F.A.Q.

Step into the Garden’s Winter wonder and dance with us into Spring. Stunning visuals transport you to another world, immersive performances leave you spellbound, and a unique atmosphere awakens your senses.

Wander through a Mystic Winter landscape from one heated dance area to the next. Wonder at the decor and let the creatures of the Garden be your guides! Embark on your journey to rediscover yourself through music, mystery and magic in the Winter Garden!

Winter Garden will take place at Haarlemmermeer. An outdoor location on the edge of Amsterdam. This location is easy accessible. Please go to this page to see how you can get to the location.

You'll find more information about the location and its surroundings on www.spaarnwoudepark.nl and https://visithaarlemmermeer.nl.

Winter Garden 2025 will take place in Haarlemmermeer on March 22, 2025, from 12:00 to 23:00.

Please find all the information on how to get there here. Kindly note that the entrance this year, is different from the entrance last year.

Shuttle bus from Hoofddorp Station 
The easiest way to reach the festival is by train and shuttle bus. We’ll have shuttle buses running between Station Hoofddorp and the Festival terrain on the day of the event from 12:00 in the morning till all of our guests have left the event site. 

Touring cars
We offer organised bus transport from Station Sloterdijk and multiple cities: Den Haag - Rotterdam, and Utrecht. For more information, please go to this page.

Train
An easy way to reach the festival is by train to Station Hoofddorp. From there, you can take a shuttle bus to the festival. Use www.ns.nl to plan your train trip. 

Car 
Navigate to the following address: Paviljoenlaan 1, 2131LZ Hoofddorp. From there, you need to follow the yellow parking signs. You can park your car close to the festival site. You can purchase a parking ticket at the parking, pin only. Note that parking is at your own risk.

To ensure a peaceful environment for residents, parking in the neighborhood is not allowed. Please always follow the yellow parking signs and the guidance of our traffic controllers, and park in the designated area we've set aside for parking.

Bike (or scooter) 
For those of you choosing to come by bike, we have a parking area specifically for bikes near the entrance of the event. This area will be clearly marked, so please respect the boundaries of the parking area. Bikes parked outside of this area will be removed by the government.

Kiss & Ride, Uber and Bollt
The Kiss and Ride, Uber and Bollt navigation address is: Bosweg 1, 2131 LV Hoofddorp.

We'd advise to use the N201 and avoid the N205 to prevent delays and road closures. When leaving the festival, please follow the signs ‘Kiss & Ride’ as well. 

Taxi (no Uber or Bollt)
The Taxi address is: Spieringweg 650, 2142 ED Cruquius.

Kindly ask the driver to use the N201 and not go through the village of Vijfhuizen to avoid causing disturbances and to prevent road closures. When leaving the festival, please follow the signs ‘Taxi’ as well. 

Tickets for Winter Garden 2025 are on sale. Get your tickets here.

Lost your ticket? Please go to this website and ask them to send your tickets again by filling in your e-mail address and the AT-code.
You can find your AT-code on the payment details of your bankaccount.

Reselling tickets?
After personalizing your tickets, you can download them. At the moment, reselling your tickets via Ticketswap isn’t possible, but this option will become available later.

If you have a question about your tickets, please send an email to hallo@ihavegotaticket.com.

A few days before the festival, on March 20, you’ll be able to download your entry tickets. Please note that the tickets must be personalized for this. Add-on tickets, such as parking passes, lockers, and upgrades, don’t need personalization and can be downloaded immediately.

Please note, some ticket types are available for immediate download after you've personalized the ticket. In your ticket management, you can manage and download your tickets.

If you wish to resell your ticket, this can only be done via Ticketswap. From the personalization module in your order, you can follow the steps to sell your ticket through Ticketswap.

Lockers
There are lockers available to rent during the festival. There is approximately enough space for 2 winter coats. You can get your locker online in advance, or at the locker desk at the festival.

Please note that bags larger than A4 are not allowed for security reasons. If you plan to bring extra clothing, consider wearing it in advance.⁠ 


Party plugs
We love our ears. You too? Bring your own ear plugs or buy special party plugs from Alpine at our merchandise stall at the festival. These party plugs are reusable and are sold in a small case.

For more information visit ilovemyears.nl

Tokens
Consumption tokens can be purchased using cash, PIN or credit card.
It is not possible to refund the tokens or use them at an upcoming event.

Food
We will have a variety of food available for purchase at the event.
External food and drinks are prohibited unless there is a doctor's note detailing your medical condition and the necessity of the food/drink that you will have with you.

If you have a medical condition and will need to bring your own food and/or drinks to the event, please contact us.

Cigarettes and E-cigarettes
There are no cigarettes for sale at the festival, so bring enough before you enter the festival. E-cigarettes are permitted, but you cannot bring new refills.

Please note it is strictly forbidden to smoke or vape in tents and covered areas. Please, keep the location clean. Don't throw your cigarette butts on the ground. 

Drugs
Drug use is strictly prohibited. Expect to be checked thoroughly by security at the entrance. Access can be denied when finding drugs on you.

Breast pump station
Bring your breast pump to our First aid stand for a private place to pump.

Winter Garden is an open-air festival, but all dance areas are in big tents, so all stages are fully covered! We've also placed various shelters, so in case of rain, you can find shelter.  ⁠

Winter Garden is an 18+ festival.
That means only people who are 18 or older can get acces at our festival. We want to welcome each one of you but we can't make an exception for this. You will not get acces if you are 17 or younger. not even if your birthday is the day after the festival. Your ID will be checked at the entrance.

Become a member of our garden family! 
Help us to transform Haarlemmermeer into a magical Winter Garden or scanning tickets on show day. Only with your help will the Garden shimmer and shine brightly.⁠

Sign up via this form.
⁠
As thanks, we'll provide either a ticket for our event or consumption tokens (if you already have a ticket).

If you have lost something, please send us a Facebook message or Instagram message. Please give us a detailed description of the item in question.

If you have found something during the festival you can bring them to the locker desk.

We think it's really important to celebrate life!
So do it safe and have fun.

1. Think for yourself, care about others
2. Using alcohol or other drugs is never without risks
3. Love your ears, use earplugs
4. Take a break to cool and chill
5. Know your limits and respect those of others
6. Enjoy safe sex without regrets
7. Security & crew is there to keep you safe
8. The First Aid Team is your friend
9. Get home safe: grab a ride. Don't drink and drive
10. Love your body: take time to recover

For more information visit Celebrate Safe

Please note, we prioritize safety at our festival and enforce a strict zero-tolerance drug policy. Any possession or usage of drugs, soft or hard, will result in immediate expulsion and possible criminal prosecution. If you need assistance or feel unwell, our First Aid team is ready to help.

Prohibited items include: beverages, food, sunscreen, spray cans, umbrellas, selfie sticks, glassware, bottles, vape refills, drugs/narcotics, laughing gas, animals (except service dogs), bicycles, roller skates, skateboards, drones, sound amplifiers/makers (such as speakers, megaphones, whistles, etc.), uncheckable packages, professional photographic equipment, film cameras, weapons and explosives, and other items deemed by the staff to be obstructive or dangerous.

Please note that bags larger than A4 are not allowed for security reasons. If you plan to bring extra clothing, consider wearing it in advance.⁠ 

Are you in doubt if something may go inside? Please send us an e-mail or DM on social media. 

We'd love to get in touch with you! You can send an e-mail to info@wintergardenfestival.nl. Or get in touch on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok.

Please find here our General Rules and Conditions in Dutch and English.

Please note, we prioritize safety at our festival and enforce a strict zero-tolerance drug policy. Any possession or usage of drugs, soft or hard, will result in immediate expulsion and possible criminal prosecution. If you need assistance or feel unwell, our First Aid team is ready to help.

Do you offer bus transport to Winter Garden Festival or do you arrange your own bus for you and your friends? If you register with us in advance, you will receive information about the route and parking options. This can be done via touroperator@wintergardenfestival.nl

Address: Paviljoenlaan 1, Hoofddorp. Follow the signs "touringcars" from there. The coach can drop you off and pick you up near the entrance. There are no charges for parking a coach and the coach may remain in the parking lot during the festival.

Please note that a taxi van is not the same as a touring car.

Drop off
It is often busy around 3 and 4 pm. If you want to avoid crowds on the road and lines at the entrance, make sure you are there before 2 p.m.

Pick up
Pick up is allowed at any time. However, it is advisable for the driver to ensure they are back on the premises by 11:00 PM. Please note that between 11:00 PM and 12:30 AM, it can get very busy with visitors leavind the festival.

Touringcar Station Sloterdijk - Winter Garden
We offer organised bus transport from Station Sloterdijk to the festival terrain. Bus tickets are limited available in our shop, these tickets are good for a roundtrip. For more information, please go to this page.

Touringcar Rotterdam - Den Haag - Winter Garden
We offer organised bus transport from Rotterdam and Den Haag to the festival terrain. Bus tickets are limited available in our shop, these tickets are good for a roundtrip. For more information, please go to this page.

Touringcar Utrecht - Winter Garden
We offer organised bus transport from Utrecht to the festival terrain. Bus tickets are limited available in our shop, these tickets are good for a roundtrip. For more information, please go to this page.

Within the next few years it will be common practice at most festivals to return your cup or bottle to the bar and no longer throw them in the trash. We upcycle the cups, which means that we will make an equivalent product from the material during the recycling process. There is more to this type of upcycling than you might initially think. It is only attainable if the cups are clean, made of PET-plastic and not printed. This leads to a method of separating plastic waste which can be very different compared to the way you might be separating plastic at home: we separate our festival cups from other plastic materials. At our festival this is the most sustainable way of working, and you will also be sure to always have a fresh, clean cup in your hand.

To ensure that cups are returned appropriately, we work with a recycle token. Upon entry you will receive a recycle token from us. You hand in this token at the bar when you order your first drink. If you return your empty cup/ bottle to the bar, you will again receive a token. Of course, you can also immediately order a new drink when returning your empty cup/ bottle. 

If you come to the bar ordering a new drink without returning your cup/bottle or without handing in a token, you will pay half a coin extra. In short, please contribute and hand in your cup!

What is more, our recycle tokens are made of old fishing nets, this way we prevent these nets from ending up in the sea and we will give a new purpose to old fishing nets!

When you are at the festival you will only have little waste, for example cigarette or chewing gum packaging and the carrying trays that we distribute at the bars. That is why we can keep it simple in terms of waste separation. We separate plastic and residual waste on the entire festival site, only at the “food courts” do we separate compostable material and residual waste. All plates, cutlery and napkins are made from a biologically degradable material. So please help the environment and throw them away in the compost bin!

In case it starts raining we will distribute ponchos at the bars. When the rain is over, you can deposit the used poncho in special containers that will be placed next to all bars.

Our range of products at the “food courts” already consists of more than 70% of vegetarian dishes. These are just as tasty as the meat variants and, moreover, they are not more expensive. Do you want to contribute to a better environment by choosing vegetarian dishes? The choice is yours!

In order to reduce emissions by vehicles as much as possible, we encourage visitors to travel by public transport or by bike. A large bicycle parking is set up at the entrance of the festival, we also have a shuttle bus service that will drop you off at the entrance and will take you back to Hoofddorp Station at the end of the festival. A return ticket for the shuttle bus is only 10 euros and the bike parking is completely free of charge.

We also encourage the use of electric cars! Therefore, we offer a free parking space for our visitors arriving in a fully electric car. There is thus no need to pay for parking, but you will need to show the vehicle registration certificate so that the traffic controller can check that your car is fully electric.

Much more is happening behind the scenes. You might not notice what is going on, but it is sustainable!

Energy
Energy reduction is in our opinion key in terms of sustainability. For what is not consumed in energy does not have to be generated. This might sound logical, but unfortunately it is still very common in the festival world to continue running aggregates during set-up and dismantling or at night while they are not at all or barely used.

Since our first festival in 2012 we have been driven by sustainability concerns to reduce our emission. We do this for example by using energy-efficient equipment such as LED lighting, the use of battery cells loaded with green electricity from the grid and we use biodiesel in cases where fuel is still needed, for example for the forklift trucks. We keep a close eye on our energy consumption and measure this every year in order to be able to make the festival more and more energy efficient. We also ensure that transport to and from our festival runs efficiently. For example, we mainly select suppliers from the region and we try to transport as many materials as possible in one transport so that there is as little transport movement as possible. We also stimulate our suppliers to drive with fuel-efficient (freight) trucks.

Circular economy
Our view on waste has changed over the past years. Instead of single-stream recycling we now separate multiple streams of waste behind the scenes, such as compostable materials, consumption coins, glass, wood, paper & cardboard, PET plastic, caps and “PMD” (plastic packaging, metal packaging and beverage cartons).
In addition, we also look for materials that can be reused within our decoration. Almost all of our decorations at the festival are reused or are made from reusable material.

Also when it comes to promoting the festival we consider the environment. For example, it is a conscious choice to work with as little printed material as possible: we only promote the festival by using posters along the road or in restaurants.

Regarding on-site information for visitors: we do not give out flyers, timetables or maps at the festival. Instead, there are information banners with timetables and maps which visitors can consult. Also, no gadgets will be handed out nor any other items that usually end up being thrown away and left on the ground.

During the festival and afterward we carefully clean up the festival site and often leave the park cleaner and tidier than how we found it when we arrived. The cleaning products we use are biodegradable, just like the liquids in the toilets and the toilet paper.

We are privileged to have been given permission to organize our festival on this incredibly beautiful and green location. It goes without saying that we are mindful of the park and carefully protect its flora and fauna during the festival. Moreover, every year in preparation of the festival we have an ecological study carried out so that we know what aspects we should pay extra attention to and take into consideration during the execution of our festival.

The bicycle parking can be used to park all kinds of bikes, for example regular bicycles, e-bikes, tricycles and cargo bikes.

Shuttle bus transport is organized from Hoofddorp Station and is also accessible for wheelchair users.

At the station there is pavement to get to the bus stop and upon arrival to the drop-off point near the festival site there are trackway panels on the grass to ensure an accessible drop-off area. Kindly make sure to follow the path in the travel direction of the shuttle bus. On your way back to the shuttle bus after the event, please follow the same route.

All visitors who arrive by car can park at the regular parking lot for visitors. You can pay for parking pre-arrival via our website or pay at the parking lot upon arrival. Fully electric cars can park for free.

If you arrive in a fully electric car and want to make use of our free parking offer, you will however need to show the vehicle registration certificate so that the traffic controller can check that your car is fully electric. We have also reserved several parking spaces for persons with disabilities which can be used upon showing your disabled parking card. These parking spaces have ample space to place a wheelchair next to the car. From these parking spaces you are able to head towards the festival site via a paved path. It is about 400 meters to the entrance via this path.

A “kiss and ride” area has been created for the purposes of this festival. It is indicated with traffic signs and is around 900 meters away from the festival entrance. In case you would need to be dropped off/picked up closer to the entrance, you could best get in touch with the organization in advance to discuss any other possible options. You can reach us on toegankelijkheid@wintergardenfestival.nl

One widened wheelchair accessible entrance gate has been created at the entrance. It is on the right- hand side of the entrance and it is indicated with a sign showing the wheelchair symbol. This entrance is 90 centimeters in width and can be used by all visitors.

Every visitor must be in possession of a valid admission ticket. This also applies to personal assistants.

We are not in favor of bringing a guide or assistance dog to the festival, even though this is legally allowed. In our opinion, the sound volume and crowds together with a dog is not a beneficial combination. This opinion is in line with the advice of the Royal Dutch Guide Dog Foundation (KNGF Geleidehonden). They indicate that a dog is no longer able to successfully perform its duties in places with crowds and loud noises, and will therefore lose its function as guide/ assistance dog. Moreover, we also find it important to take into account the wellbeing of the dog.

Winter Garden has invited a diverse range of caterers to the festival in order to ensure that we can meet general dietary requirements. Should you need to bring your medication or diet food, this will be allowed. Upon arriving to the festival entrance you will need to show the medical certificate from your doctor together with the medication/ diet food in its original packaging.

Mobility scooters are not allowed to enter the festival site as according to Dutch law mobility scooters are seen as a vehicle rather than a mobility aid. Moreover, mobility scooters constitute a safety risk due to the average speed of this type of vehicles. Electric wheelchairs are allowed.

We are happy to make arrangements for the use of electric wheelchairs or other powered mobility aids. If you use a powered mobility aid, please send an email to toegankelijkheid@wintergardenfestival.nl.

Upon entering the festival site there are several coin machines. With these coins you can purchase food and beverages at the festival. For wheelchair users our staff members are always willing to help you with this. They can help you at the machine or at the cash register. 

Visitors who have mobility impairments or for other health reasons would need to have a seat close at hand at all times are allowed to bring a foldable stool.

Bars and food trucks at our festival tend to have counters at shoulder or eye height which may be impractical for some visitors. For these visitors, for example for wheelchair users, we ask our employees to provide extra service.

We have also taken other measures for visitors with disabilities. As such, there are for example biologically degradable straws for visitors with reduced hand function available at all bars. Also, at each bar there are enlarged menus available which visitors who are hard of hearing or have a speech impairment can use as a communication card to indicate their order.

There are portable accessible toilets on the festival site. We are aware that a portable accessible toilet might not be the most ideal option, but in absence of a sewage system at this location it is the best solution at this moment. In all our accessible toilets there is a toilet support arm attached to the wall and the toilet bowl is 46 centimeters in height. On the festival site there is one accessible toilet per toilet group. Accessible toilets are situated at the side of the women’s toilets. There is also one portable accessible toilet at the first aid station. Should you need any assistance, please use this accessible toilet at the first aid station. Our first-aid providers will be able to assist you there any time.

The location has asphalted paths thanks to which all parts of the festival can be accessed. There are also large areas of grass which are well drained and partly covered with wooden flooring due to this they are also easily accessible for wheelchair users.

There are no separate wheelchair platforms on the festival site as the entire festival site has been made accessible for wheelchair users, for example with asphalted paths and wooden flooring in front of most stages. There is enough room to dance for everyone.

Our Balcony Deck at the Mystic Garden stage is also accessible for wheelchair users. We are happy to make arrangements for the use of electric wheelchairs or other powered mobility aids. If you use a powered mobility aid, please send an email to toegankelijkheid@wintergardenfestival.nl.

Almost all emergency exits are wheelchair-friendly. This means that there are for example no cable trays blocking the emergency paths, which may cause an obstacle for visitors with mobility impairments. These wheelchair-friendly emergency exits are indicated with an accessible exit sign, which is green and shows the symbol of the running man together with a person using a wheelchair quickly moving through an exit door.

For people who are overstimulated, there is a quiet place at the the first aid where they can relax.