Last Updated on 05/11/2022
Decided to make an overview of everything here for newcomers. In these digital times without flyers it’s actually harder to find what is happening.
Cinema
- Forum Groningen – art house and sometimes mainstream films, regularly participates in festivals or special screenings. Check out this page for the specials. Every Sunday they have a special international screening of a non-english film.
- Pathe and Kinopolis – the regular blockbuster cinema. Meh.
- RKZ Bios – independent cinema in a squat community. Often shows films Forum didn’t decide to pick up.
- VERA Zienema – every Tuesday VERA has film screening, with a big variety. Old screenings or cult!
- Kino Kladestino – secret cinema screenings. They have been inactive for quite some time now unfortunately.
- DOT also does weekly popular movie screenings. They also host regular projected planetarium screenings by astronomy students by the way, fun.
- I recommend signing up for venue’s newsletters so you don’t miss out on interesting future screenings.
Music in Groningen
- OOST – underground club for electronic music. Focus on the harder stuff, sometimes queer nights with house and disco. They also have a very nice vegan restaurant (Achterwerk) and drinks and cocktails (Cilinder) in the same building.
- VERA – self-described “Club for the International Pop Underground”. This club has quite a history, hosting famous bands before they became big. Performance nights are hit or miss – sometimes the atmosphere is a bit, with the lack of a better word, boomer rockers. Their dance nights on Saturdays are fun for an eclectic mix of music!
- Simplon – another podium for music and dance events, focus on upcoming acts.
- Le petit theatre – small charming venue focused on jazz performances.
- Paradigm – bigger club hosting parties regularly, including Paradigm Festival
- Spot Groningen – live music, dance, plays.
- Kopjek – electronic music events, mainly targeted for students to have fun (read: do drugs).
- Atelier il Sole in Cantina – small interesting music performances
- Clash – yearly festival focused on electronic music.
- ESNS – yearly big European music showcase festival! There will be a lot of buzz in the city. i
- Noorderzon – yearly cultural festival in Noorderplatsoen during the summer.
- NNO – the official classical orchestra of the North of the Netherlands.
- Noordpool orkest – orchestra of the North that plays anything but classical.
Theatre and such
SPOT has a list of events in which language is no problem. NNT, the theatre group of the North, regularly has performances in English. Same location and people is Club Guy and Roni. Improv comedy in English is provided by STHH. Usva is the cultural university institution of Groningen, not only art courses to follow, but also to see performances. Stukafest is a cute “student room” festival. het resort is a “travelling art space and artist resort”, bit insular. Jonge Harten is a yearly festival also featuring international performances, same as the early mentioned Noorderzon.
Art
Of course the big museums in Groningen also regularly host events and have temporary exhibitions. Check out Groninger Museum, GRID and Museum aan de A. There is also a rare chance Forum hosts an interesting non-commercial exhibition in their space.
Local smaller art spaces I think are worth visiting are sign and NP3 and Wall House 2 (fun cycle trip) and Kunstlievend Genootschap Pictura and Noorderlicht and Galerie Noord and with sjalling and FORMA AKTUA and Studio 212 Fahrenheit.
Kunstpunt is the people responsible for all public art in Groningen, also have an exhibition space. In the winter there is Winter Welvaart, picturesque but touristy. A Kerk sometimes has interesting exhibitions.
