What to do in Zwolle? Agenda today and this weekend

Climb the Peperbus in the morning (it is closed on Sundays), walk past the Sassenpoort and along the Thorbeckegracht, and spend the afternoon in Museum de Fundatie (closed on Mondays). In the evening there is a concert in Hedon or a show in Odeon or De Spiegel, and the Voorstraat for a drink afterwards.

Go indoors: Museum de Fundatie, the ANNO city museum in the Drostenhuis on the Melkmarkt, the Grote Kerk with its audio tour, or a film at Filmtheater Fraterhuis. Pathé Zwolle has a 4DX room where the seats move with the film. The rainy-day page lists what is indoors, with what is on there next.

The arrival is on Saturday 14 November 2026 at the Rodetorenplein, where Sinterklaas comes in with his parcel boat. The programme is provisional: it starts at 13:15, Sinterklaas arrives at 13:45 and the parade leaves at 14:45. Zwolle-Zuid and Stadshagen have their own arrivals the week after.

King's Day is Tuesday 27 April 2027. Zwolle has no central free market: there are blanket markets in the neighbourhoods, such as Assendorp and Park Eekhout, and several stages in the centre. The programme for 2027 is not out yet.

The winter programme is called Winters Zwolle and runs from 7 December 2026 to 3 January 2027: light sculptures in the centre, the festival WinterWarmte on the Grote Kerkplein from 16 to 24 December, the children's festival Wondersteboven from 28 December, the Chocolate Walk on 30 December and the CIRCOVATION circus on the Rodetorenplein from 16 December.

Yes: the Zwolse Kerstmarkt is part of Festival WinterWarmte, which fills the Grote Kerkplein from Wednesday 16 to Thursday 24 December 2026 with free entry. The organisers have not published the market's own days yet.

Zwolle celebrates carnival as Sassendonk. The municipality's calendar has it from Friday 5 to Tuesday 9 February 2027, in the centre; the programme is not out yet.