Pancake Concert: A Chest Full of Winter Songs (Ages 2+)
Pancakes and music on a Sunday morning: on 20 December 2026, the Muziekgebouw Eindhoven hosts Een kist vol winterliedjes (a chest full of winter songs), a pancake concert for children from two years old, in the first weekend of the Christmas holidays.
What is a pancake concert?
The pancake concerts (pannenkoekconcerten) are a series of concerts at the Muziekgebouw for young children and their parents or grandparents. The idea is simple and very Dutch: first you eat pancakes together, and then you enjoy a short, interactive concert. From 10:00, an hour before the concert, children can decorate their own pancake. The pancake is included in the ticket price.
The concert
In Een kist vol winterliedjes, the duo Apennoten, Nienke van den Berg and Bas Fortgens, open a chest full of winter songs. They sing about snowballs, pretty lights and frozen toes, and children are invited to sing, dance and make music along with them, including with Christmas bells. It is a playful introduction to live music for the very youngest.
Practical information
- Date: Sunday 20 December 2026.
- Doors and pancakes: from 10:00.
- Concert: 11:00.
- Location: the Second Foyer (Tweede Foyer) of the Muziekgebouw.
- Age: for children from 2 years old.
- Tickets: €12; children €8. The pancake is included.
Good to know for international families
The concert is in Dutch, as the songs and the title suggest. For toddlers that hardly matters: the songs are simple, the music is live, and joining in with bells, dancing and clapping works in every language. Many international parents find concerts like this a nice way to introduce their children to Dutch songs, and to meet other parents.
Tips for parents
- Come at 10:00 to enjoy the pancakes without rushing.
- Book in advance. Family concerts in the holidays are popular.
- Bring a little patience. Toddlers concentrate for a limited time, and the musicians know that: these concerts are made for wandering attention.
- Leave the pushchair in the cloakroom area if you can; the foyer is easier to move around without it.
More for families in the holidays
The Christmas holidays are a busy time for family outings in Eindhoven. Indoor museums such as the DAF Museum and the Philips Museum organise extra activities, and Museumpark VONK is open every day. You will find all upcoming family activities on Eindhoven with kids.
Christmas in the Muziekgebouw
The Muziekgebouw has more Christmas concerts that week, including An Irish Christmas with Irish dancing and songs, and the Netherlands Bach Society with Bach's Magnificat.
Getting there
The Muziekgebouw Eindhoven is on the Heuvel in the city centre, about a ten-minute walk from Eindhoven Centraal. The public entrance is at Heuvel 140. Car parks, including the one under the Heuvel shopping centre, and guarded bike parking are nearby. The restaurants around the Markt, the Kleine Berg and the 18 Septemberplein are a few minutes' walk away.
See all kids and family activities and the calendar for December 2026.