Dichter bij Water - A Sea of Possibilities
From battling the sea to living in harmony with water.
On Saturday 11 July 2026, the latest edition of Dichter bij Water took place in and around the Watersnoodmuseum. The festival focused on our changing relationship with water and invited visitors to reflect on the transition from fighting the sea to living in harmony with it. With a varied programme full of poetry, music, art and inspiring encounters, the festival demonstrated how culture can contribute to new perspectives on water, landscape and heritage.
Visitors were able to enjoy, amongst other things, recitals by poets and writers, poetry films, art installations, a creative screen-printing workshop and performances by, amongst others, adventurer Jaco Benckhuijsen and the band Overzee. The programme also featured special initiatives such as the De Eenzame Uitvaart Foundation and the ‘Waterige samenstelsels’ stage programme, in which writers shared their views on the relationship between people and water.
The festival ties in seamlessly with the ambitions of (Be)Leefbare Schelde: to connect people in an inspiring way with the landscape, history and stories of the Scheldt Delta. Curious about the full programme or would you like to find out which elements were part of this edition? Then take a look at the Watersnoodmuseum’s events page.