Crossing Border: international literature and music festival

Crossing Border is one of the oldest and most innovative music and literature festivals in Europe, and takes place in The Hague this October 30 - November 3.

About Crossing Border

Crossing Border is the leading international literary and music festival in the Netherlands. The festival hosts exclusive events in which renowned international writers discuss their recent work, upcoming authors present themselves to the Dutch public, and alternative pop artists perform their music. More than 120 writers and musicians will be taking part in 2024, in more than 15 venues across The Hague.

Since 1992, Crossing Border has been welcoming the biggest names in music and literature, as well as showcasing new and exciting talent from The Netherlands and beyond. International music and literary stars including Salman Rushdie, Sally Rooney, Colson Whitehead, Nick Cave, and Hilary Mantel have all stepped onto the stage at Crossing Border over the last three decades.

Crossing Border's live music programme features artists from varying genres of alternative pop music. There are also performances of multidisciplinary artists and cross-overs.

Crossing Border lineup 2024

There are over a hundred amazing authors and artists taking part in this year's festival! Here's just a few of the names you can see:

Authors

• Andrey Kurkov
• Paul Lynch
• David Mitchell
• Moon Unit Zappa
• Julia Schoch
• Stuart Murdoch

Musicians

• The Antlers & Okkervil River
• Sheherazaad
• FaceSoul
• Local Natives
• June McDoom

Kids' sessions

Good literature is for all ages, and the festival has something for the whole family. The kids’ programme of Crossing Border brings together a selection of authors and illustrators of children’s literature that showcase the best artistic and literary qualities. The sessions are grouped as books intended for pre-readers (up to four years old), early readers (four to eight years old), middle-grade (eight to 12 years old) and those over the age of 12.

The events are bi-lingual, being in the original language of the book and in Dutch. You can expect hands-on workshops, interviews on the creative and artistic process behind the stories and of course story-time from the authors themselves.

Attending Crossing Border

The main venue of the Crossing Border festival is the Koninklijke Schouwburg in The Hague. However, some events take place at other locations, such as BorderKitchen, the Mauritshuis, De Vaillant and Pepijn, so make sure you check your ticket before heading off. All the venues are easily accessible by public transport or cycling.

Tickets are available from the Crossing Border website. Some events are priced individually, and some require a day ticket.