Tell 'em Festival 2026

Tell 'em is Rotterdam's international spoken word festival, produced by Stichting Spraakuhloos. For three days, poets, musicians and storytellers from around the world take the stage in Rotterdam's spoken word capital. The festival brings stories to life in the broadest sense of the word: slam poetry, open jams, live music and performances that move between spoken word, hip-hop and theatre. The 2026 edition takes place from 11 to 13 November 2026 at the Nieuwe Luxor Theatre on the Wilhelminapier in Rotterdam, in Café Dox and the Rijnfoyer. At the heart of the festival is the International Poetry Slam. Poets from different countries compete in two semi-finals on Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday, the best voices meet in the Grand Final, followed by the announcement of the winner. Every evening opens with an open jam or open mic with live music, so new voices share the stage with international champions. Headliners in 2026: - King Yaw (USA/Ghana), World Poetry Slam Champion 2025 - Yastricia (Brazil), Continental Champion Abya Yala 2026 - Jonzi D (UK), founder of Breaking Convention, in a special collaboration with Breaking Convention - Oumaima Yahiaoui (Netherlands), Youth City Poet of Rotterdam.

More than 25 artists from Brazil, Ghana, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and beyond perform in Dutch, English, Portuguese, Papiamento and other languages, with subtitles on screen. Tell 'em is built to be accessible. Tickets start at €7.50 per day, and a three-day pass costs from €15. The theatre is wheelchair accessible, the poetry slam is fully subtitled in the original language, English, Dutch, and every festival day has a low-stimulus quiet room. Trained awareness teams keep the festival a safer space, with zero tolerance for discrimination and harassment. There is no dress code: come as you are. The festival is made with partners from across the spoken word, hip-hop and literature scene, including Breaking Convention, Music Matters, Poetry Circle, Unwanted Words, Boom Snap Clap, Cult North, Frontaal and The Writer's Guide to the Galaxy. Tell 'em is the highlight of the year-round work of Spraakuhloos, which guides poets from their first open mic to the international stage. The festival is also a stepping stone towards the European Poetry Slam Championship 2028, which Spraakuhloos will host in Rotterdam. More information www.tell-em.nl