On Saturday 16 December, we are celebrating the opening of Collectie Centraal: our new displays of the permanent collection. After two years, familiar artworks such as Rietveld's Red Blue Chair , the paintings of the Utrecht Caravaggisti and our famous fashion pieces are back on display. But we are showing them in a new way. The collection is now arranged thematically, mixing up past, present and future. With themes such as "Remember Me" and "Taste Differs", each gallery will provide new insights or a sense of recognition.

On 16 December, we’ll be celebrating all day and evening at the museum. The most important thing, of course, is to discover the new collection displays, but there are also various activities from early in the morning until late at night.

For example, children can paint with light, make their own postcards or dance in the silent disco tent, and you can join in on the fun Utrecht bingo with Carola Kraai or have a dance during the silent disco or musical chairs. You can listen to lectures about the new displays by artistic director Bart Rutten and interesting conversations between museum curators and artists. And you can test your general knowledge during an exciting pub quiz in the museum café or express your creativity during one of the inspiring workshops such as the beatbox workshop, the 'make your own chair' workshop or the improvisational theatre workshop. You can enjoy a snack and a drink in the garden food court and, with the holiday season fast approaching, treat yourself or someone else to one of the great products on sale in the museum shop.

TIMETABLE

Centraal Museum Pub Quiz

Do you know everything there is to know about fashion or music or are you a font of fun facts? Come and test your knowledge during the Centraal Museum pub quiz! It starts at 5 pm and is hosted by Bas Louissen and Chris Bergström, the men behind the Man Man Man podcast. Register now to secure your spot. There’s a maximum of five people per team. Please note: the quiz will be held in Dutch.

Register here

Utrecht Bingo with Carola Kraai

Whether you win the main prize, the booby prize or nothing at all, you’re guaranteed to have fun at this Utrecht bingo, led by singer, presenter and all-round entertainer Carola Kraai. It starts at 3 pm. Will we see you there?

Lectures and Tours

Whether you’re interested in art, history or innovation, there’s something for everyone in our lecture programme in which our curators will be talking with artists and experts. And, of course, you’re welcome to join one of the guided tours of Collection Centraal!

Workshops

Improv Comedy Performance

Jump on the rollercoaster of humour and on-the-spot storytelling at the improvised theatre workshop! Often absurd and hilarious, sometimes profound, but always 100% improvised, based on your suggestions. You can take part or watch. If you’re willing to embrace the unexpected, we will transform an ordinary evening into a spectacle full of collective creativity!

Beatbox Workshop

Discover the world of beatboxing and rap in an accessible and playful way in this workshop. Ramiro Gomes Monteiro will guide you through fun exercises that will teach you how to make music without instruments in only half an hour. At the end of the workshop, each group will present its own mini performance! Who knows, you might score the museum hit of the year! Register now because places are limited.

Make Your Own Chair

Following its great success during Late Centraal, we couldn’t leave this workshop out of the programme. Build your own unique chair that makes a statement or pimp it up with scrap materials, paint and much more. Sound good? See you there!

Musical Chairs

What is a party without this festive classic? But we’ve tweaked it a bit just for you! How? We’re not saying. One thing’s for sure, you don’t want to miss this! See you in the circle! 

Music

And, of course, there will be plenty of great music! From soul, jazz and R&B to exciting electropop: you won’t be able to sit still with Onkruid, Hanna Boudewijnse, Flinter & De Nightingale and Charley Marie. As if that wasn’t enough, Stranded FM DJs Chananja, Android Dreams and Rosco will be spinning experimental and danceable beats all evening in the pagoda tent.

Lucrative Dumpster Dives

Angelina Kumar is an Indian artist, social entrepreneur and teacher. She is also the co-curator of our evening programme. Her artistic endeavours are deeply rooted in her relationship with nature and sustainability. As founder of the Lucrative Dumpster Dives, Angelina is actively committed to promoting a circular economy within the arts and culture sector, thus making a meaningful contribution to the convergence of creativity and environmental awareness. You do not want to miss this.

Material Journey

Have you ever wondered about the fascinating journey an object goes on before it reaches you? Discover the behind-the-scenes stories of a whole range of objects. The Material Journey workshop is an eye-opening experience that delves into hidden stories that will make you look at everyday objects in a completely new way.

Envisioning workshop

Have you ever imagined a world in which inclusive and sustainable practices are the norm? During this visualisation workshop, we will explore the potential for change. You will learn to dream big and to share your visions. Seize this unique opportunity to contribute to creating a future that supports our planet, now and for generations to come.

Collection Centraal was made possible by the City of Utrecht, the VriendenLoterij, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), the Mondriaan Fund, the Van Baaren Foundation, Fonds 21 and Stichting ZadelhoffCultuurfonds. We would also like to thank Lies Willers and Studio Caspar Conijn, Joost de Beij, Fiction Factory and all those who made this renovation and the new displays possible.