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Museum Night in Museum De Lakenhal

Saturday 14 June 2025

On 14 June, the 17th edition of Leiden Museum Night will take place. During Museum Night, the entire museum will be open and you can take part in all kinds of activities. Take a look at the programme below.

DJ Set 7LeVeL7

fROM 20.00 till 00.00 on the Forecourt

Step onto the forecourt of Museum De Lakenhal and immerse yourself in the groovy vibes of DJ 7LeVeL7. With a mix of soulful house and funky Brazilian he sets a laid-back mood. 7LeVeL7 is DJ at Leiden online independent radio station Maxi Radio, where he hosts a monthly show. He's also a regular behind the turntables at WiBar. During Museum Night, he will welcome everyone stepping into the museum with a relaxed and funky mix, all on vinyl records.

Bloom: help build a floating work of art

Between 20:00 and 00:30 at the quay at the entrance of the museum

‘A luminous Night Water Lily’ is the dream image of the creation envisioned by Leiden artist Ludy Feyen on Museum Night. For this work she collaborates with interdisciplinary designer Bastiaan Luijk. Using bendable twigs and raw wool, you will help shape the petals. The result? A giant flower that will be released into the canal around midnight. This project was developed especially for Museum Night inspired by the exhibition Floris Verster - At Home in Nature. This exhibition can be visited throughout the evening.

Leidse zang voor kerk en kroeg: musical tour by Key2Singing

At 20:15 and 21:15

Discover Leiden songs from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, connected to unique objects and stories in the museum. Get into the spirit by listening to the ‘Lied van de Brouwerijen binnen Leiden’ from the songbook Het Leydsche Vreugden-Hof (1659), which celebrates all 22 Leiden breweries that Leiden owned. These are also listed on a board in the museum's brewers' room. Or empathise with the hard workers in the ‘Weaver's Song’, as you imagine yourself in the olden days in the museum's 'De grote pers'. Then listen to a Gregorian plague chant at Erwin Olaf's work and dream away at the religious chant next to the Leiden choir book.

This project is under the musical and artistic direction of Margot Kalse. She is a singer, singing teacher and conductor specializing in Gregorian chant, early music and Dutch song. She also produced the Top 40 of the Golden Age.

Bloei: imagined by Domino

At 20:30 and 21:15 at the Rear Courtyard

Domino takes inspiration from artist Floris Verster, capturing his vision of the life cycle of flowers and plants: the beauty and power of each season and the transition between decay and bloom. Domino is a theatre workshop and part of GEMIVA, with about 30 makers with and without disabilities. They produce shows in various settings, from theatres to outdoor locations. Their performances often explore themes such as dementia and autism. The performance BLOEI was created especially for Museum Night 2025.

Prince Faar

At 22:00 and 23:00 at the Rear Courtyard

Let's go crazy to well-known songs by Prince like ‘1999’, 'Pop Life' and 'Purple Rain', sung live by Prince Faar. Since 1986, this Prince look-a-like has been drawing crowds at home and abroad. He has often appeared on television on MTV and programmes like the Soundmixshow and Telekids. This year, he participated in The Tribute: Battle of the Bands. Faar is also an employee of Museum De Lakenhal, which makes the museum especially proud to present him.

Singer-songwriter Siris Anish

At 23:30 at the Rear Courtyard

Siris Anish studies Philosophy at Leiden University and is also a singer-songwriter. Inspired by artists like Jeff Buckley, Tamino and Kevin Garrett, he effortlessly transitions between deep, warm tones and flawless falsetto. With his direct lyrics, he knows exactly how to strike the right chord. Will you join him on this musical adventure?

Senses tour by Studio Moio

At 21:00, 21:45 and 22:30

Step into a unique museum experience that engages all your senses. A young team has created a surprising tour where you don't just look, but taste, listen, feel and smell. Let yourself be taken through the museum in a way you have never experienced before, inspired by the perceptive eye of security and service officer Satish. Discover how art and stories can not only be seen, but also experienced. Spots are limited to 8 participants, so make sure to be on time.

Photo: Eduardo Alvarez

Speed lectures by Annet Breure

At 20:15, 21:30 and 22:30

Discover details of plants as you haven't seen them before. Captivating plant stories will make you look at your surroundings with a different perspective. Every day you walk past “weeds” in the city: on the roadsides, between the tiles. These plants tell the story of our centuries-long relationship with nature. Let yourself be taken into this enriching world: wonder, learn more and experience. Annet Breure is a storyteller and founded Plant Stories in 2018, with interactive lectures.

Workshop Green, Greener, greenest

continuously from 20:00 till 01:00 in the Studio

Cut, tear and paste your own green world in the museum studio. Create floral paper collages with one unique challenge: you can only use the color green. Guided by professional artists, explore the endless possibilities of different shades of green.

VPRO

Jan Wolkers: film screening and flash tours

Tv series continuously from 20:00 till 01:00 in the Auditorium

Flash tours at 20:00, 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 00:00 uur in the Pape Hall

This year, Jan Wolkers would have turned 100 years old. To celebrate, Museum De Lakenhal presents a selection of Wolkers' works from the museum's collection in the exhibition Wolkers Naturally - A Century of Wonder. During Museum Night, four episodes from the TV series Jan Wolkers' Backyard will be screened in the museum's Auditorium. In this series, writer and visual artist Jan Wolkers explores his own garden. Through his eyes, the ordinary becomes extraordinary, the small turns grand, and the ugly turns beautiful.

You can also join one of the flash tours of Wolkers' artworks in the exhibition in the Pape Hall.

Piano player Wim Verschuren plays green compositions

At 20:45, 22:00 and 23:00 in the Van Doesburg Hall

Wim Verschuren (b. 1997) studied at the Rotterdam Conservatory under Belgian master pianist Stéphane de May. Since then, he has won several prestigious awards and has been active as a solo pianist. During Museum Night, he will play the grand piano in the modern art room with music that perfectly complements the exhibition Floris Verster - At Home in Nature.

Exhibition project: I carry a city in my head

continuously from 20:00 till 01:00

I carry a city in my head is an art project centered around text-based works. The exhibition opens during Museum Night 2025 in collaboration with several Leiden museums and will remain on display for a month at various locations across the city. Participating artists: Will Alexander, Nadia de Vries, Max Fletcher and Sam Wilson Fletcher. At Museum De Lakenhal, the works by Max Fletcher will be showcased, inspired by textile labor.

Flash tours through Floris Verster - At Home in Nature

Continuously from 20:00 till 00:30

In just 15 to15 till 20 minutes, an enthusiastic guide will take you through the exhibition Floris Verster – At Home in Nature, where the beauty of everyday nature takes center stage. For the first time, Museum De Lakenhal combines work by the well-known Leiden painter Floris Verster (1861-1927) with contemporary art. Annelies Dijkman, Esther Hoogendijk and Seet van Hout draw inspiration from Verster and engage in dialogue with his work. From life-size paintings to sculptures and a pop-up garden; each work reflects a love of local nature.

Photo: Taco van der Eb

Practical information


  • Date: Saturday 14 June 2025
  • Time: 20.00 - 01.00
  • Price and tickets: via Museumnacht Leiden

The programme and starting times are subject to change.