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 18 September, Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam takes over the Kunsthal! The exhibition Benedikte Bjerre. When the wind blows serves as the source of inspiration for this vibrant evening.
Since 2015, Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam has presented the finest and most impactful nature films from the Netherlands and around the world, both on the big screen and online. Every year, remarkable films about the natural world are made that never reach regular cinemas in the Netherlands. WFFR was founded to give these films a stage and to celebrate the filmmakers behind them. Through powerful storytelling, the films reveal the beauty of nature while raising awareness of our shared responsibility to protect it.
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
During Friday Night LIVE x Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam, the Kunsthal celebrates the natural world. Join a Museum Park safari, build your own bee watering station, or settle into the Auditorium for a surprising film programme. At the Kunsthal Cafe, dance to wild beats, and of course, all exhibitions will be open throughout the evening.
| Kunsthal Cafe | |
| 17:00-22:30 | DJ Shug la Sheedah |
| LAB | |
| ongoing | Workshop: build your own Bee Station |
| Auditorium | |
| ongoing | Pinguïn info point with Diergaarde Blijdorp |
| 17:10, 19:10 & 21:10 |
Film: Pinguin Baywatch (50 min) |
| 18:15 & 20:15 | Short film Nightlife (15 min) |
| 18:35 & 20:35 | Q&A with film maker Anice Hut (10 min) |
| 18:45 & 20:45 | Short film Reindalen (15 min) |
| Kunsthal | |
| ongoing | all exhibitions are open |
| 18:45 & 19:45 | Bee tours by Odin (20 min) |
| 17:45,18:45 20:00, 21:00 |
KunstHoppen discover the Kunsthal in 45 minutes! |
| Museumpark | |
| 17:45 & 20:45 | Museumpark safari (30 min) |
MuseumPark Safari
During a safari through Museumpark, discover Rotterdam’s surprising biodiversity. Just how much wildlife can actually be found in the heart of the city? From moths and bats to martens and mice, countless animals live around Kunsthal Rotterdam, often without us even noticing them. Join ecologist André De Baerdemaeker from Het Natuurhistorisch on an expedition through the park. As darkness falls, we set out in search of animals that are rarely seen during the day. What we encounter along the way is impossible to predict. One thing is certain: afterwards, you’ll see Museumpark — and nature in the city — through different eyes.
- The Museumpark Safari will be conducted in Dutch
- For the Museumpark Safari, please sign up via this link. Limited spots available, full = full!
WFFR SHORTS
In this shorts programme, two films offer surprising perspectives on nature and climate. Nightlife explores Groningen after dark through the eyes of animals, from spiders to tawny owls, revealing how the city comes to life after sunset. Afterwards, filmmaker Anice Hut will join the audience for a conversation. In Reindalen, two friends and their dog explore how the reindeer of Svalbard are adapting to a rapidly changing climate. Two short documentaries that invite you to see the world around us from a different perspective.
see also
Build Your Own Bee Station
What does your neighbourhood look like through the eyes of a bee? During this workshop, discover how important flowers, plants and shelter are for pollinators. Using pen and paper, map your surroundings from the bees’ perspective. Test your knowledge of Dutch bees, get creative and learn all about how to turn your own space into a real bee refuelling station, complete with native seeds. Give biodiversity a helping hand — and take a little piece of nature home with you!
Bee tours by Odin
Since autumn 2014, two bee colonies have been living on the roof of the Kunsthal to help pollinate the surrounding flora in Museumpark. Accompany a beekeeper from the biodynamic Odin apiary onto the roof to visit the bees. You will learn why bees are so important. Why do bees visit flowers, and how do they live together? Where does honey come from, and what does a beekeeper actually do?
Discover the Kunsthal
Friday Night Tours
18 September 2026 17:00 -
18 September 2026 22:00
Join KunstHoppen and discover the Kunsthal building and the different exhibitions in 45 minutes!
Dive into the world of Penguins
Watch the cheerful nature film Penguin Baywatch – Pyjama Party, then discover even more about these fascinating birds at Diergaarde Blijdorp’s penguin information stand. Ask the experts all your burning penguin questions and get an up-close look at a real penguin specimen!
About Benedikte Bjerre. When the wind blows
More than a hundred helium-filled baby penguins will take over the Kunsthal! Cute, packed together, and aimless, they drift with the slightest movement of air. The exhibition When the wind blows brings together two works by Danish artist Benedikte Bjerre (1987): the penguin installation The Birds (2017) and Getting Warmer (2026), developed specially for the Kunsthal. Humour is her starting point; the undertone is more serious.
