Pasar malam what it is, costs and free ones (2027)

What is a pasar malam?

Pasar malam means evening market. In Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore it is a popular market of stalls that usually opens in the evening in a neighbourhood.

In the Netherlands the pasar malam has become part of Indisch heritage: a fair of food, stalls, music and dance where families and several generations meet, and where the culture is passed on.

The first Pasar Malam Tong Tong was held in The Hague in 1959; the Tong Tong Fair it became ended in 2024.

The pasar malam season of 2027

The season opens with Pasar Malam Rijswijk in De Broodfabriek on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 March, and Pasar Indonesia follows in Rijswijk in two blocks of four days, 6 to 9 May and 14 to 17 May.

Istimewa Events holds seven editions: Rotterdam Ahoy from 25 to 28 March (the Easter weekend), the Brabanthallen in Den Bosch from 6 to 9 May, Sporthal Dijnselburg in Zeist from 25 to 27 June, the centre of Steenwijk from 21 to 25 July, Dordrecht from 4 to 8 August, WTC Expo in Leeuwarden from 27 to 29 August and Expo Greater Amsterdam in Vijfhuizen from 1 to 3 October.

Where the pasars are and who runs them

Most of the big ones are by one organiser. Istimewa Events says it was founded in 2016 and draws about 270,000 visitors a year. Its XL editions are indoors in large halls; the outdoor ones are in the centre of Steenwijk and in Dordrecht, where the organiser lists the Weizigtpark as the location, to be confirmed.

The Rotterdam edition is called the biggest pasar malam in the world by its organiser: 16,000 square metres in four halls, with four stages, a culture hall and a Bali beach area.

The edition nearest to Amsterdam is the one at Expo Greater Amsterdam in Vijfhuizen, in Haarlemmermeer. For The Hague, look to Rijswijk next door. Pasar Leiden at the Wereldmuseum and Pasar Malam Melati in Hoorn were held in August 2026 and have not announced 2027. Pasar Malam Asia, whose name by its own account covers all of Asia, has its own agenda and is not listed here.

After the Tong Tong Fair ended, the name Pasar Malam Besar was revived by an organiser in Zoetermeer, who told the press in 2026 that he is in advanced talks about a five-day edition on the Malieveld in The Hague in 2027. That is not confirmed.

What to eat and see

Food is the reason many people go: Indonesian dishes such as saté and rendang, and Indisch snacks, and a stage with live music and dance.

Pasar Indonesia has exhibitors who come from Indonesia itself, with crafts such as batik and jewellery, and live gamelan music. Pasar Malam Rijswijk has more than a hundred stands and restaurants. The XL editions fill whole exhibition halls, so plan to walk.

What a pasar malam costs and which are free

Steenwijk (21 to 25 July) and Dordrecht (4 to 8 August) are free to enter. Steenwijk is open from noon on all five days and is wheelchair friendly.

The Istimewa indoor editions sell tickets online and at the door. For Rotterdam Ahoy every ticket costs €10 until 1 January 2027 (the normal adult price is €15; children aged 4 to 11, over-65s and students pay €10 instead of €12.50). Ahoy opens Thursday and Friday from 13:00 to 23:00, Saturday from 12:00 to 22:00 and Sunday from 12:00 to 20:00.

In Den Bosch, Zeist, Leeuwarden and Haarlemmermeer an adult early-bird ticket costs €10 (afterwards €12.50) and children aged 4 to 11, over-65s and students pay €8 (afterwards €10). A pass for all days costs €30 in Den Bosch (four days) and €20 in the other three (three days). Children aged 3 and under enter free. The early-bird deadlines are 11 April in Den Bosch, 30 May in Zeist, 1 August in Leeuwarden and 1 September in Haarlemmermeer.

Pasar Malam Rijswijk costs €10 for adults, €8 for over-65s and €5 for children aged 7 to 12; children aged 6 and under enter free, and a weekend ticket costs €15. Pasar Indonesia sells its tickets online.