This week, the Municipality of The Hague opened the first temporary Hou van je Huis (Love Your Home) walk-in desk at the Schroeder thrift store (Torenstraat 2). It marks the start of a series of temporary pop-ups that will travel through all districts of The Hague in the coming months. Residents can drop in without an appointment for free and independent advice on making their homes more sustainable and on subsidy options. The walk-in desk is free and open to the public. Residents can walk in without an appointment at the location in their neighborhood.
“ With this pop-up, we are literally bringing sustainability and assistance with it closer to our residents. Today we are opening a place that does exactly what we want: helping residents in a way that is close and accessible ,” says Alderman Arjen Kapteijns (Energy Transition).
The municipality has been supporting residents in making their homes more sustainable for some time. Since March, an important measure has been added: the city-wide insulation subsidy.
The first thousand applicants will receive €1,000 instead of €570. The scheme is intended for homes with energy labels D, E, F, or G, where insulation has the greatest effect. Insulating increases living comfort, retains heat better, and lowers the energy bill. The subsidy applies to roof, floor, facade, and glass insulation and can be combined with other subsidy schemes and support.
The subsidy is available to homeowners, Owners’ Associations, and housing associations. Residents with an Ooievaarspas or who previously received an energy allowance can receive up to €3,500 extra. This ensures that precisely the group that needs it most receives additional support.
An important advantage of this subsidy is that residents do not have to front the entire amount themselves. The municipality pays approximately 80% in advance, based on the quotation. The remainder follows after completion of the work.
At the Hou van je Huis walk-in desk, residents can simply walk in for advice on insulation, energy conservation, solar panels, green roofs, improving the energy label, or collaborating within the Owners’ Association. Hou van je Huis is for everyone: homeowners, tenants, and landlords.
“ Making things more sustainable works best when it is easy to just drop by. That is why our housing advisors are here in the city centre today, and in all districts in the coming months ,” says Kapteijns.
Residents of The Hague and the surrounding region can now visit a new Belastingdienst support point in the Escamp district office for help with taxes, benefits, and payments. The new location aims to make support more accessible for people needing assistance with tax matters and allowances.
The support point was officially opened by Sorayda Berkhout, General Director of Social Affairs and Employment, Marieke Vos, Domain Manager for Financial Assistance, both from the Municipality of The Hague, and Bjorn Meijer, Unit Director of Services at the Belastingdienst. They were joined by Belastingdienst service staff who will become the familiar faces at the new support point.
Several staff members at the new support point are also able to assist residents in English, making the service more accessible for the international community in The Hague.
Time and personal attention
Bjorn Meijer highlighted the importance of year-round support for residents dealing with tax-related issues.
“People appreciate being able to get extra help throughout the year with questions about tax matters. This could be after a major life event with financial consequences, or when someone temporarily loses track of their tax affairs. Our staff take the time to answer questions carefully and clearly. We hope residents of The Hague will quickly find their way to this support point.”
Closer cooperation between organisations
Sorayda Berkhout stressed the importance of keeping support accessible and easy to navigate.
“With the Belastingdienst now present in our district office, there is less chance that people will lose their way between different organisations. We want residents to leave our building fully informed about the support and financial arrangements available to them. This collaboration helps us offer broader assistance to more people with questions about money and financial support.”
Faster support for residents
Marieke Vos said the new location also strengthens cooperation between the municipality and the Belastingdienst.
“At our Helpdesk Geldzaken, residents can already access support at more than 50 locations across the city for financial questions and debt-related issues. With this new support point, we can now offer additional help for more complex tax questions or benefit checks. If Belastingdienst staff see that residents are struggling to meet their obligations, the municipality can step in more quickly to offer support. This partnership is important in helping residents work towards a healthier financial future.”
Opening hours
The Belastingdienst support point at the Escamp district office in The Hague is open Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 16:00.
Featured photo: Director Sorayda Berkhout and Domain Manager Marieke Vos from the Municipality of The Hague, together with Unit Director Bjorn Meijer from the Belastingdienst, officially open the new support point at the district office in The Hague alongside Belastingdienst service staff.
Photo below: Belastingdienst staff member Laila assists residents at the new support point together with her colleagues.
Laila said: “Our services fit well with the support residents already receive at the district office in The Hague. At the support point, you can really sit down and have a conversation with people about their tax affairs and benefits.”
The Province of South Holland recently joined forces with the cities of Leiden, The Hague, Rotterdam, and Delft for a new collaboration within the national New Dutch movement. Together with the Province of South Holland, these cities form the South Holland New Dutch Alliance, in which they contribute from their own roles to broader cooperation within the province. Through this alliance, the partners strengthen their collaboration and better utilize their collective strength within the region and beyond.
The collaboration is built on the strength of the cities themselves. Each city brings its own profile and expertise: from life science & health in Leiden to maritime innovation in Rotterdam, impact and cybersecurity in The Hague, and high-tech engineering in Delft. It is precisely these areas of expertise, along with complementary strengths within the province, that together form the basis for the collaboration within South Holland.
Strong cities as a foundation The alliance deliberately opts for a network-oriented approach in which the cities take center stage. They retain their own identity and positioning, while joining forces and putting stories and innovations from the South Holland region in the spotlight. This pooling creates a powerful and recognizable offering for talent, businesses, and investors. “The strength of this collaboration lies not in a single overarching narrative, but rather in the combination of strong, distinctive cities that reinforce each other. Together, these unique qualities form the strength of the Province of South Holland,” says Meindert Stolk, Deputy for Economy and Innovation of the Province of South Holland.
Stronger together in profiling and attractiveness With the South Holland Alliance, the partners aim to contribute to an attractive business climate, attract international talent, and strengthen innovation ecosystems. By joining forces within the New Dutch movement, they increase their reach and impact, both nationally and internationally. The added value for South Holland therefore lies in the collaboration itself: connecting urban qualities, networks, and stories into a coherent and powerful whole.
Partners in the alliance The South Holland New Dutch Alliance consists of Leiden&Partners, The Hague & Partners, Rotterdam Partners, Delft Marketing, and the Province of South Holland. The agreement was signed by the management boards of the participating organizations. Marco Esser, Director of The Hague & Partners: “The Hague has a strong international position in the fields of impact, cybersecurity, and new energy. By connecting this strength with the other major cities in our province, we can present a much stronger and more complete story both nationally and internationally. This collaboration enables us, as a region, to contribute to an attractive and innovative ecosystem that draws talent and businesses to South Holland.”
To mark the 35th edition of the Roparun, the organization is launching a special musical project: the song ‘ Mag ik je danken’ . The song was written and sung by Lisanne Spaander and forms the heart of a nationwide donation campaign surrounding the anniversary edition of the Roparun. The accompanying music video was filmed in Paris, the historic location where the very first Roparun finished in 1992.
The song is a personal and emotional ode to all participants, volunteers, and donors who have dedicated themselves to the Roparun’s mission over the past 35 years: improving the comfort and quality of life of people with cancer.
With ‘ May I thank you’ , Lisanne Spaander expresses her deep appreciation for everyone who makes the Roparun possible. Year after year, thousands of people dedicate themselves to raising money for projects within palliative care for people with cancer.
The music video underscores that message. The choice to film in Paris is symbolic: it was here that the first Roparun finished in 1992. Since then, the event has grown into the largest relay race event in Europe.
Violinist Adinda van Delft also makes a special musical contribution to the song.
Personal story behind the song
The song is strongly connected to the personal story of Lisanne Spaander. At a young age, she was diagnosed with bone cancer twice. That experience changed her life and inspired her to use music as a force to connect people and give hope. Since her illness, Lisanne has been making music with a clear mission: to improve the quality of life for people with and after cancer worldwide and to connect people through the power of music.
She previously processed her experiences in the well-known song Vechtersbaas , which became a source of inspiration for many people dealing with cancer.
Music that touches the world
Over the past few years, Lisanne Spaander has grown into an inspiring voice both at home and abroad. She speaks and sings at international conferences, performed at the Ziggo Dome, appeared on the television program RTL Late Night, and sang at the opening of the Princess Máxima Center, of which she is also an ambassador. With “May I Thank You?” , she aims to touch and connect people once again, this time especially for everyone who dedicated themselves to the Roparun over the past year.
The song forms the basis of a nationwide donation campaign surrounding the anniversary edition of the Roparun. Gratitude is central to the campaign: for the thousands of participants covering kilometers, the volunteers who make the event possible, and the donors who support palliative care projects.
The Roparun takes place this year from May 23 to 25. During this largest non-stop relay race in the world, thousands of participants, divided into hundreds of teams, travel in a relay format from France or Enschede to Rotterdam to raise money for people with cancer.
Since the first edition, the Roparun has raised more than one hundred million euros for projects that contribute to the comfort and quality of life for people with cancer.
About the Roparun
The Roparun is a non-stop relay race of hundreds of kilometers in which teams raise money for charities within palliative care for people with cancer. The motto of the Roparun is: “Adding life to the days, where often no more days can be added to life.”For 35 years, the organization has supported many projects such as hospices, end-of-life holidays, wigs, and peer support, and has funded all wish ambulances in the Netherlands for ten years.
With the anniversary song ‘ Mag ik je danken’, the organization wants not only to reflect on 35 years of Roparun, but above all to look forward to a future in which even more people can be helped.
BlowUp Jubilee is expanding to the Madurodam theme park this year. In addition to over twenty monumental installations in The Hague’s Museum Quarter, small-scale inflatable artworks will appear alongside iconic miniatures. For instance, during the art event, from May 22 to June 21, an inflatable artwork will be on display at the Prime Minister’s Tower.
This installation was developed by the British artist Steve Messam. Originally, he wanted to have the work placed on the actual Little Tower, but this proved unfeasible at full scale.
Curator Mary Hessing: “Back in 2022, when I was walking around the Binnenhof with artist Steve Messam, his eyes started to gleam at the sight of the Little Tower. Unfortunately, his wild plans proved unfeasible, but I never forgot them. This year, everything suddenly fell into place with this expansion to Madurodam.”
Sunset on the ‘Veluwe’ Other works are also being specially adapted to the scale of Madurodam. For instance, Sunset in The Hague by Rodrigues-Rijnierse — previously on display at the Hofvijver during BlowUp Art 2022 — returns in miniature. At Madurodam, this ‘sun’ sets on the pond in front of the monumental Sint Hubertus Hunting Lodge, which Berlage built on the Veluwe in 1915.
Hester Oerlemans, winner of the prestigious Wilhelminaring sculpture prize in 2025, is creating two iconic miniature ‘balloon chairs’ for the garden of Paleis Het Loo. Hessing continues: “I have been following Oerlemans for years; she is a remarkable artist who combines sensitive tactility and humor in her work with great ease and decisiveness. I am proud that she is part of BlowUp Jubilee this year.”
Monumental in miniature The collaboration with Madurodam creates an intriguing tension between scale, context, and imagination. Where BlowUp Jubilee transforms The Hague city center with monumental inflatable art, Madurodam shows how these works relate to the Netherlands as a whole.
BlowUp Jubilee takes place in the Museum Quarter in The Hague from May 22 to June 21, 2026, and admission is free. Regular admission fees apply for access to Madurodam.
The occasional duo Rodrigues-Rijnierse is also creating a miniature artwork for BlowUp Jubilee. (photo: BlowUp Art 2022 by Pim Top / The Hague & Partners)
Keukenhof has closed its gates again after another strong spring season, welcoming more than 1.4 million visitors from around the world. Visitors rated the famous flower park an average of 8.8 out of 10.
As in previous years, most visitors came from the Netherlands, followed by Germany, the United States, France, and Great Britain. The share of Asian visitors remained stable. Keukenhof also noted a relatively young audience this season, with 18% of visitors aged between 25 and 34. The average visitor age was 48.
This year also marked the introduction of Keukenhof’s refreshed visual identity. A new logo at the entrance, updated signage, flags, and redesigned flower show spaces all contributed to an improved visitor experience, alongside positive results for the park’s shops and restaurants.
One of the biggest additions this season was the brand-new orchid show in the renovated Juliana Pavilion. More than half a million visitors explored the display, which featured orchids in a wide variety of colours and species, alongside information about the flower’s diversity. A new Asian-inspired restaurant was also added to the pavilion experience.
Keukenhof continued efforts to improve accessibility and sustainable transport options. Around 45% of visitors travelled to the park by bus through partnerships with transport providers, with the organisation aiming to increase that number in the coming years.
The park employs around 50 permanent staff throughout the year, expanding to approximately 2,000 seasonal workers during the opening period.
“We look back on a wonderful season,” said general director Sandra Bechtholt. “The beautiful spring weather created perfect conditions, and it remains special to see the effect millions of blooming flowers have on our visitors. We can’t wait for the 2027 season.”
Keukenhof will reopen from 18 March to 9 May 2027.
