Zomergasten ("Summer guests", an allusion to migratory birds) was a Dutch television programme broadcast each summer by VPRO on NPO 2.
The programme was first aired in 1988. Each episode takes up an entire Sunday evening. It consists of an in-depth studio interview, typically three hours long, with a notable Dutch, Belgian or other Dutch-speaking foreigner, interspersed with cinema or television footage selected by the guest, which is subsequently discussed. Guests include writers, scientists, television personalities, politicians or business people. After the interview is finished, a movie selected by the guest is broadcast on the same channel.
Zomergasten has become one of the signature programmes of Dutch public television. VPRO has organized live public screenings of Zomergasten in arthouse cinemas. In 2017, several venues in Amsterdam organised public screenings of the Zomergasten edition featuring Amsterdam mayor Eberhard van der Laan.
In December 2025, broadcaster VPRO announced that the 39th season in 2026 will be the last, due to cutbacks in the NPO budget. In April 2026, Arjen Lubach announced that Janine Abbring would return as host for the final season. She previously hosted from 2017 until 2022 and one episode in 2024.
Episodes SeasonAirdateGuestHost1(1988)3 JulyPierre Janssen10 JulyRenate Rubinstein17 JulyPieter Verhoeff24 JulyG.B.J. Hiltermann31 JulySienie Strikwerda2(1989)4 JuneLoe de Jong11 JuneAndrée van Es18 JuneLouis Andriessen25 JuneJoop van Tijn3(1990)3 JuneHenk Hofland10 JuneAdelheid Roosen17 JuneRob Scholte24 JuneHugo Claus4(1991)2 JuneArmando9 JuneJan Wolkers16 JuneJacqueline de Gier23 JuneWillem Breuker30 JunePiet Vroon5(1992)31 MayRenée Soutendijk7 JuneCharlotte Mutsaers14 JuneFrank van Ree21 JuneAnil Ramdas28 JuneIscha Meijer6(1993)4 JulyErnst van de Wetering11 JulyIan Buruma18 JulyLieve Joris25 JulyJan Mulder7(1994)24 JulyFrans Swarttouw31 JulyTon Alberts7 AugustIsabelle van Keulen14 AugustInez de Beaufort21 AugustRudy Kousbroek8(1995)2 JulyFrits Bolkestein9 JulyAryan Kaganof16 JulyLydia Rood23 JulyMarcel Kurpershoek30 JulyHarry Mulisch9(1996)14 JulyConnie PalmenFreek de Jonge21 JulyJan Vrijman28 JulyThom Hoffman4 AugustAnton Corbijn11 AugustGerardjan Rijnders10(1997)3 AugustCandy DulferWim T. Schippers10 AugustK. Schippers17 AugustArnon Grunberg24 AugustJaap van Heerden31 AugustHugo Brandt Corstius11(1998)2 AugustRenate DorresteinHanneke Groenteman9 AugustArend Jan Dunning16 AugustWillem van Kooten23 AugustAlex van Warmerdam12(1999)1 AugustSonja BarendAdriaan van Dis8 AugustTom Lanoye15 AugustTamarah Benima22 AugustKader Abdolah13(2000)22 JulyKristien Hemmerechts6 AugustGeert Mak13 AugustHelga Ruebsamen20 AugustHenk van Os27 AugustRaoul Heertje14(2001)5 AugustMensje van Keulen12 AugustSylvia Tóth19 AugustFrits BarendHenk van Dorp26 AugustYoup van 't Hek2 SeptemberMartin Bril15(2002)11 AugustMies Bouwman18 AugustCees Fasseur25 AugustAnna Enquist1 SeptemberHuub van der Lubbe16(2003)3 AugustBritta BöhlerJoost Zwagerman10 AugustPaul de Leeuw17 AugustHafid Bouazza24 AugustDries van Agt31 AugustHenriëtte Maassen van den Brink17(2004)25 JulyHeleen van Rooyen1 AugustFelix Rottenberg8 AugustTheo Maassen15 AugustMorris Tabaksblat22 AugustTijs Goldschmidt29 AugustAyaan Hirsi Ali18(2005)24 JulyCees NooteboomConnie Palmen31 JulyTom Barman7 AugustRobbert Dijkgraaf14 AugustMaria Goos21 AugustWim Anker28 AugustKatja Schuurman19(2006)30 JulyJeltje van NieuwenhovenJoris Luyendijk6 AugustJoep van Lieshout13 AugustLeon de Winter20 AugustHalina Reijn27 AugustAd Verburgge3 SeptemberHenkjan Smits20(2007)22 JulyBettine Vriesekoop29 JulyBram Moszkowicz5 AugustHany Abu-Assad12 AugustChristine van Broeckhoven19 AugustAlexander Rinnooy Kan26 AugustLinda de Mol21(2008)27 JulyRonald PlasterkBas Heijne3 AugustTom Holkenborg10 AugustNaema Tahir17 AugustAnnemarie Prins24 AugustWillem Schinkel31 AugustJoop van den Ende22(2009)26 JulyViktor Horsting & Rolf Snoeren2 AugustPrem Radhakishun9 AugustTrudy Dehue16 AugustCarice van Houten23 AugustAlexander Pechtold30 AugustJaap van Zweden23(2010)25 JulyJan Marijnissen1 AugustMaarten 't Hart8 AugustPaulien Cornelisse15 AugustAnnet Malherbe22 AugustPaul Verhoeven29 AugustErwin Olaf24(2011)24 JulyMarc-Marie Huijbregts31 JulyDick Swaab7 AugustStep Vaessen14 AugustLilian Gonçalves-Ho Kang You21 AugustErik van Lieshout28 AugustGuy Verhofstadt25(2012)22 JulyHenry VrientenJan Leyers29 JulyMicha Wertheim5 August −1 SeptemberJolande Withuis12 AugustLidewij Edelkoort19 AugustBen Verwaayen26 AugustAdriaan van Dis26(2013)28 JulyHans Teeuwen4 AugustNelleke Noordervliet11 AugustBeatrice de Graaf18 AugustJohan Simons25 AugustWouter Bos1 SeptemberDaan Roosegaarde27(2014)20 JulyFreek de Jonge27 JulyJim Taihuttu3 AugustSaskia Noort10 AugustReinbert de Leeuw17 AugustIonica Smeets24 AugustDavid Van Reybrouck28(2015)26 JulyAhmed Aboutaleb2 AugustPeter Buwalda9 AugustSimon(e) van Saarloos16 AugustAdriaan Geuze23 AugustAnnejet van der Zijl30 AugustDamiaan Denys29(2016)31 JulyDyab Abou JahlahThomas Erdbrink7 AugustArjen Lubach14 AugustHedy d'Ancona21 AugustGriet Op de Beeck28 AugustAndrea Maier4 SeptemberMark Rutte30(2017)23 JulyRosanne Hertzberger30 JulyEberhard van der Laan6 AugustGlenn Helberg13 AugustWim Opbrouck20 AugustFrans de Waal27 AugustClaudia de Breij31(2018)29 JulyRomana Vrede5 AugustLouis van Gaal12 AugustMarleen Stikker19 AugustPieter Waterdrinker26 AugustEric Wiebes2 SeptemberEsther Perel32(2019)28 JulyJohn van den Heuvel4 AugustHanna Bervoets11 AugustNina Jurna18 AugustMaxim Februari25 AugustWanda de Kanter1 SeptemberIvo van Hove33(2020)19 JulyGlenn de Randamie26 JulyInez Weski2 AugustNazmiye Oral9 AugustJaap Goudsmit16 AugustCarola Schouten23 AugustIlja Leonard Pfeijffer34(2021)18 JulyFloris Alkemade25 JulyRoxanne van Iperen1 AugustRobert Vermeiren8 AugustSevda Alizadeh15 AugustAlfred Birney22 AugustHans Klok35(2022)24 JulyHumberto Tan31 JulySandra Phlippen7 AugustDerk Sauer14 AugustLieke Marsman21 AugustRaven van Dorst28 AugustBessel van der Kolk36(2023)23 JulyThomas HertogTheo Maassen30 JulyHoyte van Hoytema6 AugustKhadija Arib13 AugustBibi Dumon Tak20 AugustKamagurka27 AugustAlida Dors37(2024)21 JulyEric van der BurgPeter van Ingen28 JulySana ValiulinaJelle Brandt Corstius4 AugustSakir KhaderJoris Luyendijk11 AugustGarrie van PinxterenJanine Abbring18 AugustLiesbeth ZegveldMargriet van der Linden25 AugustPierre BokmaHanneke Groenteman38(2025)27 JulyÖzcan Akyol3 AugustSimon Kuper10 AugustEva Crutzen17 AugustUğur Ümit Üngör24 AugustFemke Halsema31 AugustHerman Koch39(2026)26 JulyPeter PannekoekJanine Abbring2 AugustNasrah Habiballah9 AugustMerel Pauw16 AugustTommy Wieringa23 AugustSigrid Kaag30 AugustJim van Os
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