The goal: 130 illuminated tents in Westerpark, symbolizing the more than 13,000 homeless people in Amsterdam. On October 5, 2026, De Regenboog Groep will hold an illuminated tent protest in Westerpark to draw attention to the growing number of people without a place to call home. The event will take place during the national Week of Homelessness, organized by the coalition Dakloosheid Voorbij!
Each tent symbolizes one hundred people
During the illuminated tent protest, each tent symbolizes one hundred people without a place to call home. De Regenboog Groep is calling on Amsterdammers to set up a tent and thus literally shine a light on homelessness.
Homelessness Awareness Week
The initiative is part of the national campaign “Don’t Wait, Just Live” organized by the partnership Ending Homelessness!. In its 2022 National Action Plan on Homelessness, the Netherlands set a goal to end homelessness by 2030 at the latest. Given current trends in the number of homeless people, the organization says the Netherlands is completely off track.
13,000 personal stories
With this illuminated tent protest, De Regenboog Groep aims to show that behind every statistic is a real person. People without a home cannot keep waiting for housing.
More than 13,000 people in Amsterdam are homeless. Homelessness isn’t just about Amsterdammers sleeping on the streets. It also includes fellow residents sleeping on friends’ couches, young people forced to stay at temporary addresses, and people who lose their homes after a breakup or job loss.
Everyone has the right to a comfortable and safe home, but in Amsterdam, people wait an average of 8 to 15 years for public housing. For someone who is already homeless, such a long wait is not a solution. What starts as a housing problem often becomes a health problem as well. A stable home can therefore prevent people from falling further into trouble.
About the National Action Week Against Homelessness
The event in Amsterdam is part of the National Action Week Against Homelessness, running from October 5 through 10, leading up to World Homeless Day on October 10. In various municipalities, social organizations are organizing events under the hashtag #NietWachtenMaarWonen.
The week will conclude on October 10 during the national Housing Protest, starting at 2:00 p.m. on Dam Square in Amsterdam.
In addition, there will be a House of Representatives debate on homelessness on November 11. De Regenboog Groep calls on the House of Representatives to actually implement the recommendations for a structural approach to homelessness, so that by 2030, homelessness will truly be a thing of the past.
Practical Information
Monday, October 5, 7:00–8:30 p.m.
- 6:45 p.m. We’ll meet at Westerpark 1B in Amsterdam, on the small square in front of the Billy daycare center
- 7:00 p.m. We’ll walk into the park and set up our tents along predetermined paths. Everyone will receive a small light to place next to their tent. If you have a protest sign, you’re welcome to display it.
- 7:15 PM Project coordinator Tamara from De Regenboog Groep will give a speech. Afterward, anyone who wishes to may take the floor and share something (personal).
- 8:25 PM A 130-second round of applause as a show of support and recognition for all people without a permanent place to live.
- 8:30 PM Take down tents and leave the park.
Register your tent using the button below.
This image was created using AI.