Oerol (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈuːrɔl]) is a cultural festival on the island of Terschelling in the Netherlands that is held annually in June.
Beaches, woods, dunes and other landscapes can function as performance spaces, and shows have also taken place in farm sheds, boathouses and an army bunker.
In 2021 the focus was mainly on the 15 makers who worked together during the Oerol Lab, a number of additional residencies and the possibility for groups to finish the performance for future play locations.
In the Terschelling dialect, Oerol means "everywhere" or literally "overall" in the sense of covering the entire land (oeral in standard Frisian).
Oerol takes its name from an old Terschelling tradition, when for a short time in early spring cattle were allowed to roam freely on the island, grazing on any and all available greenery.
[2] The oerol tradition continued until the arrival of paved roads, since cars and bicyclists collided at night with sleeping cattle; it was finally ended during the German occupation of the island in World War II.
As a tribute to Joop Mulder, Marc van Vliet's artwork De Streken will be placed in the Wadden Sea during the summer in the coming years with the help of private donations.