GENERAL DAY SCHEDULE
The festival begins on Wednesday 25 March 2026. You can pick up your festival tickets at the reception counter at Zuidplein Theatre between 7:00 and 8:30 PM.
The opening performance, AN FARA (Nigeria), begins at 8:30 PM, followed by a concert. All activities on this evening take place at Zuidplein Theatre, which is easily accessible from Rotterdam Central Station by subway. Please get off at the stop ‘Zuidplein’; the theatre is approximately a 2-minute walk from there.
The full-day festival programme officially starts on the morning of Thursday 26 March and ends in the late afternoon on Sunday 29 March 2026.
Our main location this year is Zuidplein Theatre. All morning activities start here, and all evenings end at this location.Each festival day follows a similar schedule and structure.
DAILY STRUCTURE
As a visitor, you are free to decide what to attend in the mornings and which programme compilation you wish to follow in the afternoons.
For the afternoon programme, you must choose in advance (during online registration) between:
- One long workshop of 3.5 hours, or
- A compilation programme consisting of shorter workshops and/or showcases.
TYPICAL DAILY SCHEDULE
- 10:30 AM – Conversations / Seminars or
11:00 AM – Slow Start at Zuidplein Theatre - 12:00 PM – Lunch at Islemunda Podium or at the afternoon activity location
- 1:00 PM – Start of your selected afternoon programme
- 5:30 PM – Dinner
- 7:00 PM – Early evening performance or film
- 8:30 PM – Main stage performance at Zuidplein Theatre
- 9:30 PM – Late-night afterparty at Zuidplein Theatre
ICAF MORNINGS
Activities commence at 10:30 AM. If you still need to register or pick up tickets for that day, please make sure to arrive at Zuidplein Theatre with plenty of time to spare. The registration desk opens at 9:30 AM each morning, except on Sunday when it opens at 11:30 AM.
The morning programme consists of a mix of conversations, installations, and workshops. Some visitors may prefer discussions and seminars, while others may choose more hands-on activities, informal conversations over coffee, or visiting an installation.For the Slow Start, you can decide on the spot where to go on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that seminars require advance sign-up due to limited seating and a fixed structure.
ICAF AFTERNOONS
Between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM, lunch is served at Zuidplein Theatre or at the location of your afternoon programme. Please be ready at 12:00 PM either for lunch or to move to the starting point of the afternoon programme you have registered for.
The afternoon programme consists of hands-on workshops, presentations, showcase performances, and film screenings. Some activities last 90 minutes, while others run for 3.5 hours, depending on whether you selected a long workshop or a compilation programme.
Several programme locations are situated elsewhere in the city. We will transport you there by pre-organised chartered bus.
To keep the logistics manageable, you are asked to choose one specific Programme Compilation each day that will guide you through the afternoon. It is not possible to switch between routes halfway through the programme.
However, many workshops and presentations are repeated on other days. If you miss something due to your selected compilation, you may be able to attend it on another day.
ICAF EVENINGS
Dinner is served each evening between 5:30 and 6:30 PM. Please note that the location of the evening meal may vary depending on the early evening programme you have chosen. Dinner will be served close to the programme locations.
Each evening programme starts at 7:00 PM with parallel activities taking place at either Zuidplein Theatre or Podium Islemunda.
At 8:30 PM, a plenary performance takes place in the main auditorium of Zuidplein Theatre, followed by an afterparty in the theatre foyer.
FESTIVAL REGISTRATION
From February 2026 onwards, you can register for the festival via our website. During registration, you can indicate which workshops and performances you wish to attend.
As space is limited for some activities, we recommend indicating both a first and second preference.
You can register for the entire festival in one go. This includes access to workshops (with preference selection), performances, lunches, dinners, and practical information to help you prepare for the festival.
It is also possible to register for one or two festival days only.
ICAF CITY PROGRAMME
All tickets for shows and presentations are included in the full festival package.
For visitors who do not participate in the daytime programme, separate tickets are available through our City Programme via the website:
https://icafrotterdam.com/stadsprogramma/