Kunstlijn Haarlem 2026

Kunstlijn is Haarlem’s art event: on two weekends in November, around 200 artists show their work at studios, broedplaatsen, galleries, museums and historic buildings across Haarlem and the surrounding municipalities. From painting to installation to photography, the city becomes one big stage where art and its public meet, and most of the work is for sale. Doors are open from 11:00 to 17:00; some artists take part on the first weekend only. The theme of the 2026 edition is Metamorphosis.

A good place to start is the overview exhibition at Kunst Centrum Haarlem (Gedempte Oude Gracht 117 to 121), with work by every participating artist. There you can also pick up the Kunstlijner, a free art paper with background articles and a map of the artists and their locations, available from mid-October at KCH, VVV Haarlem and De Vishal among other places.

Kunstlijn began in 1985, when tax adviser Dirk Stigter proposed a route through the city past artists’ studios, with the aim of selling work, as the government’s artists’ support scheme was about to end. It has since grown into an event with thousands of visitors. Entry is free.