De Grote Markt: The Evening Unfolds Here
You arrive at De Grote Markt as the light thins and the outdoor café spreads its chairs across the market square. People are already here—some since morning, some just arriving—and the bars and clubs that ring the plaza are beginning to deepen their energy. This is where The Hague's evening happens: from early morning until late at night, the square pulses with people having a good time. In summertime, musical events often fill the square itself.
The venues cluster around the plaza like chapters of a single story. You can move between them on foot, each one offering a different mood. De Grote Markt itself runs until 01:00 most nights, until 01:30 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Boterwaag, housed in a former weighing building opposite September, offers a spacious, atmospheric setting. Next door, September itself faces De Zwarte Ruiter. Supermarkt functions as a bar and live rock venue (open Wednesday 21:00–01:00, Thursday to Saturday 09:09–03:00). VaVoom Tikiroom brings an alternative, surf-style bar run by tattooed people. Zeta sits between De Zwarte Ruiter and VaVoom Tikiroom on Grote Markt 28. De Zwarte Ruiter occupies Grote Markt 27, positioned between Zeta and Supermarkt.
Beer, Spirits and Late-Night Venues Beyond the Square
If you want to steep yourself in beer, Rootz on Grote Marktstraat 14, near the square, stocks over 300 kinds and stays open until midnight most nights (04:00 on Friday and Saturday). For something smaller and with a specific atmosphere, 27 Club on Achterom 8 takes its name from artists who died at 27—Brian Jones, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse. Cafe Momfer de Mol on Oude Molstraat 19 sits in the centre of old The Hague in a place steeped in history. It has operated in its current form since 2003 and offers warm interiors, informal ambiance, and a snack menu—the kind of laid-back cafe-bar where an evening can comfortably extend.
For live music and concerts beyond rock venues, Paard van Troje and its adjacent Paard Café on Prinsegracht 12 host performances and draw crowds looking for something more structured than the open-air square.
Cannabis Cafés and the Dutch Tolerance
The Hague's coffee shops operate under Dutch toleration: small quantities of cannabis are decriminalized, and several establishments serve both locals and visitors. Cafe Cremers on Prinsestraat 84 functions as both pub and coffeeshop with notable DJs; it is described as the place where international visitors gather. Ceylon operates on Edisonstraat 98, Fly High on Rijswijkseweg 229, and Seventh Planet on Loosduinseweg 741. Prices tend to be lower here than in Amsterdam. Remember that tobacco smoking is officially banned inside food and drink establishments, though it appears tolerated in coffee shops where joints are often rolled with tobacco. Large quantities remain illegal, and taking anything across the border carries severe penalties.
Festivals That Pull You Back at Specific Times
KoningsNacht—Kings' Night in The Hague dialect—happens on the evening of 26 April, the night before Dutch King's Day. While Amsterdam holds the country's largest King's Day celebration on 27 April, The Hague throws the largest anticipatory party the night before, with bands and DJs performing at five locations in the city centre. Prinsjesdag, the third Tuesday in September, draws large crowds when King Willem-Alexander travels from Noordeinde Palace to the Knight's Hall at the Binnenhof in the Gouden Koets (Golden Carriage), a gift from 1903 used only for this occasion. The King then reads the Throne Speech to parliament. Crossing Border Festival arrives in November. TodaysArt Festival, an international festival beyond art, takes place the last weekend of September.
When to Go: Season and Timing
The prime months for exploring The Hague on foot or bicycle are late spring, summer, and early fall. If you're drawn to Scheveningen, the busy seaside resort filled with boardwalk cafes, know that it can get extremely crowded as vacationers from across Europe come to the North Sea coastline. The Grote Markt itself is year-round, but its outdoor character and summer events make June through September the season when the square truly lives. If you want to time your visit around a specific pull, KoningsNacht in late April offers immersion in Dutch celebration; Prinsjesdag in mid-September combines formal pageantry with crowd energy; Crossing Border Festival in November suits those seeking contemporary art and performance.
Begin planning around the Grote Markt. Arrive as the afternoon shifts toward evening, and let the square itself guide you into the rhythms of how The Hague spends its nights—moving between venues, lingering over beer or coffee, catching live music if it finds you, and staying until the plaza empties in the small hours.