Going Dutch (Masters): The Ultimate Travel Guide

When is it? The 2026 edition of the Dutch Masters takes place from March 12 to 15.

Where is it? In the Dutch town of s’Hertogenbosch – call it Den Bosch if you want to fit in with the locals – which is about 90 kilometres south of Amsterdam.

What’s the draw? As one of the last major competitions of the European indoor season, the Dutch Masters (or Indoor Brabant, because they like to give things multiple names here) brings together some of the world’s best showjumpers and dressage riders for a smorgasbord of classes. The feature event is Sunday’s CSI5* Rolex Grand Prix, which is the first of four legs of the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping, while Saturday is the big day for dressage fans, with the FEI World Cup Freestyle to Music taking over the atmospheric main arena. Plus, there’s para dressage, pony jumping, demonstrations, more shopping than you’ll know what to do with, and, of course, a full roster of upper-level jumping and dressage classes throughout the week. We particularly love Thursday evening's Best of Champions class, which pits top riders against one another in a horse-swap competition reminiscent of vintage World Championship finals. 

How accessible is it? Thanks in part to its exhibition hall layout, the Dutch Masters is a disability-friendly show and has reserved wheelchair seats in the grandstands, too – though frustratingly, you need to call ticket provider Eventim to book these, rather than just using the online booking system. There are accessible toilets available in the Brabanthallen, and there’s also accessible parking; you’ll just need to book a normal parking ticket, for €15 per day, and then ask one of the attendants on the day to guide you in the right direction. Note, though, that you will need a European Disability Parking Permit to use these spaces. If you’re coming from the UK, your Blue Badge should be recognised in the Netherlands, but to be sure, it’s worth double-checking with Eventim when you’re booking your tickets. Guide dogs may be allowed on a case-by-case basis – to enquire, you’ll need to fill out this form. Keep in mind that walkways do get busy and crowded as the audience leaves the stands en masse after a class – if that's an issue, consider waiting a few minutes for the space to clear before venturing out. 

What’s this going to cost me? How long is a piece of string? You could assemble 24 of your closest and richest friends and get a Skybox for four days, which is, according to the event organisers, “fully furnished and an excellent view of the arena” (one would hope so), but doesn’t include catering or VAT for a cool €22,500. If you want luxury and food, there’s six-berth VIP boxes with a meal and snacks from €4,500. Or, if you’re a nice normal person wanting a nice normal day out, you can get tribune tickets for €25 on Thursday, if you don’t mind not having an assigned seat, or from €45 on Saturday. You'll find the box office here. 

What do I need to know for the plot? Okay, the main thing is that it's all eyes on the Grand Prix, which was won last year by France’s Simon Delestre and Cayman Jolly Jumper. It was a redemption arc for the pair, who’d nearly won the class the year prior, but had the final fence down in the jump-off when delivering the fastest time. They're aiming to return to the class and fight to retain their title this year, but they’ll face stiff competition, particularly from US phenom Kent Farrington, who’s currently the Rolex Grand Slam live leader after taking the CHI Geneve Grand Prix with top horse Greya. He’ll be piloting Toulayna in Den Bosch – the twelve-year-old mare finished fifth in the Grand Prix here last year, and he reckons she’s ready to step it up a notch this time around. We’ll also see confirmed entries from World Number One Scott Brash, who’s the only rider to win the Grand Slam so far, and who’s on fairly astonishing form this winter with a string of Grand Prix wins in Doha under his belt; fellow Brit and World Number 3 Ben Maher; speed maestro Richard Vogel of Germany; World Champion Henrik von Eckermann of Sweden; and Dutch high-hope Willem Greve, who comes to his home show off the back of an emotional win in the Gothenburg Longines World Cup. Over in the dressage ring, the two standout entries are from World Champion Lottie Fry and legend of the sport Isabell Werth, who’ll do battle on Everdale and DSP Quantaz, respectively. Check out the Masterlist of entries across the disciplines here.

What are the must-dos when I'm there? Prepare your Instagram grid to be very green, first of all. The instantly-recognisable and very Rolex green underlighting is a staple of the Dutch Masters and a nightmare to all photographers, until you just decide to embrace it and treat it as the nightclub it's aiming to be. Get stuck into the Digital Fanzone, and keep an eye out on site for interactive screens where you can play many of the games and quizzes in person. Spend some time at the warm-up arena, where you can peek through the tulips to watch the world's best riders prepare their horses – a masterclass in how to make it happen. Similarly, if there's a class you're skipping in favour of shopping, take five to stand at the in-gate chute and experience the tension and the relief – or heartbreak – of competitors entering and exiting the ring. Even better? Stand here for Saturday evening's indoor derby class, which includes a route down the chute and out to the warm-up ring. It's high-intensity action, seriously close-up. Pick up an arena-harrowing autonomous bot, or a sweeping robot, at the HarrowBot stand; customise your kit in true Dressage Queen fashion at Bling My Horse; get yourself an order of hot poffertjes – little fluffy Dutch pancakes topped with powdered sugar – in the food hall. Actually, speaking of food, make sure you eat some bitterballen, a breaded, deep-fried beefy gunge that tastes way better than it sounds and is truly perfect dipped in mustard, and plan for a meal in the Gastro Lounge. Post-show, the promo village is the place to be, with bars and food stalls staying open and live music on every night. Saturday night hosts NOA, an upcoming Dutch DJ who blends hip hop and house with Afrobeats – but if you want a more lowkey vibe, Hal 2's gastrobar will have live music on Friday and Saturday nights from the Familie de Bruyn. 

Alright, you’ve convinced me. How do I get there? Actually really easily, thanks to the excellent Dutch transport network.

• By car: It’s a straightforward drive even if you’re crossing the Channel – book a ferry crossing to Dunkirk (two hours on board; prices from £150) and you’re looking at a drive of just under four hours, depending on traffic around Antwerp, or go the Harwich – Hook of Holland route (circa 7 hours on board, from £174 for one person in a car) and you’ll only have a ninety minute drive once you disembark. Le Shuttle is the speediest crossing option at just 35 minutes on board from Folkestone, and will drop you in Calais for a roughly four hour drive time, but it’s also a bit dearer with prices starting at £218.
• Or, you can take the train to s’Hertogenbosch station, which is well-served by plenty of mainline routes. It’s about a kilometre from the show, so a 15-20 minute walk (just follow the signs for the Brabanthallen), or you can jump on a shuttle bus from the station to the show. If you’d like to go full Dutch, rent a bike from the station and it’s a quick five-minute cycle over to the showgrounds. For those coming from the UK, the most straightforward route is the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Amsterdam Centraal (circa four-and-a-half hours; starting from £130) and then the direct train to s’Hertogenbosch (one hour; €18.40).
• Flying is also easy! You could either land at Eindhoven, which is the closest airport around thirty minutes away, or opt for Amsterdam and jump on a direct train down, which will take about an hour. If you’re shopping for the best price, have a look at Weeze Airport in Germany and Brussels in Belgium, too.

Where should I stay? Travelling to horse shows doesn't get much better than a stop-off in the Low Countries, purely for the accessibility of so many excellent cities. S'Hertogenbosch itself is perfectly cute, with canals and canal houses aplenty – plus, it's the home of the granddaddy of weird art, Heironymus Bosch, whose work you can explore at the Jheronimus Bosch Art Centre. Make sure you try the local specialty, the Boschebollen pastry – think a profiterole, but enormous and coated in dark chocolate, best bought from the pastry shop Jan de Groot by the station. The Brabanthallen is just north-west of the centre of town, but if you want the full experience of the town, look for a place to stay in the historic city centre near the Markt square, which is just east of the station. The Saints is beautifully situated by the St. John's Cathedral; the Keershuys has an excellent bistro on site; and the Soete Moeder is an adorable converted nunnery, which also provides opportunities to vulnerable people in its team. 

If you're happy to commute in, you've got plenty of appealing options. Eindhoven, in the south of the Netherlands, might not appeal to traditionalists but for fans of design – it's the Dutch design capital – and more modern architecture, it's a vibrant, creative city and just over half an hour from the show by car or direct train. It's also a real foodie hub: book a table at the Michelin-starred Zarzo, the eclectic brainchild of Spanish chef Adrian Zarzo Habraken. 

A touch further away but well worth the trip is underrated Utrecht, which is 50 minutes door-to-door by car or 45 minutes, including the 20 minute walk from the station in s'Hertogenbosch, by train. Utrecht has all the best bits of Amsterdam's coolest neighbourhoods, without the risk of walking down a main drag full of Zaras, H&Ms, and drunk American tourists. It's got gorgeous, medieval Dutch architecture, plenty of art and culture and, best of all, innumerable canal-side cellars that have been converted into intimate restaurants and bars that spill out onto the walkway. Our perfect evening? A sundowner at Portuguese tapas spot Chillz (bad name! Good food!), from which you can peek into the artists' studios across the canal. As a university town, Utrecht is also packed with independent shops and galleries, and there's that ineffable feeling in the air of no-bullshittery, inherited, perhaps, from the city's bevy of young resistance fighters during the Second World War. Wandering the city to find plaques telling their stories is a delight. Stay at the charming Nox Hotel on Keistraat to be close to everything without the noise of being right in the centre. 

Amsterdam, too, is doable at around an hours' drive or train from s'Hertogenbosch, and it makes for a great bookend to four days of horse sport. It'll be pricier than staying in smaller cities – though probably cheaper than dealing with surge pricing during the show in s'Hertogenbosch – and it's best done with some sort of strategy, otherwise you risk getting caught up in the most touristy, and as such, most forgettable, parts of the city. Skip the red light district (de Wallen), the coffee shops, and the drag from Dam Square to Centraal Station on Damraak and Rokin, which is just packed with souvenir shops, overpriced (and crap) chip shops, and overstimulating, forgettable high street shops. Instead, head to Jordaan, which is hardly a best-kept-secret but is more likely to give you the 'authentic' Amsterdam you're looking for, and is packed with cafes, boutiques, and canal houses, or to De Pijp in the old south area of the city: fewer canals, sure, but home to Amsterdam's biggest market, the Albert Cuyp Market, as well as an endless selection of great restaurants and cafes. It's a bohemian melting pot of a neighbourhood and infinitely more interesting than the Dam area. If you're feeling flush, stay in the gorgeous Hotel The Craftsmen on the Singel Canal and walk everywhere, including to the floating flower market first thing in the morning to avoid the worst of the tourist rush, and to the Anne Frank House (prebooking is essential!), which really is as worthwhile and wounding as everyone says. 

Let's get this thing booked. How can I get my tickets? Everything you need is on the Dutch Masters website. Happy horsing around.