Koninklijke Schouwburg in Den Haag
The Koninklijke Schouwburg is Het Nationale Theater's historic main house on the Korte Voorhout, with a 650-seat Grote Zaal, an attic hall and a programme of plays, cabaret and music theatre.
Photo credits
Curved neoclassical facade of the Koninklijke Schouwburg on the Korte Voorhout in The Hague.: Maurits Verbiest · CC BY 2.0
Quick answers
- Address
- Korte Voorhout 3, 2511 CW Den Haag
- Address
- Korte Voorhout 32511 CW Den Haag
- Grote Zaal
- 650 seats; stage for 400
- Main station
- Den Haag Centraal, 17 min walk
- Tram
- 15 and 17 stop at Korte Voorhout
- Parking
- Museumkwartier, 3 min walk
- Built
- 1766 as a palace; theatre since 1804
- Box office
- Schouwburgstraat 8, Tue-Fri 14:00-18:00
- Contact
- 088 356 53 56
Koninklijke Schouwburg agenda: upcoming events
Tonight, this week and the months ahead at this venue in Den Haag.
November 2026
December 2026
Plan your visit to Koninklijke Schouwburg
How many people fit in the Grote Zaal?
The Grote Zaal is the main auditorium; Het Paradijs in the attic is the second, smaller hall.
- Grote Zaal
- 650 seats
- Stage
- 400 people
- Building
- 10 rooms, maximum 650
- Wikipedia total
- 680
HNT publishes 650 seats for the Grote Zaal and a stage that can hold 400 people. The building is marketed for events as 10 rooms with a maximum of 650 people, so the Grote Zaal is the room that sets the limit.
Wikipedia gives 680 as the total capacity of the building. Neither page explains the difference, so this page uses 650 for the Grote Zaal and notes 680 as the building total.
For scale, Theater aan het Spui, HNT's other main venue, seats 345. The Circustheater is The Hague's largest theatre at 1,852, and Pathé Buitenhof, a cinema on the Buitenhof, has 1,279 seats.
| Venue or hall | Seats | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Koninklijke Schouwburg, Grote Zaal | 650 | HNT Grote Zaal |
| Theater aan het Spui | 345 | HNT room hire |
| Pathé Buitenhof | 1,279 | OpenStreetMap area data |
| Circustheater | 1,852 | OpenStreetMap area data |
Choosing a seat in the Grote Zaal
The Grote Zaal has stalls and three balconies; Het Paradijs is free seating in the attic.
Seat width
46 cm
Best view
Rang 1+, when offered
Legroom
Row 4
Paradijs
Free seating
Your ticket gives a row and seat number. The stalls are closest to the stage, with three balconies above. The first balcony row is best avoided if you have long legs or a fear of heights, and the classic hall means not every seat has an equally good view.
When Rang 1+ is offered, it is the best rank and has the best view. Row 4 has extra legroom and is the most popular, so book early. Seats are 46 cm wide, which matters if you are broad-shouldered.
Het Paradijs is the attic hall with free seating: you choose your own place on the night. It is the informal room of the theatre, so arrive early if you want to be near the front.
Eating and drinking at the theatre
Restaurant Sol is inside the theatre, but it is not open for every performance.
Restaurant Sol uses seasonal produce and changes its menu every few months. It is not open for every performance, so check the Sol page and reserve before you come.
Some tickets include an interval drink; it says so on your ticket. For Patatje met performances, the Hieper de Pieper chip stand may be outside and the chips are included in the ticket.
In the auditorium, drinks are allowed but food is not, because it disturbs other visitors and the performers. A bottle of water or a cough sweet is fine.
- Restaurant
- Sol, seasonal menu
- Menu
- Changes every few months
- In the hall
- Drinks yes, food no
Before you come
Doors open an hour early, the cloakroom is free, and late entry depends on the show.
- Doors
- 1 hour before
- Cloakroom
- Free, no lockers
- Late entry
- Often not possible
- Doors open one hour before the performance. If you are eating at Sol, you can go in earlier; the time is in the email HNT sends a few days before.
- The cloakroom is downstairs on level -1, reached by stairs or lift. It is free and staff often take bags; there are no lockers.
- Latecomers are often not admitted. It depends on the show and how full the hall is; if there is an interval, you can always join after it.
- Tickets arrive by email and can be downloaded from your account. From an hour before the show you can also collect them at the box office.
- Toilets are on -1 next to the cloakroom, and on each level to the right of the hall. The adapted toilet is on -1.
- Phones off, including alarms. Do not film or photograph the performance; filming the applause is allowed.
- No food in the auditorium; drinks are allowed. A water bottle or cough sweet is fine.
Wheelchairs, hearing and low-stimulus visits
The theatre is wheelchair accessible; book a place in advance so HNT can reserve the right spot.
- Wheelchair accessible
- Yes, lift to -1
- Hearing loop
- At every performance
- Low-stimulus
- Every performance, quiet room
- Adapted parking
- 5 spaces at Schouwburgstraat 8
- Book a wheelchair place by email at service@hnt.nl or by phone on 088 356 53 56 (Mon-Sat 14:00-18:00). HNT asks for the size of the wheelchair and reserves a corner place, with a companion seat if one is available.
- The lift is at the back of the foyer on the left, behind the information desk. It goes to level -1, where the cloakroom and the adapted toilet are.
- A hearing loop works at every performance; headsets are available from the information desk. Selected shows have a sign-language interpreter, a writing interpreter, audio description, smart glasses with surtitles, or a meet-and-feel session.
- Every performance has a low-stimulus welcome, with a quiet room and seats close to it.
- Five wide adapted parking spaces and two EV charging spaces are directly in front of the theatre at Schouwburgstraat 8.
By train, tram or on foot
The theatre is on the Korte Voorhout, a 17-minute walk from Den Haag Centraal and 3 minutes from the tram stop.
From Den Haag Centraal, take tram 15 or 17 to Korte Voorhout and walk 3 minutes, or walk the whole way in about 17 minutes. The Korte Voorhout stop is 190 m from the door.
Tram 9 and buses 20 and 29 stop at Malieveld, 4 minutes away. Tram 1 and 10 and buses 22, 24, 28 and N3 stop at Kneuterdijk, 7 minutes away.
The theatre is in the Museumkwartier, close to the Mauritshuis and the Binnenhof. Bikes can be left at the side of the building.
Parking near the theatre
Museumkwartier is the closest garage; Malieveld and Pleingarage are a longer walk but cheaper.
Museumkwartier is 3 minutes' walk and has a lift and adapted spaces, but its 24-hour cap is higher than Pleingarage's: €2.15 per 20 minutes, capped at €45.00 per 24 hours. Malieveld is 7 minutes away and HNT offers 6 hours for €12.00 after 18:00. Pleingarage is 5 minutes away and caps at €35 per day.
HNT sells no exit tickets, so pay at the garage or reserve online. Two EV charging spaces and five wide adapted spaces are directly in front at Schouwburgstraat 8. Bikes can be left at the side of the theatre; the nearest guarded storage is Biesieklette Korte Poten.
Q-Park Muzenplein (Fluwelen Burgwal 46, 6 minutes), Hofstaete (9 minutes) and Q-Park Grote Markt (Kalvermarkt 32 G, 8 minutes) are also nearby. They are left out because Q-Park's pages for Muzenplein and Grote Markt say the rates could not be loaded, and no verifiable address or evening rate could be found for Hofstaete. Printing a guessed rate would be worse than leaving them out.
| Car park | Address | Walk | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Museumkwartier | Korte Voorhout 2P, 2511 EK | 3 min | €2.15 per 20 min; €45.00 per 24 h |
| Malieveld | Koningskade 1 bis, Den Haag | 7 min | €12.00 for 6 h after 18:00 |
| Pleingarage | Plein 25, 2511 CS | 5 min | €1.00 per 10 min; max €35 per day |
- Closest garage
- Museumkwartier, 3 min
- Day rate
- €45.00 per 24 hours
- Malieveld
- €12.00 for 6 hours after 18:00
- Pleingarage
- Maximum €35 per day
Contact and box office
The theatre entrance is Korte Voorhout 3; the box office is around the corner at Schouwburgstraat 8.
- Theatre
- Korte Voorhout 3, 2511 CW Den Haag
- Box office
- Schouwburgstraat 8, 2511 VA
- Box-office hours
- Tue-Fri 14:00-18:00
- Tickets
- 088 356 53 56, Mon-Sat 14:00-18:00
- service@hnt.nl
- Artist entrance
- Schouwburgstraat 10
From palace to theatre
The building on the Korte Voorhout has been a theatre for more than two centuries, but it started as a palace.
Pieter de Swart designed the building in 1766 as a palace for Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau and Prince Karel Christiaan of Nassau-Weilburg. They never lived in it, and in 1804 the unfinished palace opened as a theatre for The Hague.
The Grote Zaal still shows the old palace: the ceiling painting has the muses of comedy and tragedy, SPQH above the stage stands for Senatus Populusque Haganus, and the boxes carry the coats of arms of the king and the city. The last major renovation was in 1997-1999.
The building is a rijksmonument, number 17646. Since 2022 it has hosted Prinsjesdag while the Ridderzaal is being renovated.
- Designed
- 1766, Pieter de Swart
- Opened as theatre
- 1804
- Renovated
- 1997-1999
- Monument
- Rijksmonument 17646
- Prinsjesdag
- Here since 2022
Photos
Photo credits
Curved neoclassical facade of the Koninklijke Schouwburg on the Korte Voorhout in The Hague.: Maurits Verbiest · CC BY 2.0
The Grote Zaal during a premiere, with performers on stage.: Robert Scheers · CC BY 4.0
Painted ceiling of the Grote Zaal with the muses of comedy and tragedy.: Gerard Dukker · CC BY-SA 4.0
Read reviews on Google Maps We don't show ratings here. See what visitors say on Google Maps.
Frequently asked questions
The questions visitors ask most, answered from HNT's own pages and the sources below.
Where can I find the agenda and programme, and what is on today or tonight?
The full agenda and programme are at hnt.nl/nl/voorstellingen. The page lists every performance by date; choose the Per dag view to see one day at a time, then look under today's date for what is on today or tonight.
Where is the Koninklijke Schouwburg?
The theatre is at Korte Voorhout 3, 2511 CW Den Haag. The box office is around the corner at Schouwburgstraat 8, 2511 VA, and the artist entrance is at Schouwburgstraat 10.
How do I get there from Den Haag Centraal?
Take tram 15 or 17 to Korte Voorhout and walk 3 minutes, or walk the whole way in about 17 minutes. The stop is 190 m from the theatre door.
What time do performances start and end?
Evening performances usually start at 20:00 and many end around 22:10. A relaxed performance in the programme runs from 14:00 to 16:10; the exact end time is in the email HNT sends before your visit.
Do the doors open early?
Yes, the doors open one hour before the performance. If you are eating at Restaurant Sol you can go in earlier; the exact time is in the email HNT sends a few days before.
Can I park at the theatre?
The theatre has no car park of its own. Museumkwartier is 3 minutes' walk and costs €2.15 per 20 minutes, up to €45.00 per 24 hours. Malieveld is 7 minutes away and offers 6 hours for €12.00 after 18:00; Pleingarage is 5 minutes and caps at €35 per day.
How do I get my tickets?
Your tickets arrive by email and can be downloaded from your account. From an hour before the performance you can also collect them at the box office in the theatre.
Can I exchange or return my tickets?
You can exchange tickets for another performance or a voucher, or return them for a refund, until 24 hours before the performance. Do this by email at service@hnt.nl or by phone on 088 356 53 56.
Is there a cloakroom or lockers?
There is a free cloakroom on level -1, reached by stairs or lift. Staff often take coats and bags, but there are no lockers.
Can I eat or drink in the auditorium?
Drinks are allowed in the auditorium, but food is not, because it disturbs other visitors and the performers. A bottle of water or a cough sweet is fine. Restaurant Sol is not open for every performance.
Is the theatre wheelchair accessible?
Yes. Book a wheelchair place by email at service@hnt.nl or by phone on 088 356 53 56, Monday to Saturday from 14:00 to 18:00. The lift is behind the information desk and the adapted toilet is on level -1.
Can I use my phone or take photos?
Turn your phone off, including alarms, and do not film or photograph the performance. Filming the applause at the end is allowed.
What happens if I am late?
Latecomers are often not admitted. It depends on the performance and how full the hall is; if there is an interval you can join after it. Leave extra time for traffic and parking.
Which hall am I in, and what is Het Paradijs?
Your ticket says Grote Zaal or Het Paradijs. The Grote Zaal is the main hall with 650 seats; Het Paradijs is the attic hall with free seating, where you choose your own place on the night.
How old is the building?
Pieter de Swart designed it in 1766 as a palace; it opened as a theatre in 1804. It is rijksmonument 17646 and was last renovated in 1997-1999.
Can I attend Prinsjesdag in the theatre?
Prinsjesdag is in the Koninklijke Schouwburg while the Ridderzaal is renovated. Attendance is by written request to the Eerste Kamer at protocol@eerstekamer.nl; the waiting list is several years, and places are confirmed each year. The route and the procession outside are free to watch.
Sources: HNT: Grote Zaal and room hire (October 30, 2026) · HNT: seat plan, ranks and tickets (October 30, 2026) · Wikipedia: Koninklijke Schouwburg (October 30, 2026) · HNT: your visit, tickets and contact (October 30, 2026) · OpenStreetMap: stops and walking times (October 30, 2026) · HNT: parking and accessibility (October 30, 2026) · HNT: contact (October 30, 2026)
_The_Hague_(38318048521).jpg){kind=link}
_in_de_Koninklijke_Schouwburg_(2).jpg){kind=link}
