Dragon Festival Beesel
Beesel, also known as the dragon village, is known for the legend of Saint George and the dragon. Indeed, every seven years, the village is entirely dedicated to this legend during the Dragon Festival. Read on and find out more about Beesel and this unique event.
Dragon Festival Beesel
Have you heard of the Dragon Festival in Beesel? Every seven years, the dragon village of Beesel is all about the Dragon Festival. This is because a large open-air theatre with six performances is staged during the summer. During this open-air theatre, the audience can enjoy drama, song, music, fights and humour all based on the legend of Saint George and the Dragon. And the nice thing is, every performance of the Dragon Sign is slightly different from the story of the previous seven years. This keeps the play exciting for both the players and the audience.
The approximately 400 (amateur) actors are inhabitants of Beesel or born here. The gigantic scenery, clothing and the impressive fire-breathing dragon are also made by the inhabitants themselves. In short, the Dragon Festival lives in Beesel! During the festival, you can enjoy the open-air theatre, a historical parade and dragon decorated houses.
Dragon Festival; an age-old tradition in Beesel
Maintaining the legend St George and the Dragon has been a tradition since 1736. A battle between good and evil. Where once a short play was performed for a few people, the Dragon Festival in Beesel has now grown into a large open-air theatre.
Since 1967, the Dragon Festival has been staged at one fixed location, namely at Nieuwenbroek Castle. During the open-air theatre, the grounds are transformed into a fantastic setting surrounded by gigantic stands.
Special Intangible Cultural Heritage
The Dragon festival is not just another open-air play. In fact, the tradition has been officially added to the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands. The Dragon Festival is explicitly said to be a tradition of the entire Beesel community.
The granting of Intangible Cultural Heritage is a nice recognition for the special tradition that continues to live on generation after generation. Today, the Dragon Festival foundation is the organiser of this special tradition.
VVV inspiration point
Are you in the Beesel or Reuver area? Then visit the VVV inspiration point at Landal Lommerbergen. You can go here for tourist information. The space of the inspiration point is completely themed after the legend of Saint George and the Dragon, with interactive elements. The staff will be happy to advise you on walking and cycling routes and tips for fun excursions.
The address of the inspiration point is: Lommerbergen 1, 5953 TT Reuver.
