Every third Friday of the month, you're welcome at the Kunsthal for an exciting and inspiring programme infused with a generous dose of art. All exhibitions are open until 22:00 hrs and each edition is curated by a different Rotterdam-based partner. On Friday 17 April O. will be pulling the strings. The exhibition Flowers Forever serves as the source of inspiration for this vibrant evening.
O. Festival for Opera. Music. Theatre. is an international festival with a program full of surprises: from international top acts to authentically Rotterdam and adventurous site-specific projects. During O. 2026, more than 100 performances will be presented across 30 locations throughout Rotterdam. From works in progress to world premieres, created by young artists as well as established names from the Netherlands and abroad.
Bites en drinks
During Friday Night LIVE, the tastiest bites are back on the menu. And are you coming to the Kunsthal with your Friday Night LIVE ticket between 17:00 and 19:00 hrs? Then a complimentary welcome drink (wine, beer, or soda) will be waiting for you!
PROGRAMME
Mama always told me not to run in the dark
Hypnotic loop in a horror remake of Little Red Riding Hood
Viana Afoumou (BE/CM)
A voice echoes in the dark alleyway. Followed by erratic shadows, she sings her mother's words: ‘Who will be there for you, the wolves will also wait, I will not hear your voice in the madness. Dogs go mad in the darkness.’
Mama Always told me not to run in the Dark is a treadmill-driven musical scene in which Little Red Riding Hood is reimagined during a spooky walk. Step by step, the piece unravels, the runner runs, the tension grows, and the act culminates in an external explosion of her inner state. The performance is unique, yet the story repeats itself every night in a different street. The piece itself is about everyday horror, as motherly advice echoes eerily in dark places.
Beyond the Ball
A new barok-wave musical
Aqueerius (NL)
Mesdames et Messieurs, bienvenue! Welcome to the sixteen eighties – the pink revolution of French Baroque. Toute la nuit we dance in the court of none other than Louis XIV. But let's be honest: the king of the sun has written enough history, so his role in this libretto is to be of minor importance.
We present you Julie d’Aubigny, better known as Madame de Maupin – operadiva, duellist.. and rebel! This queen of coloratura battles using voice and sword in order to thwart suffocating the social classes and norms of her time. And doing so is able to conquer the hearts of myriad men and women. Today this queer-icon avant la lettre is claiming her place in history.
Join her ratgirl summer in Versailles. A true tale that will both excite the masses and blush their cheeks while doing so. We go way beyond the ball!
Flower Duet
The iconic duet from the opera Lakmé by Léo Delibes among the flowers
Bauwien van der Meer, Anna Traub, Laura Bos (NL)
The iconic duet from Léo Delibes’ opera Lakmé, surrounded by the flowers exhibit. You might know this piece from TikTok as the soundtrack to viral videos, from commercials to something signal the delicious, from films at the moment heaven is within reach, or simply because it is so famous that you could only have missed it if you’ve been living under a rock.
Soprano Bauwien van der Mee and mezzo-soprano Anna Traub, accompanied by Laura Bos on piano, will transport you to seventh heaven, by way of opera, so that together, we will blossom.
Metropolis 2126
he future in 100 years in the center of Rotterdam
During the first weekend, O. will bring the performance Metropolis 2126 to Rotterdam Central District. At five different locations, from the hall of Rotterdam Central Station, through the Delftse Poort towards Hofplein, visitors will get a glimpse into life 100 years from now. How will we experience love, war, and activism, among other things? Experience a preview during Friday Night LIVE.
Ays
Ays has a preference for intense vocals, funky horns, and selects records that bring life and love to the dancefloor. With a background in playing listening sessions, she pays extra attention to musical story telling. Nowadays she doesn’t shy away from the bigger stage playing her unique sound in festivals and clubs.
Lotus
Lotus’ sound is cheerful, warm, atmospheric, and gets feet off the floor. Alternate your disco dance moves with synthesizer atmospheres and, together with Lotus, sneakily dip your toes into groovy house before cheerfully erupting into a celebration of sound instigated by this lovely DJ.
Bobby
By day, Bobby scouts for records and raises funds; by night, he's in front of or behind the booth. With a love for anything that sounds funky, swings jazzy, and sings with soul, he picks tracks that make you lose your marbles. Bobby's taste knows no borders, and he seamlessly navigates from Brazilian boogie to deep house and beyond.
About Flowers Forever
