Come to the Rooted Festival on World Refugee Day
On World Refugee Day (Thursday, 20 June 2024), UNHCR is hosting a festival especially for refugees. During the Rooted Festival, 300 people will come together to share stories in English. Come to the festival, too!
Celebrate World Refugee Day yourself at UNHCR's Rooted Festival
On Thursday, 20 June, UNHCR together with other organisations is organising the Rooted Festival in Hilversum, on the edge of the heath, from 13:00 to 22:00. This festival is for people who themselves have a refugee or migration background. And who want to connect with others who recognise or understand this.
It will be a day of engaging gatherings, with interesting speakers, short films, panel discussions and music. Visitors are invited to share stories and learn about each other's roots, identities and building a new life. The language of the festival will be English.
Get your tickets for the Rooted Festival
Want to be at the festival? Then you need a ticket. A ticket gives access to all meetings, speakers and performances. And you get food and two drinks.
Read more about the festival on the Rooted Festival website
Would you like to go to this festival, but do not have the money to buy a ticket? Then send an e-mail to
You can order tickets on this Rooted Festival ticket page
World Refugee Day is a day we celebrate the Refugee Convention
The 1st World Refugee Day was celebrated in 2001. At that time, the
The Refugee Convention is still the basis for asylum policy in many countries today. Also in the Netherlands. It determines when someone should legally be considered a refugee and how countries should treat refugees.
Other celebrations during World Refugee Day
On World Refugee Day, several Dutch organisations celebrate the existence of the Refugee Convention. For example, the Refugee Foundation organises the Night of the Refugee. They are doing so for the 15th time this year.
On the night of Saturday, 15 June to Sunday, 16 June, 7,000 people will walk 10, 20 or 40 kilometers to draw attention to and raise money for emergency aid for refugees in various places around the world. Registration for this has already closed; you can no longer sign up for this.