Dutch Events Take Extra Heat Precautions as Temperatures Climb Past 30°C
Tuesday is set to bring the first official "tropical day" of 2026, with festivals and events adding extra water, shade and schedule changes against the heat.
Temperatures in the Netherlands are set to pass 30°C on Tuesday, and event organisers across the country are taking extra precautions against the heat. After a warm Pentecost weekend in which festivals and long-distance sporting events already added water points, shade and adjusted schedules, Tuesday looks set to be the hottest day so far this year.
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A possible record on Tuesday
After a cool and changeable Ascension weekend, summer arrived in force over Pentecost, with temperatures rising above 25°C. Tuesday, 26 May, is expected to be the peak, with temperatures of around 30°C across much of the country and up to 32°C in the south. If the official weather station in De Bilt also reaches 30°C, it would mark the first official “tropical day” of 2026, and would break a date record: the warmest 26 May previously recorded in De Bilt was in 2005, at 29.1°C. After Tuesday, it becomes slightly cooler but stays summery and dry.
The sun is also strong. Forecasters expect “sun strength” (zonkracht) of 6 on a wide scale, meaning unprotected skin can burn within roughly 10 to 25 minutes, depending on skin type.
Why organisers must act
The precautions are not only voluntary. According to guidance from the Dutch public health institute RIVM, once the ambient temperature reaches 25°C or higher, event organisers are obliged to take measures, with the exact steps depending on the type of event, the audience and the weather forecast. As a minimum, this means making drinking water freely available.
Sporting events adapted
Some events were changed significantly over the weekend. In Maastricht, the full marathon (42.2 kilometres) that was due to be run as part of the Long Course Weekend was cancelled because of the forecast heat, and converted into a half marathon (21.1 kilometres) with the start brought forward to 8:30 am. The 5 and 10 kilometre races went ahead as planned. The organisers handed out extra water along the route, added more points where runners could get a wet sponge, gave out sunscreen, and the first aid teams stocked up on extra ice packs.
In Friesland, participants in the Stepelfstedentocht, a kick-scooter version of the famous Eleven Cities route, were given a heat protocol urging them to drink, apply sunscreen and seek shade, with support buses carrying extra water. For the Fietselfstedentocht, the cycling version, the Red Cross set up a temporary control room at the finish in Bolsward to coordinate help for cyclists in difficulty.
Festivals add shade and water
Festivals have taken similar steps. At Pop on Top in Valkenburg, the main stage and second stage are already covered, and the organisers added extra shaded areas with parasols, made drinking water available at the toilets so visitors can refill bottles, and provided sunscreen at the first aid post. At Lente Kabinet, a festival just north of Amsterdam, organisers added extra water points and more shade. Across the country, measures have ranged from a “smeerstraat,” a station handing out free sunscreen, to a foam party to help festival-goers cool down.
Crowds head for the water
The warm weather has also drawn large crowds to the coast. In Scheveningen, beaches were already so busy on Monday that car parks in Scheveningen and Kijkduin filled up, and the municipality urged people to travel by bike or public transport instead. With Tuesday set to be even hotter, similar crowds are expected at beaches and lakes.
The general advice from health authorities for the hottest days remains consistent: drink enough water, apply sunscreen regularly, seek out shade, and avoid the hottest hours of the day where possible.