Effective December 1, 2025, Jeroen Dijkstra will take over as the new director of the Delft Fringe Festival. He succeeds Roel Funcken, who is stepping down after more than twelve years and has built the festival into a leading national platform for emerging creatives in the performing arts. With Dijkstra’s arrival, the festival enters a new phase, building on the solid foundation laid in recent years.

New energy and a broad cultural perspective 

Jeroen Dijkstra is a cultural entrepreneur with a diverse background at the intersection of design, art, and social imagination. He has previously worked at Dutch Design Week, Het Nieuwe Instituut, and various international museums. As founder of The Dutch Institute of Royal Taste (the DIRT), he supports emerging talent and brings together creators, institutions, and audiences in innovative collaborations. 

His career began with Verborgen Stegen, a private initiative that brought performing arts, visual arts, and design to life in unexpected, often historical locations. For this project, he received awards including the Waterweg Culture Prize and the Schiedam City Promotion Award. 

Dijkstra is looking forward to using his extensive experience for the Delft Fringe Festival: 

It’s a tremendous honor to lead a festival that means so much to the artistic development of young artists and to the city of Delft. I look forward to working with the team, partners, and audiences to continue building an inspiring space for emerging artists.

Supervisory Board: ‘A visionary with a unifying force’ 

Corné Ran, chairman of the Delft Fringe Festival Supervisory Board, speaks confidently about the appointment: 

With Jeroen Dijkstra as our new director, we’re bringing on board a visionary who, with his unifying power and strategic insight, will give the Delft Fringe Festival a new lease on life. With his enthusiasm and drive, he aims to support emerging creators in the Delft Fringe Festival’s activities, enabling them to gain the necessary “flying hours.” The entire team and I have complete confidence that the significance of the Delft Fringe Festival is in good hands with him. Jeroen Dijkstra will build on the solid foundation we already have in place.

A new phase for Delft Fringe Festival 

With the arrival of Jeroen Dijkstra, Delft Fringe Festival is setting a course for further strengthening talent development and new collaborations within the city. In the coming years, the festival aims to further deepen and broaden its role as a springboard for emerging creators. 

About Delft Fringe Festival 

The Delft Fringe Festival is an annual site-specific theater festival that offers a platform to the latest generation of creators. For 15 years, the festival has exploded in the city just before summer. From intimate acts to taboo-breaking performances in unexpected locations like a centuries-old mill, the council chamber, or a factory. From theater to dance, cabaret to music, and everything in between. 

The festival offers young talent the opportunity to experiment and gain experience, while visitors discover culture in an accessible and surprising way. The 15th edition of the Delft Fringe Festival will take place in 2026. 

Edition 2026: May 27 to June 7 

• Festival dates 15th edition Delft Fringe Festival: May 27 – June 7, 2026
• Festival opening : May 27, 2026, 7:30 PM, at Theater de Veste.
• More info : www.delftfringefestival.nl