Compagnie with Balls, De Wereldwandelaar © Vraag Anthea

Spoffin Spin-Off brings a day full of street theatre to Amersfoort

 31-08-2025

Packed stands, special performances, and loads of happy faces: on the last Saturday of August, Spoffin Spin-Off, the little sister of the Spoffin street theater festival, took over Amersfoort's city center. With thirteen dazzling acts from the Netherlands and abroad, the festival made a worthy comeback. Over 10,000 visitors enjoyed street and site-specific theater at various locations in and around the city center on August 30th.

Last year, the Spoffin festival said goodbye, and for a while, it seemed like the end for the Amersfoort street theater festival. But nothing could be further from the truth: the festival organizers pulled out all the stops last year to make a fresh start. This came in the form of Spoffin Spin-Off, the original festival's little sister. On a smaller scale, but with the same quality and passion we've come to expect from the festival.

A success

Artistic director Alfred Konijnenbelt looks back on a successful edition. "This was what I'd hoped it would be: yes, smaller, but with the same quality. I think we delivered. The audience reaction was fantastic. Everywhere I went, people stopped me to let me know how much they appreciated our perseverance and that Spoffin was back. It didn't feel like a small event; it felt like a full festival day. All the venues were packed. It was Spoffin as it always was."

Visitors

While Spoffin normally spanned three days, Spoffin Spin-Off offered a single day of theatre in Amersfoort's city center on Saturday, August 30th. Spoffin Spin-Off attracted approximately 10,000 visitors throughout the day. "That's in line with previous years' attendance figures, but of course, for just one day. The audience response was fantastic. I saw nothing but positivity and a grateful audience. It's always special to experience a festival with so many people outdoors. It creates a wonderful sense of connection, and I'm proud that our small team managed to achieve that again."

Rescheduled

The day went smoothly without any major changes, except for one minor rescheduling. "Unfortunately, we had to move the LAPSO Cirk performance indoors, to the auditorium of De Lieve Vrouw theater. This was necessary due to the predicted strong winds; it wasn't safe to hold the performance outdoors. Unfortunately, this meant that far fewer people could attend due to the venue's limited capacity.

Highlights

Alfred looks back on a day full of wonderful performances, with several highlights. "I saw many beautiful things, but there were definitely a few standouts. One of the highlights was Marta & Kim's performance. They'd been on my list for a long time. So beautiful, simple, wonderful. I also loved LAPSO Cirk. Firebirds and Flame Flowers were a worthy finale. Going out with a bang!"

Farewell

This is Alfred's last year as artistic director. After this edition, he'll pass the baton to Léonie Dijkema, known as artistic director of the Fries StraatFestival in Leeuwarden. "She has a fun, unique way of programming that does Spoffin justice. I can truly pass something wonderful on to her. I'm proud of what we've accomplished and what Spoffin has achieved." You saw it also this weekend: Amersfoort loves Spoffin, and the great thing about the Amersfoort audience is that they're critical but not cold. I think that's a pleasant combination and a beautiful legacy to leave behind. I'm sad to say goodbye, but I also feel it's right. It's time."

 Spoffin Spin-Off

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Compagnie with Balls, De Wereldwandelaar © Vraag Anthea

Spoffin Spin-Off brings a day full of street theatre to Amersfoort

 31-08-2025

Packed stands, special performances, and loads of happy faces: on the last Saturday of August, Spoffin Spin-Off, the little sister of the Spoffin street theater festival, took over Amersfoort's city center. With thirteen dazzling acts from the Netherlands and abroad, the festival made a worthy comeback. Over 10,000 visitors enjoyed street and site-specific theater at various locations in and around the city center on August 30th.

Last year, the Spoffin festival said goodbye, and for a while, it seemed like the end for the Amersfoort street theater festival. But nothing could be further from the truth: the festival organizers pulled out all the stops last year to make a fresh start. This came in the form of Spoffin Spin-Off, the original festival's little sister. On a smaller scale, but with the same quality and passion we've come to expect from the festival.

A success

Artistic director Alfred Konijnenbelt looks back on a successful edition. "This was what I'd hoped it would be: yes, smaller, but with the same quality. I think we delivered. The audience reaction was fantastic. Everywhere I went, people stopped me to let me know how much they appreciated our perseverance and that Spoffin was back. It didn't feel like a small event; it felt like a full festival day. All the venues were packed. It was Spoffin as it always was."

Visitors

While Spoffin normally spanned three days, Spoffin Spin-Off offered a single day of theatre in Amersfoort's city center on Saturday, August 30th. Spoffin Spin-Off attracted approximately 10,000 visitors throughout the day. "That's in line with previous years' attendance figures, but of course, for just one day. The audience response was fantastic. I saw nothing but positivity and a grateful audience. It's always special to experience a festival with so many people outdoors. It creates a wonderful sense of connection, and I'm proud that our small team managed to achieve that again."

Rescheduled

The day went smoothly without any major changes, except for one minor rescheduling. "Unfortunately, we had to move the LAPSO Cirk performance indoors, to the auditorium of De Lieve Vrouw theater. This was necessary due to the predicted strong winds; it wasn't safe to hold the performance outdoors. Unfortunately, this meant that far fewer people could attend due to the venue's limited capacity.

Highlights

Alfred looks back on a day full of wonderful performances, with several highlights. "I saw many beautiful things, but there were definitely a few standouts. One of the highlights was Marta & Kim's performance. They'd been on my list for a long time. So beautiful, simple, wonderful. I also loved LAPSO Cirk. Firebirds and Flame Flowers were a worthy finale. Going out with a bang!"

Farewell

This is Alfred's last year as artistic director. After this edition, he'll pass the baton to Léonie Dijkema, known as artistic director of the Fries StraatFestival in Leeuwarden. "She has a fun, unique way of programming that does Spoffin justice. I can truly pass something wonderful on to her. I'm proud of what we've accomplished and what Spoffin has achieved." You saw it also this weekend: Amersfoort loves Spoffin, and the great thing about the Amersfoort audience is that they're critical but not cold. I think that's a pleasant combination and a beautiful legacy to leave behind. I'm sad to say goodbye, but I also feel it's right. It's time."

 Spoffin Spin-Off
 

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