For more than 130 years, the Veldhovens Muziekkorps (VMK) has been a vibrant cornerstone of local culture, continuously bringing generations together through the joy of live music. With around 150 members active across three orchestras and a percussion group, the repertoire spans everything from light classical to hard rock.
Story of Muziek aan de Gender XL – 27 and 28 June 2025
Earlier, Muziek aan de Gender was a community musical event. Participation is a family tradition passed down; agendas may change, but not the ‘afspraak‘. With changing times and a call for inclusion, the VMK opened its doors to the world in 2024, launching the Muziek aan de Gender XL edition. Interestingly, this year, participants from over 25 nationalities have joined them.
Muziek aan de Gender is one of the largest music festivals in the region and is completely free. A trademark of the Veldhoven Dorp village, Muziek aan de Gender becomes a weekend festival in 2026. The pre-party is an indoor event at Dorphuis De Bond, and the outdoor musical programme takes place at De Plaats on Sunday,28 June. The VMk members vouch for Veldhoven Dorp as the place to be on 27 and 28 June.
A little history throwback
Historically, Veldhoven is an aggregation of four villages: Oerle, Meerveldhoven, Veldhoven and Zeelst. The villages that merged into a new municipality in 1921 brought about a more diverse form of cohesion. Each hamlet has its own church, orchestra, and sports teams, paving the way for a flourishing community that kindles a sense of belonging among Veldhovenaars.
Saturday 27 June – Pre-Party at Dorpshuis De Bond, 14:00–17:00
The Saturday programme includes an art exhibition, art, dance, and percussion workshops, a game afternoon, and food.
Art Exhibition
Thirteen artists from the Netherlands and around the world are featured. The international contingent includes Özlem Nurver (Turkey), Mahjube Tasdighisani (Iran), Lama Aldayoub (Syria), and from India: Vilasini, Sarosh Lal, Payal Puthran, Vadivu Vijaya Ragavan and Vivek Anand. The Veldhoven artists are sculptor Gemmy Coppens, Ilona Hoffman, Bea Sliphorst-Engelen and Ingrid Kerkhofs.
Three workshops accompany the exhibition: a watercolour workshop by Ana Ponomareva, a coffee painting workshop by Vilasini Suresh, and a second watercolour workshop by Sarosh Lal.
Percussion Workshops
Three percussion workshops are on offer.
Two are presented by the Slagwerk group of Veldhoven Muziekkorps. Founded in 1949 as a traditional tamboerkorps (drum corps) to accompany the main wind band during street parades and marches, it evolved to a full-scale concert ensemble over the years.
The third comes from Naadham, an Indian percussion group from Kerala whose speciality is Chenda Melam.
You don’t have to register for any of the workshops.
Dance workshops
Three dance workshops bring different traditions to the floor. Bulgarian folk dance group Kanatitsa presents the characteristic dances of their region. Priya’s Studio of Dance offers Kuthu style, a vibrant dance form from Tamil Nadu, India. Raniah, a belly dance artist and member of Veldhoven Muziekkorps, rounds off the workshops with her synchronised moves.
Game Room
Two gaming slots are available. Jan Oostenbrink, World Champion of Sjoelen, leads a session of this rare Dutch game. A group of Carrom enthusiasts will host friendly matches and a workshop on the Indian board game, a fixture in households across South Asia.
Drinks and regular Dutch snacks are available at Dorpshuis De Bond. For something different, the Windmill Virundhu pop-up stall serves Indian snacks and desserts. The Saturday programme continues into the evening with performances by several enthusiastic bands. Sillicon Riffs does the opening act, followed by MELd. Shadies and the Lady do the curtain call of the evening.
Sunday 28 June – Outdoor Music Festival, 11:00–20:00
On Sunday, you will find non-stop entertainment alternating on two podiums. Podium one (Kiosk) features Veldhoven Muziekkorps with multiple performances throughout the day. Podium two alternates with acts from more than 20 countries.
International highlights include:
- Rastika (Turkey)- live band performance
- Joy Studio – belly dance
- Shankara Academy of Dance (India) – classical dance repertoire
- Eyal Divas (India) – vibrant South Indian music
- Marcia Cardoso (Brazil) – solo recital
- Barvinok (Ukraine) -Folk presentation
- Grupo Columbia (Colombia) – folk choreography
- Trechantiri (Greece) – cultural presentation through movement
- Nayin Jimenez (Costa Rica) – traditional Costa Rican music
At De Plaatse, you will find various food stalls from Pakistan, Chile, India, and Turkey. Indeed, Italian ice cream too. If you still have energy left, then don’t miss the band lineup for the after-party. After a wonderful day, the headliner of the evening is Feeling Good. Have Nloos play the interludes (not literally, of course!) and the closure of the MAG 2026 edition by HECKtic.
Celebrate the inclusion and joy
Two days, 25 countries, music, dance, art, food and games all free of charge, right in the heart of Veldhoven Dorp. Whether you come for a few hours or stay the whole weekend, there is something here for everyone. Bring the family, bring a neighbour, and come experience what happens when a 131-year-old Veldhoven tradition meets international Brainport.
More information at veldhovensmuziekkorps.nl
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