emotional world with a heavy dose of neo-soul, pop, R&B and jazz. From the cosy exhibition rooms, Sarah Dekker, better known as Moonloops, and DINA will perform their music. Using a lived guitar, Moonloops plays autobiographical indie pop songs that capture the complex uncertainty of growing up. DINA transports the audience into her trance-like music with nature sounds. There is also energetic and humorous Dutch-language pop music by De Koots, and dance into the late hours to DJ set by Suwâld Soundmachine.

19.30-20.00h	Moonloops	Fryslân van boven, first floor
20.30-21.15h	DINA	Heem, third floor
20.45-21.30h	De Koots	Museum hall
22.00-22.30h	GINGE	Museum hall
22.30-01.00h	Suwâld Sound Machine	Museum hall

the hot ice cream parlour

At scent bar ‘The Hot Ice Cream Parlour’, fragrance artist Frank Bloem mixes your personal aphrodisiacs on request. You charge for the small capsules with exciting fragrance mixture for the price of an ice cream. But instead of spheres, we work with drops. We do not vouch for the results, but ‘be careful what you wish for, it may come true’.
From 19.00 to 00.00 in the museum hall

Be careful what you wish for, it may come true

offline tinder

Find your perfect museum match during Museum Night! For a surprising encounter or your true love on the white horse.
Each participant will receive a number that you will wear visibly on your clothes. If you see someone you might have a crush on, pass this number on. If the other person has also passed on your number, there is a match. We keep track of all matches on a board. If your number appears on the board, it means you have a match and you can get each other's contact details.
From 19.00 to 00.00 in the museum hall

lecture: scent and love

Those who immediately think of sex when they hear the term love and romance may have a somewhat simplistic view, yet, although not synonymous, it is an element that cannot go unmentioned. It is in this context that fragrance artist Frank Bloem comes to explain and immediately add scent. In the lecture, he will show and smell how people have thought about scent and love over the centuries. He brings along examples of scented aphrodisiacs (aphrodisiacs that stimulate lust) and discusses the role of sensuality in his own work. Frank: ‘When working with scent and making perfumes, sensuality and sex are never far away, we alone, like other animals, are very scent-oriented in choosing our partners.’
20.00-20.45 in the Theatre Hall, entrance from the mezzanine

speed tours

Discover the Fries Museum in 30 minutes! Join this speed tour and see top pieces that tell the history of Fryslân and the museum. You can take this tour in Dutch or English.
Start times Dutch tours: 19.15h, 20.15h, 21.15h
Start times English tours: 19.45h, 20.45h. 21.45h
This activity is walk-in, full = full!

speed tours: for every atom...

Discover the exhibition For Every Atom... during an atmospheric tour with torches. The exhibition is actually closed during Museum Night because the exhibition is normally illuminated by daylight. In these special speed tours, you will still discover the work of artist Semâ Bekirović and other ‘unsuspected artists’ in an intimate and unique setting.
Start times: 19.30h, 20.00h, 21.15h, 21.45h and 22.15h
Starting point at the Panorama room
This activity is walk-in, full = full!

put a ring on it

Say Yes, I do! and come and get married on Museum Night. Especially for visitors who are considering getting married, we organise special trial weddings where you can declare your love under the guidance of wedding officiant Marjolein Rover.
Continuous in Café Thús

patchworktable

Got inspired by Yes, I do!? Then work with textiles yourself at the Patchwork Table. During Museum Night, we will make a large patchwork (a kind of quilt) together at this installation, from the remains of old wedding dresses . Whether you are experienced or a beginner; everyone is welcome! The patchwork table was created by designer Floor Nijdeken, in collaboration with fashion designer Tess van Zalinge. Feel free to drop in!
Continuous on the Mezzanine

the outsiders

The outsiders is an artist collective consisting of Asia Komarova, Merel Zwarts and Txell Blanco. With VHDG's fire truck, they travelled through Northwest Fryslân in July in search of stories about the changing Frisian landscape and agriculture. Now they present what they have seen, heard and discovered in their post office in the fire truck, where you are invited to participate in the correspondence.
Continuous at the Wilhelminaplein, in front of the museum.

winners of the VHDG x Fries Museum Open Call

Here they are! Earlier this year, we issued an Open Call for artists to respond to the theme ‘Garden Against Time’. From the 109 submissions, three winners were chosen:

Hannah van der Heide (2000, Nes) will present "Nachtflinter" during Museum Night, an enchanting installation featuring a canopy bed, dreamy music, and magical sculptures. Find peace and dream away in a world full of imagination.

Hannes Schievink (2001, Dokkum) will showcase "Master & Mankelikens", an enthralling installation and performance that takes visitors on a theatrical journey through their emotional landscape.

Marcella de Wolff (1990, Arnhem) will present her installation "Recipient", in which she plays with the combination of everyday materials and natural processes. Discover how sunshade frames, kombucha organisms, and polystyrene cultivation trays come together to form an installation of objects made by both humans and nature.

Discover these remarkable installations and performances during Museum Night on Saturday, 28th September. Going to bed early? This part of Museum Night can also be seen during the day on Saturday!