Down The Rabbit Hole 2027 – Beuningen, Netherlands

Overview

Down The Rabbit Hole, often abbreviated as DTRH, is a three-day music festival that takes place in the Groene Heuvels leisure area in the village of Ewijk near Beuningen, close to Nijmegen in the Netherlands. Organized by Mojo Concerts, the festival was first organized in 2014 and has since been held annually in late June or early July, establishing itself as a boundary-pushing music and arts festival set beside the lakes of Groene Heuvels.

The festival is marketed as a competitor to Best Kept Secret and is described as a little brother to Lowlands, sharing the same director Eric van Eerdenburg who also directs Lowlands. Like Lowlands, it combines a diverse and eclectic lineup featuring a mix of well-established artists and emerging acts, but with a more intimate and adventurous identity focused on rolling hills, forest, fields and lake.

The picturesque setting adds a magical touch, with stages, theaters, food trucks, movie theaters, music tents and much more hidden in the landscape between the Maas and Waal rivers. The festival prides itself on delivering a carefully curated lineup with a mix of big-name headliners and up-and-coming artists, alongside art installations and unexpected encounters.

Attendance has grown from around 10,000 people in the first edition to 47,000 in 2024, reflecting its rapid rise as one of the Netherlands’ most beloved boutique festivals.

What Makes This Event Special

Rabbit Breed Stage Names: The three main stages are named after rabbit breeds: Hotot, Fuzzy Lop, and Teddy Widder. This playful naming extends to additional stages like REX and creates a distinctive identity that matches the festival’s whimsical name.

Groene Heuvels Landscape: The venue translates to The Green Hills, and the terrain lives up to its name with rolling hills, forest paths, fields and a central lake. Fans weave through forest paths to discover stages, creating a sense of exploration and surprise.

Boutique Yet Ambitious: Initially marketed as a little brother to Lowlands, the festival has grown into a 47,000-capacity event while maintaining an intimate and adventurous atmosphere. It balances large-scale headliners with underground discovery.

Mojo Curation: Organized by Mojo Concerts, the same team behind Lowlands, the festival benefits from decades of booking expertise and production quality, with careful attention to sound, lighting and site design.

Art and Film Integration: Beyond music, the site includes movie theaters, art installations, theater, and hidden performances in the woods and on the lake.

Community Spirit: The festival cultivates a hippie-esque, open-minded crowd that values discovery, sustainability, and creativity, with many attendees returning each year for the unique setting rather than just the lineup.

Lineup / Featured Artists

Down The Rabbit Hole books a bold mix of indie, hip-hop, electronic and global sounds across six stages in three venues.

Headliner History:
2014: Damon Albarn, The Black Keys, Foals – De Staat was the first band that opened the festival on the initial Friday
2015: Damien Rice, Iggy Pop, The War on Drugs
2016: PJ Harvey, The National, Anohni
2017: Moderat, Fleet Foxes / Nicolas Jaar, Oscar and the Wolf
2018: Queens of the Stone Age, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
2019: Editors, Underworld, Janelle Monáe
2022: Disclosure, Gorillaz, The War on Drugs
2023: Fred again.., Burna Boy replacing Stromae, Paolo Nutini
2024: LCD Soundsystem, Michael Kiwanuka / Jungle, The National
2025: Massive Attack, Underworld, Sam Fender
2026: Florence and the Machine, Little Simz, The xx

Typical 2027 Expectations: For the 2027 edition, attendees can expect a similar blend of international headliners, electronic pioneers, indie rock, hip-hop and Dutch favorites such as De Staat, Eefje de Visser, and Froukje who have appeared in previous years. Past lineups have also included Nothing But Thieves, Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Everything Everything, White Denim, Alex Vargas, Kovacs, Beyond The Wizards Sleeve and Oscar.

Stage Curation:
Hotot: Main open-air stage beside the lake, hosting biggest headliners
Teddy Widder: Second main stage, often for electronic and dance-leaning headliners
Fuzzy Lop: Tent stage for alternative and indie acts
REX: Additional stage within Vakantiepark De Groene Heuvels
Hidden Stages: Small forest and lakeside stages for surprise performances

Event Experience

Down The Rabbit Hole takes place at De Groene Heuvels park in Ewijk, hidden in the rolling land between the Maas and Waal rivers. This means the fields, forest and the lake are packed with stages, theaters, food trucks, movie theaters, music tents and much more.

The experience begins with arrival on the green hills, where tents are pitched with views over water and forest. By day, attendees wander forest paths to discover stages, catch films in the cinema tent, or swim in the lake. The hill provides a natural viewing point for main stage performances, and many attendees bring blankets to watch from above.

At night, the forest lights up with installations and the dance stages continue until late. The Teddy Widder stage is known for immersive electronic shows, while Hotot hosts singalong headline moments. The site is compact enough to move between stages within minutes but varied enough to feel like a journey.

The festival also includes art installations, street theatre, and wellness areas. Food trucks are curated for quality and sustainability, with many vegetarian and vegan options. The crowd is notably friendly and open-minded, with a strong sense of community built over years of growth from 10,000 to 47,000 attendees.

Weather can be changeable, but the rolling hills provide natural shelter and drainage. Attendees often describe the event as magical due to the combination of music, nature and unexpected encounters.

Date & Schedule

Event Dates: July 2–4, 2027
Venue: Groene Heuvels – Beuningen, Recreatiegebied Groene Heuvels, Ewijk near Nijmegen, Netherlands
Official Website: https://downtherabbithole.nl/
Contact Email: jump@downtherabbithole.nl

Schedule Overview: The festival takes place over three days from Friday through Sunday, with camping opening on Thursday and closing on Monday. The first edition in 2014 took place from June 27 to 29, establishing the late June to early July tradition. Recent editions have run Friday to Sunday with gates opening Thursday afternoon.

Daily Timing: Music programming typically starts around noon and continues until late night, with main stages finishing around midnight and dance stages continuing later. The site includes Vakantiepark De Groene Heuvels which offers bungalows for early arrivals.

Ticket Sales: Weekend tickets go on sale in late autumn, with early bird options. No day tickets are sold in some early editions, emphasizing full weekend immersion, though later editions introduced Daysaver tickets.

Visiting this event? Don’t miss out on these amazing activities and local experiences while you’re here.

Location & Venue

Down The Rabbit Hole takes place in Recreatiegebied Groene Heuvels, a leisure area in the village of Ewijk near Beuningen, close to Nijmegen in Gelderland province.

Address: Groene Heuvels 3, Beuningen, Netherlands. Also referenced as Vakantiepark De Groene Heuvels, Ficarystraat, Ewijk. The site is part of a larger holiday park with lakes and forests.

Venue Features:
Hotot: Main stage, open-air with lake backdrop
Fuzzy Lop and Teddy Widder: Main tent and open-air stages named after rabbit breeds
REX Stage: Located within Vakantiepark De Groene Heuvels
Additional Stages: Total of 3 venues with 6 stages including hidden forest and lakeside spots

Landscape: Fields, forest, lake and rolling hills packed with stages, theaters, food trucks, movie theaters and music tents. The terrain is green and hilly, providing natural viewpoints and sheltered areas.

Capacity: Approximately 47,000 attendees in recent edition, up from initial 10,000 target with a 40-year growth plan to 35,000.

Facilities: Includes camping, glamping, bungalow park, wellness, cinema and art installations.

Event History

Down The Rabbit Hole was announced in November 2013 by Mojo Concerts as a new hippie-esque festival on Groene Heuvels near Nijmegen. The festival director is Eric van Eerdenburg, who also directs Lowlands.

The first edition in 2014 from June 27 to 29 cost 135 euros for a three-day ticket and was marketed as a little brother to Lowlands. De Staat opened the festival on Friday. Headliners were Damon Albarn, The Black Keys and Foals. The festival also wanted to book Jack White, but he turned down the offer because he did not want to play the same festival as The Black Keys, who he feuded with. During his set, Albarn broke the news that Bobby Womack had died. The Netherlands played Mexico in the 2014 FIFA World Cup at same time that The Naked and Famous were playing, so half of attendees watched the match stream on the hill instead.

The festival was quickly compared to Best Kept Secret which began a year prior. It was nominated for two European Festival Awards in its first year.

Subsequent years saw steady growth. 2015 featured Damien Rice, Iggy Pop and The War on Drugs. 2016 featured PJ Harvey and The National. 2017 featured Moderat and Fleet Foxes. 2018 featured Queens of the Stone Age and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. 2019 featured Editors, Underworld and Janelle Monáe.

Editions for 2020 with headliners Tyler, The Creator and Disclosure and 2021 with Disclosure, Doe Maar and Gorillaz were cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic, with 2021 initially moved to Lowlands site at Biddinghuizen in August before cancellation due to prohibition on multi-day camping events.

The festival returned in 2022 with Disclosure, Gorillaz and The War on Drugs. 2023 featured Fred Again, Burna Boy and Paolo Nutini. 2024 reached 47,000 attendance with LCD Soundsystem and The National. 2025 featured Massive Attack, Underworld and Sam Fender.

The event is now established as a major Dutch festival, balancing boutique charm with large-scale production.

Getting to the Event

By Train: Take train to Nijmegen Central, then bus 300 or shuttle to Groene Heuvels. From Nijmegen, travel time is approximately 30 minutes including shuttle. From Utrecht or Amsterdam, trains to Nijmegen are frequent with one change.

By Car: Drive to Groene Heuvels 3, Beuningen. On-site parking is available with presale parking tickets. Carpooling is encouraged due to limited rural roads.

By Bike: Nijmegen is a major cycling city with bike lanes to Ewijk and Beuningen. Bike parking is supervised and free. Many locals cycle to the festival.

By Air: Fly into Amsterdam Schiphol or Eindhoven Airport, then train to Nijmegen. Eindhoven is closer with bus connections.

Shuttle: Official shuttle buses operate from Nijmegen station during festival days, included with some ticket types or available as add-on.

On Site: The site is compact but hilly. Wear sturdy shoes for forest paths and hills. Distances between Hotot and Fuzzy Lop are short, allowing easy stage hopping.

Where to Stay Nearby

Festival Camping: Standard ticket includes camping on the green hills with lake views. The campsite opens Thursday and closes Monday. Facilities include showers, toilets, and charging points.

Glamping: Pre-pitched tents, bell tents and lodges available through official site, offering more comfort without bringing own gear.

Bungalow Park: Vakantiepark De Groene Heuvels offers bungalows sleeping 4 to 8 people with private facilities, kitchen and lake access. These sell out quickly and are ideal for groups and families.

Hotels in Beuningen and Ewijk: Small hotels and B&Bs in Beuningen and Ewijk, priced $110 to $180 per night during festival weekend.

Hotels in Nijmegen: Larger selection in Nijmegen city center, 20 minutes drive, ranging $120 to $220 per night with easy shuttle access.

Hotels in Arnhem: Alternative city 30 minutes away with similar pricing.

For International Visitors: Many attendees stay in Nijmegen for pre and post nights, combining festival with city exploration.

Things to Do Before or After the Event

Nijmegen Exploration: Nijmegen is the oldest city in Netherlands with Roman history, Waal river promenade, Valkhof park, and vibrant cafes around Grote Markt.

Waal and Maas Rivers: The area between the rivers offers cycling, swimming and nature reserves like Ooijpolder for hiking.

Groene Heuvels Leisure: The holiday park itself offers swimming, boating on the lake, and forest walks before festival gates open.

Art and Culture: Museum Het Valkhof in Nijmegen, plus street art and music venues like Doornroosje.

Food Markets: Nijmegen market on Monday and Saturday offers local produce.

Day Trips: Arnhem with Open Air Museum and Burgers’ Zoo, or German border town Kleve within 30 minutes.

Wellness: The festival wellness area includes saunas and relaxation, but nearby spas in Nijmegen offer additional recovery after weekend.

Restaurants & Dining Nearby

On-Site Food Trucks: Down The Rabbit Hole is known for carefully curated food trucks with diverse and sustainable options, including vegetarian meals, wood-fired pizzas, Asian street food and gourmet burgers.

Festival Bars: Multiple bars serving beer, cocktails and specialty coffee across Hotot and Teddy Widder areas.

Beuningen and Ewijk: Local restaurants serving Dutch, Italian and international cuisine, with main courses $18 to $32.

Nijmegen: Extensive dining scene around Lange Hezelstraat and Grote Markt, with restaurants ranging $20 to $45 for mains, plus craft breweries and vegan cafes.

Vakantiepark Restaurants: On-site restaurants in bungalow park offer family dining, grill and lake-view terraces, mains $20 to $35.

Dietary: Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are widely available and clearly marked, reflecting sustainable focus.

Ticket Information

Tickets are sold through official website downtherabbithole.nl via Ticketmaster and Mojo.

Weekend Ticket: Three-day access with camping included. Historical pricing:
2014: $147 based on 135 euros
2017: $140 based on 129 euros plus fees with campsite included
2019: $184 based on 169 euros
2025: $325 based on 299 euros, with group tickets from $294 based on 269.93 euros

If 2027 pricing has not been announced, previous edition pricing of $325 for weekend ticket applies as reference. Expect range $300 to $350 for standard weekend ticket.

Daysaver Ticket: Single day access introduced in later editions, historically around $110 to $130.

Parking Ticket: Presale parking around $20 to $25.

Bungalow Add-On: Bungalow packages including weekend tickets priced per person depending on occupancy, typically $350 to $500 for full weekend.

Group Tickets: Group ticket concert options available for friends attending together.

Resale: Official resale via TicketSwap.

What’s Included: Weekend ticket includes access to all stages, camping, and art program. Shuttle may be separate add-on.

Tips Before You Go

No Day Tickets in Early Years: In some early editions no day tickets were sold, emphasizing full weekend immersion. Check current edition policy and buy weekend ticket early.

Bring for Hills: The terrain is hilly and can be slippery when wet. Bring sturdy shoes and rain gear.

Hill Viewing: The hill beside Hotot provides excellent views if main area is crowded. Arrive early for front spots.

Cashless: Festival is largely cashless. Ensure bank card works in Netherlands.

Bike Option: If staying in Nijmegen, cycling is fastest and avoids bus queues.

Art Hunting: Explore forest paths for hidden stages, cinema and art installations beyond main stages.

Stay Hydrated: Lake swimming is not always allowed but water points are available. Bring reusable bottle.

Official Event Information

Website: https://downtherabbithole.nl/
Email: jump@downtherabbithole.nl
Venue: Recreatiegebied Groene Heuvels, Groene Heuvels 3, Beuningen / Vakantiepark De Groene Heuvels, Ewijk near Nijmegen
Organizer: Mojo Concerts
Director: Eric van Eerdenburg
Attendance: 47,000 in 2024 edition
Stages: Hotot, Fuzzy Lop, Teddy Widder, REX and additional forest stages

Attendee Experiences

Attendees describe Down The Rabbit Hole as a boundary-pushing music and arts festival with a magical setting beside lakes and forests.

Many highlight the rabbit breed stage names and whimsical decoration as adding charm. The Hotot main stage is frequently cited for its lake backdrop and sunset performances.

First-time visitors note the friendly crowd and easy discovery, weaving through forest paths to find new music. The hill is a popular spot for watching both performances and, in 2014, the World Cup match stream.

Returning visitors appreciate growth while maintaining boutique feel, with many attending both Lowlands and Down The Rabbit Hole due to shared organizer but distinct atmospheres.

Reviews mention good facilities, curated food, and strong late-night programming in Teddy Widder and Fuzzy Lop. The festival’s comparison to Best Kept Secret is often noted, with attendees seeing Down The Rabbit Hole as more adventurous and forest-focused.