The Opening
We’re kicking off the new cultural season with a creative weekend full of inspiration!
- Starting date
- End date
- Opening times
- Price
- Free
- Location
- CKE
Welcome to De Opening! The national kickoff of the cultural season. De Opening takes place in a different city every year. This year, Eindhoven has the honor of hosting this opening weekend. During De Opening, CKE serves as a meeting place for creators and the public for three days.
A weekend full of fun workshops, exhibitions, and performances—plus a dance battle in the tunnel just around the corner. There’s always something to see, do, and experience. You decide what to check out. Drop by and let yourself be surprised.
What’s on?
During The Opening, the entire building turns into one big place to explore. Among other things, you can:
- An accessible introduction to our 2026–2027 course offerings
- Participate in a variety of workshops
- Enjoy shows, presentations, and performances
- View works by various amateur artists from Eindhoven
Check out the program for The Opening at CKE (program details in Dutch)
Plan your route using the timetable
With so much to see and do, it’s nice to have a general overview in advance. Concerts, performances, workshops: the schedule lets you see at a glance what’s happening and when! This makes it easy to choose what you want to watch, listen to, or participate in.
Timetable
Derailed: Emoves x CKE dance battle
A special spot on our program is reserved for Emoves! For two days, Eindhoven’s dance community will come together under the railroad tracks. A strip of linoleum. A boombox. From breaking to modern, from hip-hop to freestyle. No distance between performers and audience. Just the culture as it truly is: cyphers, jams, battles, showcases, and spontaneous moments you can’t plan for. This is where generations come together. Experienced dancers share the floor with new talent. Crews challenge each other and learn from one another. The audience is welcome to watch, cheer, or step into the circle themselves.
In our programme there is always something to experience
TROMP Next Gen Mallet Competition: Round 1
For the first time, TROMP Percussion is organising the TROMP Next Gen Mallet Competition: a new competition for young marimba and vibraphone players aged between 15 and 30.
DARK rehearsal series for actors
Work together with other participants to prepare for the DARK Halloween Festival in Eindhoven. During this series of rehearsals, you’ll develop characters, scenes, and performances that will be part of the festival.
Workshop storytelling
During this free storytelling workshop, you’ll learn how to draw people into your personal story. Discover techniques such as sensory storytelling and adding emotion and dynamics to spark your audience’s imagination. This workshop consists of two parts: you’ll present your story during the storytelling evening on October 9.
TROMP Next Gen Mallet Competition: Final
The TROMP Next Gen Mallet Competition is a new competition for young marimba and vibraphone players aged between 15 and 30. On this evening, six finalists will compete for first prize on stage at CKE.