BredaPhoto 2026: 'Our Songs Came Through' Fills a Dutch City With Photography Until 25 October

admin October 05, 2026

Some photography festivals ask you to admire. BredaPhoto asks you to feel. Running from 11 September to 25 October 2026, the twelfth edition turns the Dutch city of Breda into a stage for photography, video art and immersive installations under the title Our Songs Came Through. With the closing date only weeks away, October is the moment to plan your trip.

A festival about solace and resilience

The programme centres on comfort and resilience, bringing together stories from people in different parts of the world who may be closer to you than you expect. Organisers describe more than thirty to forty photographers and artists, many shown in the Netherlands for the first time, with some works created especially for the festival. The previous edition, Journeys, drew over 70,000 visitors, which shows how much this city-wide format resonates.

Places you will not expect

BredaPhoto is known for unusual locations. Old industrial buildings, churches and the rugged new development area of 'T Zoet all become exhibition spaces. Wandering between them feels less like visiting a gallery and more like exploring the city with a new pair of eyes.

Highlights to look for

Work by six Sudanese photographers, presented in collaboration with curator Ala Kheir
A Spell Bundle – Manifesting Queer Futurity, a group exhibition presented by FOTODOK at the festival's invitation
Tower of Babel – New Stories at Stedelijk Museum Breda, a group show about how we understand and misunderstand one another; your festival ticket may also give free entry to the museum
A city-wide programme developed with partners such as Chassé Theatre and De Nieuwe Veste

Care beyond the gallery

One of the most touching details is that staff and volunteers take a suitcase of images to care homes and the local hospital to talk about comfort and resilience with people who cannot attend. It is a reminder that photography can be a tool for connection, not just display.

How to plan your visit

Tickets have been on sale since June, so check the festival site for current prices and opening hours before you travel. Breda is compact and walkable, which makes it easy to string several venues into one day. Wear comfortable shoes, allow time for a coffee stop, and consider visiting in the afternoon when churches and industrial spaces catch beautiful light. If you are travelling from elsewhere in Europe, Breda is a straightforward rail trip from larger Dutch and Belgian cities.

Why photographers should go

For makers, BredaPhoto is a masterclass in context. The same photograph can feel entirely different in a church, a warehouse or a museum hall, and seeing how curators handle scale, sound and light can inspire your own printing and presentation choices. For general visitors, it is simply an affordable, human-scale festival where you can see an enormous range of work in a few relaxed days.

Take a friend, share your favourite image from each venue afterwards, and see how differently you each read the same pictures.