Zotte Zaterdag is a light edition this year, centred on De Waag
Editors Holland Magazine · 12 October 2026
On Saturday 17 October, the Zotte Zaterdag parade is the official start of the festival. The procession of medieval figures and musicians moves through the streets of Gouda towards De Waag. It is the fourteenth edition.
The free festival runs from 11:00 to 16:30 and takes place around De Waag, the Markt, the nearby shopping streets and in the garden of Museum Gouda. Among other things, there is music and dance, street performers, storytelling and poetry, historical fencing, crafts such as weaving, spinning and candle dipping, and medieval food and drink stalls.
The organisers call 2026 a light edition. The festival is a transition to a new independent foundation that will organise Zotte Zaterdag from 2027.
According to the organisers, Zotte Zaterdag has grown in recent years into a municipal ‘star event’ with around 15,000 visitors a year. This year’s theme is a saying by Erasmus: ‘Wat mooi is, kost moeite’.
The organisers describe the edition as a tribute to volunteers, participants and Gouda organisations. Admission is free.
