Pride at the Maritime Museum 2026
Celebrate Pride at the Maritime Museum! Discover queer maritime history, listen to fascinating stories, cruise through Rotterdam, design your own Pride boat and dive into stories of love, identity and life at sea. A colourful day filled with history, creativity and Pride.
Practical information
Pride at the Maritime Museum takes place on Saturday 26 September. Throughout the day, you can enjoy a range of Pride-themed activities in the museum and the Maritime Museum Harbour, exploring queer stories and maritime history.The museum's regular opening hours and admission fees apply. You need a valid ticket to visit the museum.
Come along and celebrate Pride with us on and around the water!
Pride programme 2026 at the Maritime Museum
Hysterical boat trips for LGBTQ+ seniors
Time: Please ask at the ticket desk
Where: Maritime Museum Harbour
Especially for LGBTQ+ seniors, we are organising hysterical boat trips. Step aboard one of the electric boats and discover Rotterdam's Maritime District from the water.
Design your own Pride boat
Time: 11:00 - 17:00
Where: Geertruida
Design the Pride boat of your dreams and bring it to life with feathers, glitter and all kinds of surprising materials. Build, decorate and experiment like a real shipbuilder. Will your creation be sturdy enough to brave the water?
Lecture: Homosexuality and the VOC
Time: 13:00 - 13:20 and 15:30 - 15:50
Where: De Brug
Historian Desley de Graaf examined 112 VOC court cases and reveals how sexual relationships between male sailors developed, were discovered and punished. This lecture offers a glimpse into a hidden chapter of Dutch maritime history.
Book presentation: Naught is Evermore
Time: 14:00
Where: Engelbrechtzaal
Step aboard a mysterious women’s ship. Rotterdam-based illustrator Desmond Dorival presents his historical fiction novel Naught is Evermore. This illustrated story takes you across the seven seas and explores themes including butch identity, cultural diversity and maritime history. The presentation includes an introduction by Saskia van Amstel from Burning Desk Books.
Film: Zee Van Ruimte
Time: 10:00 - 17:00
Where: Velromezaal
What really happened behind the doors of the SS Rotterdam? In Zee Van Ruimte, Toon, Henk and Meindert share their experiences of life on board, while Gillis and Charles look back on their time aboard the ship. A short film about memories, desire and a hidden chapter of maritime history.
Drag queen Gigi reads aloud (Only in Dutch)
Time: 11:30, 13:30 and 15:00
Where: Library
Drag queen Gigi reads some of the finest maritime tales in the library. Take a seat on one of the beanbags, settle in and let yourself be carried away to a world of seas, ships and adventures on the water.
Drop anchor at Het Lage Licht
Enjoy freshly brewed coffee, delicious cakes, light lunch dishes and tasty hot meals at the museum café Het Lage Licht. A welcoming place to meet, where visitors and passers-by come together and culture and hospitality go hand in hand.
Discover the museum shop
Take a look around the museum shop and find an original maritime gift or a special memento of your visit. With a surprising range of products, there is something for everyone, young and old.
1. When is Pride at the Maritime Museum?
Pride at the Maritime Museum takes place on Saturday 26 September 2026.
2. What is there to do during Pride?
Enjoy a full day of Pride activities, including boat trips, a drag queen reading session, a film, a book presentation, a lecture on homosexuality and the VOC, and a creative workshop where you can design your own Pride boat.
3. Do I need a ticket, and are the activities included?
Yes, you need a valid admission ticket to visit the Maritime Museum. All Pride activities are included with your museum admission.
4. What ages are the activities suitable for?
If no age is specified, the activity is suitable for all ages.
5. Do I need to book in advance for any activities?
Please check the practical information for each activity above. If advance booking is required, this will be stated with the activity.
6. Where do the activities take place?
The activities take place both indoors and outdoors. Indoors, you can find activities in the Library, Verolmezaal, Engelbrechtzaal and De Brug. Outdoors, activities take place in the Maritime Museum Harbour and aboard the ship Geertruida. See the programme above for the location of each activity.