Info about PLUK

This year, we kick off in Utrecht before heading to Amsterdam. Pluk de Nacht Utrecht runs from 6 to 15 August 2026 at Basecamp, Nijverheidsweg 16. Pluk Amsterdam runs from 19 to 29 August 2026 at our regular home on the IJ waterfront, the Stenen Hoofd.

No, you’re always welcome to drop by, even without a ticket. Come along for a drink, a bite to eat and the festival atmosphere. You can watch the film from the terrace or bring your own chair or blanket. You’ll be a little further from the screen, but you’ll still be able to follow everything.

Want a comfortable spot in a beach chair in front of the screen? For that, you’ll need a ticket. Buying one also helps support us. Pluk used to be completely free, but the cost of organising the festival has risen considerably over the years. As a non-profit organisation, we do everything we can to keep Pluk affordable, thanks to the support of funds, sponsors and our many volunteers. Whatever you spend on a ticket or at the bar helps keep Pluk going and accessible to everyone.

You’ll find ticket prices and booking information below, under “How much does a film screening cost?”

A ticket for the open-air programme costs €9.50. In Amsterdam, a municipal entertainment levy of €1.50 is added. This is charged by the City of Amsterdam and passed on to them in full, bringing the total ticket price in Amsterdam to €11.00.

A ticket includes a beach chair in front of the screen. You can also watch the film for free from the terrace or bring your own chair or blanket. You’ll be a little further back, but you’ll still be able to follow everything.

The early screenings in the Pluktent on 21, 22, 28 and 29 August cost €6.00 per ticket, including headphones and the €1.50 municipal levy. Pluk MINI on Sunday 23 August is free and does not require a ticket.

Tickets can be booked online through our website until 8.30 pm on the day of the screening. After that, any remaining tickets will be available at the festival site. Payments at the Plukbar and blanket rental are by debit card, credit card or contactless payment only. We do not accept cash.

Once purchased, tickets cannot be refunded. We are a small non-profit organisation and rely on ticket income to make the festival possible.

Pluk is an open-air festival, and the weather is part of the experience. That’s why we are an all-weather festival: screenings go ahead even if it rains. In bad weather, we move the screening into the tent and hand out ponchos. We only cancel if conditions become too dangerous for the event to continue safely, and that has never happened in all our years.

Bought a ticket during the presale? You received a voucher code that can now be exchanged for a ticket to the screening of your choice.

At both locations, the festival site and bar open at 6 pm. Come early, grab a drink and a bite to eat, and find yourself a good spot under the evening sky.

As dusk begins to fall, we start the interactive pre-show. Join in with games on the big screen using your phone. It’s a fun way to break the ice with the people around you before the film begins.

The film programme starts when it gets dark, at around 9.15 pm in Amsterdam and 9.30 pm in Utrecht. We begin with a selection of trailers and a short film, followed by the main feature. There is a short break during the programme.

Then all that’s left to do is sit back and enjoy the film under the stars.

The full 2026 programme is now online. Explore the films, see what’s showing each night and book your tickets for your favourite screenings.

Bought a ticket during the presale? You can now exchange your voucher code for a ticket to a specific screening.

Pluk is an all-weather festival, so the show goes on even if it rains. Bring an umbrella if the forecast looks wet. We also hand out ponchos and can move the screening under cover if necessary.

We only cancel a screening in extreme weather conditions if it is no longer safe to continue. In all our years, that has never happened.

Whether you travel by bike, public transport or car, both locations are easy to reach.

Amsterdam
Pluk de Nacht Amsterdam has taken place at the Stenen Hoofd since our very first edition. This former pier on the IJ is located in Amsterdam-West, around 8 minutes by bike or 5 minutes by car from Amsterdam Central Station.

Travelling by public transport? Take bus 48 towards Houthavens and get off at Barentszplein. From there, it’s around a 2-minute walk to the festival site.

If you come by car, you can park near the Stenen Hoofd at the City of Amsterdam’s standard parking rates. Travelling from within the city? We recommend coming by bike or public transport.

Utrecht
Pluk de Nacht Utrecht takes place at Basecamp, Nijverheidsweg 16. The site is around 15 minutes by bike or 10 minutes by car from Utrecht Central Station.

If you’re travelling by train, Utrecht Zuilen station is often the quickest option. From there, it’s around a 10-minute walk. For other public transport options, plan your journey using U-OV or 9292.

The entrance is not immediately visible from the road. You’ll find it at the entrance to Basecamp, marked by the sign displaying number 16, opposite Nijverheidsweg 21. Enter the grounds and follow the road to the left, past the barriers. The festival site is at the end of the road.

Coming by car? Turn right after entering the grounds and follow the road to the car park. From there, walk back towards the entrance and follow the same route to the left, past the barriers. You can also park on nearby public roads at the City of Utrecht’s standard parking rates.



Both locations have free bicycle parking close to the festival site. In Amsterdam, the bicycle racks are beside the fence on the street side of the Stenen Hoofd. In Utrecht, you’ll find the bicycle parking just before the festival site. Please leave your bike there rather than bringing it onto the grounds.

For up-to-date travel info, check: U-OV, NS Reisplanner, 9292, GVB of utrecht.nl/bereikbaar.

See you soon under the stars. 🌙🍿

You don’t have to, but you’re welcome to.

Want a comfortable spot in front of the screen? Book a beach chair in advance or rent one on the night. You’ll find more information below under “Can I rent a beach chair?”

Prefer to bring your own seat? Feel free to bring a camping chair, folding chair or blanket. You can also settle down on the terrace with a drink and enjoy the film and festival atmosphere. You’ll be a little further from the screen, but you’ll still be able to follow everything.

Yes. You can book one online in advance or rent one at the festival site on the night. We have plenty of beach chairs, so there are often still some available, even on busy evenings. We can’t guarantee this, though, so book online in advance if you want to be sure of a seat.

You can collect your beach chair from the chair desk between 6.30 and 9 pm. In Amsterdam, you’ll find it to the left of the screen. In Utrecht, it’s by the chair container next to the bar.

If you don’t collect your reserved chair by 9 pm, it will be made available to another visitor. Blankets can also be rented from the chair desk.

Didn’t manage to get a chair? You can still watch the film from the terrace or bring your own chair or blanket.

Yes. The bar serves a wide range of drinks, including beer from Oedipus. There is also a food truck serving hot and cold snacks.

We don’t serve full meals, so if you’d prefer a proper dinner, it’s best to eat before you arrive.

Bringing a bottle of water or a small snack is no problem. We do hope you’ll buy your drinks and snacks from the bar and food truck, as this helps us keep Pluk going and accessible.

Films shown at Pluk de Nacht are often successful at major international film festivals but rarely make it to Dutch cinemas. We screen remarkable features, documentaries, animations and short films that have not previously been shown in the Netherlands or have only reached a small audience.

You never quite know what you might discover, from animation to road movies, and from tragic rural documentaries to absurd romantic comedies.

We also like to make each screening into something special. A twelve-piece orchestra once performed a live score to a series of short films, and on another occasion we held a crying competition as a playful nod to emotional television.

Definitely! Pluk has grown into a meeting place where film comes together with art, interactive projects, food, drinks and parties.

We give young talent a platform, so there’s plenty to discover around the festival site. We also experiment with interactive screenings that invite the audience to take part. Last year, for example, visitors could influence a live AI dialogue from their phones. Another audience experiment is planned for this year.

And for the moments in between, there’s a bowling lane, giant pick-up sticks and a table tennis table. Come and be surprised!

All films in the open-air programme are either in English or subtitled in English. They do not have Dutch subtitles, so you’ll be able to follow every film in English, whatever its original language.

The early screenings in the Pluktent are usually in English and always have Dutch subtitles.

Every film description lists its spoken language and available subtitles, so you’ll know exactly what to expect.

The exception is Pluk MINI, our afternoon for younger children. The films are either in Dutch or have no dialogue. With games, arts and crafts and a disco to finish the afternoon, there is plenty for every child to enjoy, whatever language they speak.

Absolutely, children are very welcome. There is one thing worth knowing: we select the open-air programme, including both the short films and main features, with an adult audience in mind.

Each film has a description, but we do not provide content warnings or age ratings. You are welcome to bring your child to an open-air screening, but we leave it to parents and guardians to decide whether a particular film is suitable.

We also have two programmes especially for children, both in Amsterdam.

Pluk MINI is a free afternoon of films and activities for children aged 2 and over. It takes place on Sunday 23 August from 2 to 5.30 pm. Children and their parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles are all welcome. No ticket is required.

The Pluktent will also show modern classics for slightly older children on Friday 21, Saturday 22, Friday 28 and Saturday 29 August. These early screenings start at 7.15 pm, before the open-air programme begins. Tickets cost €6.00, including headphones.

We’d love to see you at Pluk MINI or in the Pluktent!

Pluk MINI is the summer’s most joyful children’s party, a free festival afternoon for children aged 2 to 12 and their parents, grandparents, neighbours and babysitters.

On Sunday 23 August, we open the Stenen Hoofd in Amsterdam during the day especially for our youngest visitors.

There’s plenty to do, with games and activities around the site, films on the big screen in the Pluktent, arts and crafts, face painting and the one and only Pluk MINI disco to finish the afternoon. There are treats available too, and buying a drink at the bar helps support Pluk.

Bring a blanket, chair or beanbag, and most importantly, bring your good mood. No ticket is required, so just come along and join in.

The film programme and theme will be published on our website and social media as soon as they are announced.

Sure, you can. We just ask that your dog isn’t too big, stays on a lead, and doesn’t disrupt the film. And if your dog poops on or around the grounds, clean it up. That way everyone, owner and dog alike, can enjoy the evening.

This year, young students are creating the art programme, so expect a fresh, original take on what you’ll come across around the grounds.

And we’re going all out with the silent disco: every night this year. We’re also experimenting with special effects to take the dancefloor to the next level, the start of something we want to build on in the years ahead.

Pluk de Nacht began in 2003, founded by a few friends with a deep love of film. They fell for films they’d discovered at festivals, but which were nowhere to be seen in the Netherlands. Their goal back then is still ours today: to let as many people as possible enjoy films that never got a release here, or only reached a small audience.

Essential. Without volunteers, there’s no festival. From the very beginning, Pluk has been carried by countless volunteers who pour their creativity and energy into it. In the week before we open, they transform a bare site into a festival full of atmosphere, and once we’re up and running, they keep everything going.

Fancy helping to build Pluk? We’d love your help. Have a look at Volunteers wanted to see what you can do.

Glad you asked!

The easiest way: book a chair or grab something nice at the bar. That keeps Pluk running, and you’re in for a great evening yourself.

Want to do more? Become a volunteer and help build the festival with us, or just drag your friends along.

And stay in the loop on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or through our newsletter.

Not much, really, mostly: use your common sense and be kind to each other.

A few things we do ask: keep the emergency exits clear and put your rubbish in the bins on site. That keeps it safe and welcoming for everyone.

Happy to help! Don’t hesitate to drop us an email or a message on WhatsApp. You can also call us on +31 85 0041645. We hope to see you at Pluk this summer!