On 2 June 2023, the Van Gogh Museum celebrated its 50th anniversary at the Museum Square with the Sunflower Art Festival. People of all ages could join a painting workshop, decorate their bikes, get a yellow tote bag printed with Van Gogh's Sunflowers, or listen to the orchestra comprised of local young talents. Furthermore, festival-goers were treated to street theatre acts, acrobatics, and tons of sunflowers.
The festive day concluded in the evening with a special drone performance. Check out the images and relive the joyous day.
During the official ceremony in the morning, Princess Beatrix received a sunflower on behalf of Emilie Gordenker (Director of the Van Gogh Museum) and Janne Heling (Chairwoman of the Vincent van Gogh Foundation). Fifty years ago, the Princess's mother, Queen Juliana, also received a flower at the opening of the museum.
In the afternoon, the Sunflower Art Festival kicked off at the Museum Square. Museum staff handed out thousands of sunflowers to festival visitors. The square turned yellow and the sun broke through the clouds.
The day festively concluded at 11 PM with a performance featuring 200 drones that brought Vincent van Gogh's work to life in the night sky. Check out the video on our YouTube channel.
The Sunflower Art Festival was made possible thanks to our main partners: