In the little town of Grolloo, the birthplace of one of the Netherlands’ greatest blues icons, Holland International Blues Festival settled down in June of 2016, signalling the start of a grand musical adventure.

The fact that Grolloo was chosen to become the European heart of blues was no coincidence: it was the hometown of the legendary Cuby & the Blizzards. The blues band, which was formed in the sixties and led by Harry “Cuby” Muskee, contained well-known members such as guitarists Eelco Gelling and Erwin Java, and even a young Herman Brood on piano. Records such as Desolation and Groeten Uit Grollo (‘Greetings from Grollo’, as the town name was written back then) reached icon status. In the farm where Muskee lived for years and rehearsed with his Blizzards, the C+B Museum was established in 2011, his year of death, and the town centre hosts his statue. Holland International Blues Festival still takes place near “Cuby’s” date of birth in June.

Since that first edition, the event has been growing, and still does so. Big names such as Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Jeff Beck, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Joe Bonamassa, Walter Trout, Ringo Starr, Van Morrison, Beth Hart, and John Fogerty, shared the stage, situated in the big tent, with promising artists such as Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Joanne Shaw Taylor, King Solomon Hicks, Marcus King, and many others.

The festival has also grown in its musical reach by programming Americana and country in addition to its solid base of blues.

The adventure continues on 20 and 21 June 2025.

See you soon in The Blues Village Grolloo!