Guide
Kizomba in the Netherlands festivals, parties and socials
Kizomba is danced here at festivals and at socials. Next up: the CloudKiz Weekender in Enschede on 26 to 28 February 2027, ILKSF Rotterdam on 26 to 28 March 2027 and the I Love Kizomba Sensual Festival near Schiphol on 2 to 9 August 2027; FlavourKizz in Hoofddorp has early-bird tickets for 2027 on sale, with no date yet. Amsterdam has a free public social on Tuesdays until 17 December 2026 and Rotterdam a Sunday Lounge.
Updated on Saturday 14 November 2026
At a glance
- What
- A partner dance and music from Angola, born in Luanda in the late 1970s and 1980s
- FlavourKizz
- 2026 edition: 12 to 16 November, Hoofddorp; 2027 early-bird tickets on sale
- CloudKiz Weekender
- 26 to 28 February 2027 in Enschede (Urban Kiz)
- ILKSF Rotterdam
- 26 to 28 March 2027
- ILKSF main festival
- 2 to 9 August 2027 at the Novotel Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Hoofddorp
- Amsterdam social
- Free public social with DJ on Tuesday, 22:00 to 01:00, at Sao Paulo Café, until 17 December 2026
A year-round guide: the events of the coming year.
What is kizomba?
Kizomba is a partner dance and music from Angola. It took shape in Luanda in the late 1970s and 1980s, and the name comes from Kimbundu, one of Angola's languages, where it means a party or gathering. It grew out of semba, an older Angolan partner dance, mixed with Caribbean zouk rhythms.
It is danced in a close embrace, with a circular, grounded movement. In 2024 Angola declared kizomba a national cultural heritage.
The festivals and their dates
FlavourKizz's 2026 edition was on 12 to 16 November at Event Center Fokker in Hoofddorp; its page already sells early-bird tickets for 2027, without a date. The CloudKiz Weekender, an Urban Kiz weekend, is on 26 to 28 February 2027 in Enschede.
The I Love Kizomba Sensual Festival (ILKSF) lists ILKSF Rotterdam on 26 to 28 March 2027. Its main festival, the 12th edition, is on 2 to 9 August 2027 at the Novotel Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in Hoofddorp; for 2027 it mixes Latin and Afro dances in five rooms, one of them for kizomba and semba, and the hotel asks for a stay of at least three nights.
Prices and programmes are in each organiser's ticket shop, and dates can change.
Events: Kizomba
Upcoming events in the Afro programme.
Questions
When is the next kizomba festival in the Netherlands?
The CloudKiz Weekender, an Urban Kiz weekend, is on 26 to 28 February 2027 in Enschede. The festivals section above lists the later dates.
When is the I Love Kizomba Sensual Festival in 2027?
From 2 to 9 August 2027 at the Novotel Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in Hoofddorp, as the 12th edition.
Is there a kizomba social in Amsterdam?
Our Kizomba Connection lists a free public social with a DJ every Tuesday from 22:00 to 01:00 at Sao Paulo Café, Amstelveenseweg 23, during its season of 26 October to 17 December 2026.
Is there a kizomba social in Rotterdam?
Kizomba Lounge lists a Sunday Lounge on a donation basis on 29 November 2026 and a Kizomba Lounge Party on 4 December 2026.
Where does kizomba come from?
From Angola: it took shape in Luanda in the late 1970s and 1980s, from semba mixed with Caribbean zouk rhythms, and in 2024 Angola declared it a national cultural heritage.
Sources
Every fact in this guide comes from one of these pages.
Socials: where to dance on an ordinary week
In Amsterdam, Our Kizomba Connection holds a free public social with a DJ on Tuesday from 22:00 to 01:00 at Sao Paulo Café, Amstelveenseweg 23, in its season of 26 October to 17 December 2026.
In Rotterdam, Kizomba Lounge lists a Sunday Lounge on a donation basis on 29 November 2026 and a Kizomba Lounge Party on 4 December 2026. Classes are not events and are not listed here; our parties page lists the public nights.