On Thursday, staff members, former colleagues and their guests kicked off the festivities during the Garden Gathering. Entering the grounds via the Trip Down Memory Lane, lined with images from fifty years of the university’s history, they stepped into an afternoon of reunions with colleagues, familiar faces from the past and new encounters in the sunshine.

For many staff members, the afternoon felt like a celebration of recognition, but also appreciation. Former colleagues caught up, while guests effortlessly joined the conversations. Education Coordinator Anouk Heuts captured the atmosphere perfectly: “Surrounded by so many familiar faces, you really felt appreciated as a staff member. It made you feel proud to be part of this.”

On Friday, around 2,500 students took over the grounds for Student Day. As the afternoon went on, Tapijn became increasingly lively. For student Bella Geraerds, it quickly felt like a mini festival. Across the grounds, different activity areas had been set up, from karaoke to the “4-minute party”, where students gathered to sing and dance. “It started off very relaxed, and later it definitely turned into a huge party.”

For one afternoon, faculty affiliations did not matter. Students naturally came together. On the grass, enjoying the music of DJ duo 2Minds, and especially at the karaoke box, where enthusiastic singalongs to Mamma Mia and Engelbewaarder sparked new friendships.

Later in the evening, the energy intensified. During John Tana’s performance, Bella said the entire grounds “went wild”. Students jumped and danced along, and even those unfamiliar with his songs enthusiastically tried to sing along in dialect. “You really had the feeling: we’re all here together as students.”

Amid the festival atmosphere, the Battle of the Faculties also took place. Students from all six faculties competed across the Tapijn grounds in sports, knowledge, music and art challenges. Teams cheered each other on from the sidelines, worked together and enthusiastically competed for the title of Faculty of the Year 2026.

That title ultimately went to the Faculty of Science and Engineering. But the event was about more than winning. The mix of competition, teamwork and fun made the battle one of the highlights of the day.