62nd Tong Tong Fair moves to 2021

The 62nd Tong Tong Fair will not be taking place in September 2020.

Last March, moving the event to September 2020 still seemed a feasible option, and most exhibitors and artists/performers were looking forward to participating in it. The Municipality of The Hague, too, intended to give us their full support for an edition in September 2020.

As time went on, that possibility has become less and less realistic. Even though the Dutch Government currently allows events to take place from September 1, 2020, these will probably have to conform to strict guidelines such as the 1.5 m social distancing measure. Or the elderly might be advised against visiting such busy locations. The consequence of which would be that we couldn’t really celebrate a true Tong Tong Fair, joining together all generations and alive with heartfelt encounters everywhere you look. 

Add to this the large number of our exhibitors who travel especially to the Tong Tong Fair from all over Southeast Asia, where the Corona epidemic is running a different course from that of Europe. Transporting their special food- and non-food-products from Asia, often by sea, demands long-term planning. This could not possibly wait until the last moment, while we would all still be keeping our fingers crossed for a green light to go ahead in September.  

Therefore, we have decided not to organise the 62nd Tong Tong Fair in 2020. For the first time since 1959, we will have to skip a year. This is a very painful decision to make. 

However, we do not want to wait until 2021 before meeting you again. We hope to be able to organise small-scale gatherings around different themes such as cooking, history or literature. Such events, if allowed, make it possible for us to organise something at much shorter notice. Please keep an eye on our website and social media for updates.

Pre-bought tickets for the 62nd Tong Tong Fair will remain valid. Those of you, who have already purchased tickets in our advance ticket sale, will receive a personal message shortly.

The exact dates for the 62nd Tong Tong Fair in 2021 will be announced later, on our website and through social media.

We hope to welcome you again in good health in 2021!