Weekendo
Groeëte Optoch va Heële – Heerlen Carnival ParadeKleon3 · CC BY-SA 4.0
hours not confirmed yet

Groeëte Optoch va Heële – Heerlen Carnival Parade

Heerlen centrum (Pancratiusplein) · Heerlen, Netherlands
Season6 February – 7 February 2027 2027 dates not confirmed yet
Todayclosed
Entryfree
Whereoutdoors

Free (the 2026 edition was listed as a free event).

About the event

Heerlen promotes its carnival Sunday parade as the largest in the Netherlands. In 2026 it filled the centre from Bekkerveld to Geerstraat, by way of Akerstraat, Pancratiusplein and Bongerd. The day before, children get their own parade, the Kingeróptoch. The parade is run by the carnival society De Winkbülle, with the Richtig Heële foundation handling the programme. It traditionally takes up the whole of Sunday afternoon; 2027 times and route have not been published yet.

Season calendar

February 2027

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun

Tap a day to see the hours.

season dates, hours not confirmed yet

Dates and hours

Sat 6 Feb: children's parade; Sun 7 Feb: main parade. 2027 times not published yet (in 2026 the main parade ran 12:11–18:11).

Combine with

Christmas markets nearby for the same trip.

Wintertijd HeerlenKleon3 · CC BY-SA 4.0hours not confirmed yet

Wintertijd Heerlen

Heerlen, Netherlands 10 December – 3 January

Winter village on two squares in central Heerlen: ice rink, ice slide, curling, a winter café and a winter market on some Sundays.

free entry
WinterGlow – Christmas Town ValkenburgKleon3 · CC BY-SA 4.0open now · until 22:00

WinterGlow – Christmas Town Valkenburg

Valkenburg, Netherlands 13 November – 3 January ≈ 11 km Today: 12:00–22:00

New open-air Christmas market on the Walramplein, the heart of Christmas Town Valkenburg, with the illuminated parade on set evenings.

free entry
Aachen Christmas MarketJorge Franganillo · CC BY 2.0opens Fri 20 November, 11:00

Aachen Christmas Market

Aachen, Germany 20 November – 23 December ≈ 14 km

Aachen's big Christmas market wraps around the cathedral and town hall, with the famous Printen gingerbread and stalls tucked into the old-town lanes.

free entry Umweltzone
Route