Grauzone Festival About To Ignite The Hague With Three Days Of Alternative Music & Art
Everything you need to know about the 2024 edition of Grauzone Festival, taking place in The Hague, Netherlands from Feb 9-11.
In just a few days, Grauzone Festival will transform the city of The Hague, Netherlands, into a vibrant hub of music, art, and culture again. Spanning over three days, from February 9-11, this year’s edition of the festival showcases an electrifying lineup featuring a broad variety of acts from the underground and alternative music scene. We have gathered everything you need to know, from must-see performances to exciting new side shows, so you can make the most of every moment at Grauzone 2024.
New Venues
Grauzone returns, expanding its footprint across multiple city center venues in The Hague. Alongside familiar spots like Paard – a much-loved venue that has prioritized diversity of music within its bookings – The Grey Space In The Middle and Barth Kapel, this year’s festival also introduces exciting new locations including GR8, Filmhuis, De Zwarte Ruiter, and NEST, promising diverse experiences and fresh discoveries around every corner.
Thursday, Feb 8 | GrauStad Opening Night
This year, the opening evening of Grauzone features a special satellite program called GrauStad, offering a free entry opportunity for all attendees on Thursday night, February 8. With three-day festival passes sold out, this evening serves as a chance for everyone to partake in the Grauzone experience even without holding a ticket. Doors open promptly at 19:30 CET, so be sure to arrive on time! The event will be held at Zwarte Ruiter, one of the new venues added to the festival lineup. Expect thrilling performances by The Underground Youth, SDH, and Desinteresse, setting the stage for an unforgettable kickoff to the festivities.
Friday, Feb 9 & Saturday, Feb 10 | GrauNacht Night Program
What’s also notable is that the festival program is split into two timeslots with regular day tickets, and tickets for the night program called GrauNacht, which will take place at Paard main stage and Grey Space from midnight until 5 in the morning on Friday and Saturday. With limited night tickets still available, the lineup features pulsing live- and DJ sets by acts like Legowelt, Curses, Samira, Kimmah, Kim Peers, or Graftak.
Friday, Feb 9 | Festival Day 1
As the official festival kicks off on Friday, prepare for an eclectic mix of exclusive performances. From the ethereal sounds of Drab Majesty‘s reverb-drenched guitars to the raw energy of acts like Slow Crush and General Dynamics, the lineup promises something for everyone. Further standouts include Grauzone debutants Bestial Mouths, darkwave mastermind Harsh Symmetry, and the US-Italian synth-pop trio Nuovo Testamento – the latter one not only performing once but twice over the weekend.
Saturday, Feb 10 | Festival Day 2
Continuing with the Saturday lineup, you don’t want to miss the return of Cold Cave, whose extensive catalog traverses darkwave and synth-pop, earning them recognition at venues like The Getty and alongside Nine Inch Nails, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Sonic Youth. Joining Saturday’s lineup is the British shoegaze duo The KVB, Belgian dark electro act Skemer, and Australian musician Buzz Kull, known for his cinematic blend of industrial darkwave, minimal synth, and post-punk. Also taking the stage on Saturday are German artists like Die Verlierer and Jennifer Touch, along with Dutch rising stars Dorpstraat 3 or Japan’s Kohhei Matsuda, who blends old cassette tapes with live music manipulation.
Sunday, Feb 11 | Festival Day 3
Grauzone’s final day not only marks the long-awaited debut of Turkish darkwave sensation She Past Away, but also the return of Ultra Sunn, who will deliver their powerful cold wave with EBM sound, this time gracing the main stage of Paard. Also, Dlina Volny from Belarus are about to showcase their unique blend of early 1980s Soviet Pop and Brutalist Architecture-inspired music, while experimental industrial duo Spike Hellis makes their debut from Los Angeles. The lineup is finally rounded off with Brooklyn’s Lathe Of Heaven and avante-garde saxophonist Benjamin Herman’s Nostalgia Blitz.
Films, Showcases, and Exhibitions
When being at Grauzone, make sure to also experience a diverse array of cultural offerings such as the famous Graukunst exhibit, this time surrounding the theme Fetish. In addition, there’s also the Ritmo Fatale showcase, highlighting the Toulouse-based label with a live John Carpenter Tribute, DJ sets, and a live performance by dark pop and Italo disco artist Cate Hortl. Filmhuis on the other hand will be offering exclusive screenings of Queendom or The Birthday Party documentary, Mutiny in Heaven. Finally, don’t forget to indulge in some retail therapy at some of the merchandise markets and vinyl booths at the historic Koorenhuis and The Grey Space in the Middle.
Climate-neutral, Vegan & Accessible
Grauzone is proud to be a festival that is committed to being climate-neutral as well. Its walkability and position at the center of The Hague mean it’s easy to get around in a carbon-friendly way and its food has been vegan since its inception. All venues are also wheelchair accessible and the festival helps attendees travel by train or bus where possible.
All in all, this year’s Grauzone is set to be one of the most exciting for up-and-coming acts so far. Full festival passes and single-day passes are already sold out with only a few leftover tickets for GrauNacht available here. The complete lineup and timetable can be found here. Lastly, be sure to keep an eye out on our Instagram account during the festival as we will be sharing lots of live impressions throughout all three festival days.
2023 Aftermovie
Grauzone Festival (NL)
Featured Image by Tineke Klamer
