Appelpop 2026

On Saturday 12 September 2026, Appelpop took over the Waalkade in Tiel. The sold-out festival day moved easily between pop, hip-hop and rock, with Def, Bente, FLEMMING, The Dirty Daddies, Thijs Boontjes, Suzan & Freek, BLØF, Wodan Boys, Micha and Jesse Hoefnagels appearing across the different stages.

The day’s most memorable story belonged to Bente. A standing ovation during her own set left her visibly moved. Later, BLØF invited her back on stage for ‘Hoe hou ik dit vast?’. Paskal Jakobsen revealed that he had the words ‘Vier vaker, lach veel’ from the song tattooed, then put Bente on the spot by asking her to sing ‘Zoutelande’ as well. She accepted, and the entire Waalkade joined in.

The series follows the day from the first light around the Ferris wheel to the packed stages after dark. Intimate portraits and moments in the crowd are mixed with fire, confetti and wide scenes that show the scale of Appelpop. Together, the photographs capture more than the line-up. They show how close, lively and shared the festival felt.