Acqua Forte Parade

The French theatre company ACQUAFORTE Compagnie will descend upon our Frisian capital on the weekend of October 9, 10, and 11, 2026!

With the performance 'ACQUA FORTE Parade', the theatre makers transform the Leeuwarden city canal on the Noordersingel into a fairytale dream where all your senses are stimulated.

ACQUAFORTE Company

ACQUAFORTE Compagnie – formerly known as Ilotopie – finds its origins in the Camargue, a marshland in the southern French Rhône Delta. Rivers, lakes, and the sea, together with wooded areas, form – as the theatre company itself describes them – the reservoirs of human imagination. They take the audience along pristine waters and landscapes through a world of imagination.

ACQUAFORTE Compagnie has been performing worldwide for decades and is internationally regarded as leading and pioneering within water-based (street) theatre. With large-scale water parades, installations, and performances, the company transforms everyday waterscapes into imaginative scenes. With actors walking on water, floating objects, light effects, and music, they create an experience the audience has never had before.

An 'aquatic parade' in the Prinsentuin with a touch of Mata Hari

The ACQUA FORTE Parade is no ordinary parade. Along a length of 300 meters, dreamlike scenes unfold on both sides of the route. Thanks to special lighting effects on the water, floating fire, and accompanying music, the audience is transported into the imaginary, enchanting world of Ilotopia. Especially for Leeuwarden, and in honor of its 150th anniversary, the infamous Mata Hari is included in the parade as a special element.

In the run-up to the ACQUA FORTE Parade, the company will already be setting up shop at various locations in the city center with surprise acts. The spectacular parade on the water takes place from October 9 to 11, 2026. ACQUAFORTE Compagnie can be seen on the northern city canal, both at the Noordersingel and along the waterfront of the Prinsentuin. The event is free to attend and suitable for all ages.

Find a nice spot along the route, roll out your blanket, and enjoy the spectacle from the waterside. In the Prinsentuin, you will find a cozy food court.
for snacks and (hot) drinks. But feel free to bring a well-stocked picnic basket, or combine the performance with a nice bite to eat – before or after – in the city.

Playing times
Friday October 9
Doors open at 19:30, show starts at 20:30

Saturday 10 October
Doors open at 19:00, show starts at 20:00
Doors open at 21:30, show starts at 22:30.

Sunday October 11
Doors open at 19:30, show starts at 20:30