Syb van der Ploeg

Theater de Koornbeurs is a theatre in Franeker, a small Frisian city in the north of the Netherlands. It stands at Noord 2 and is listed among the town's historic sites and architectural buildings, which fits a place whose name refers to the old grain exchange tradition of the region. Franeker itself is known for its past as a university town, a centre of early Frisian culture, and for housing the oldest working planetarium in the world, so the theatre sits inside a compact historic setting rather than an anonymous commercial district. As a venue it works as a seated theatre rather than a standing club, and its programme leans toward music theatre, tribute shows and concerts with a broad, accessible appeal. Recent listings show the kind of bookings it takes: The Dutch Tenors have performed there, and on 8 March 2025 the Belgian singer Jimmy Duchateau brought his John Denver tribute to the stage in an evening theatre concert. Performances are scheduled both in the evening and in the afternoon, and the building has a separate artists' entrance, a detail that points to a proper touring theatre setup. Concert listings place Theater de Koornbeurs among the live music locations of Franeker, alongside venues such as Het Verenigingsgebouw, Mollema Music World, Sporthal de Trije and the Stadspark. Within that small group it is the one built around a theatre stage, which makes it a natural stop for touring tribute acts, vocal ensembles and singer songwriter programmes in Friesland. Visitors can easily combine an evening there with the rest of the old centre, since the city hall, the planetarium, the Martinikerk and several museums all lie within a short walk.