Be amazed by street theatre, decorate your bike with flowers, paint like Vincent in the open air, or enjoy a musical performance. Visit the festival and receive a sunflower!
Sunflower Art Festival
On Friday 2 June 2023, it wasexactly 50 years since the Van Gogh Museum first opened its doors. There was a host of festive activities to celebrate this anniversary.
Painting sunflowers workshop
Take a seat and release your inner artist! Paint your own take on Van Gogh’s Sunflowers on a postcard. A new workshop starts every 30 minutes.
Print a T-shirt or bag
The Zeefdrukmakers will be on Museumplein all afternoon with their unique screen printing delivery bike. Bring along a T-shirt to have printed with sunflowers or inspirational quotes by Vincent van Gogh. Or pick up a yellow linen bag at the festival to have printed with your favourite design.
Based in Amsterdam, the Zeefdrukmakers is a sustainable printer’s and a social enterprise: they are on a mission to help people who are having difficulty finding a job to return to work.
Acrobatic stunts
With acrobatic stunts and endless energy, the Sign Jugglers will guide you to the workshops on Museumplein.
Decorate your bike with flowers
Coming to Museumplein by bike? Grab the chance to decorate your two-wheeler with the Flowerbikeman! It’s hard to imagine the Amsterdam streets without the Flowerbikeman’s cheerful floral bikes. Perhaps you’ve seen them in the city’s Canal District? A special Van Gogh Flowerbike will also be made during the festival.
Orchestra
Join us at 3:20 pm for a musical performance by the Wijktalentorkest Nieuw-West. Comprised of talented young local musicians, this orchestra is part of a musical and social project aimed at helping children discover the magic of making music together.
A bike decorated with sunflowers alongside an Amsterdam canal. Photograph: Flowerbikeman
Street theatre
A parade of different street theatre acts from Medusa's World will turn Museumplein a fitting shade of yellow. Follow a bee to pick a sunflower, or have your photograph taken with one of the stilt walkers.
Drone performance
The day will be festively concluded at 11 pm with a special show featuring 200 drones bringing Van Gogh's art to life in the night sky. This captivating aerial performance, exclusively created by Studio DRIFT for the anniversary, can be witnessed from the pond at the Museumplein.
Frequently asked questions
The Sunflower Art Festival is free. You do not require a ticket to join us on Museumplein and enjoy the activities.
The festival is for all ages. Everyone is welcome!
The acrobatic Sign Jugglers will guide you from outside the Van Gogh Museum to the activities on Museumplein.
No, you do not need to register in advance. There are workshops throughout the afternoon, and you can join in whenever you like.
The Van Gogh Museum is dedicated to inclusion and being accessible to all. The entire festival grounds are accessible for visitors using a walking aid or wheelchair.
You can use the public toilets in the Q-Park underground car park on Museumplein.
A number of kiosks selling food and drink are located on Museumplein between the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum. There is also a supermarket nearby, as well as many restaurants and bars.
No, the museum will be closed during the day due to the party. The celebratory programme on Museumplein will offer plenty of open-air inspiration!
The Sunflower Art Festival is made possible thanks to our main partners: