Wereldhavendagen Rotterdam

Date: 4 September 2026 – 6 September 2026

Location: Rotterdam harbour, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Organizer: Stichting Wereldhavendagen

Wereldhavendagen (World Port Days) is the largest maritime festival in the Netherlands, held annually in central Rotterdam. The 49th edition runs September 4 to 6, 2026, spread along the quays around the Erasmus Bridge. The formula is direct: Europe's biggest port opens itself to the public for a weekend. Around 400,000 visitors and 150 companies take part. You can board special vessels, join excursions into the working port, and watch demonstrations on the water, from salvage tugs to naval ships. The 2026 programme is built around three themes: energy transition, geopolitical shifts and liveability. There is also a careers market and a port hackathon where hundreds of students work on real port problems, since the event doubles as the harbour's recruiting weekend. Most of the programme is free; excursions require booking and go fast. Not a sailing event in the racing sense, but for anyone interested in ships and harbours it is hard to beat.

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