DocLab Program 2026
At IDFA DocLab, step inside stories through interactive art, VR, games, installations and performances. In its twentieth edition, themed Shared Realities, explore how we experience ourselves, each other and the world. Discover groundbreaking work, both new and revisited, across Amsterdam, with a free exhibition at De Brakke Grond as the central meeting point.
Plan ahead, as some experiences are only available for a limited time. Check below for locations and opening hours.
DocLab Exhibition @ de Brakke Grond
Venue: Nes 45. Opening hours: Friday, November 13 to Saturday, November 21, 11:30–20:30; Sunday, November 22, 11:30–18:00. Admission: Free.*
*Online reservation required at idfa.nl/expo
At the DocLab Exhibition, artists explore new ways of engaging with documentary through installations, VR, and games. With more than 20 works on display, the exhibition invites you to explore at your own pace: look, listen, play, and discover how documentary can extend far beyond the screen.
Free guided tours take place daily. Visit the DocLab information desk for more details.
DocLab Playrooms @ de Brakke Grond
Venue: Nes 45. Opening hours: Saturday 14, Monday 16, and Tuesday November 17, 15:00–19:00. Admission: Free.
Meet artists and fellow visitors during three informal afternoons of experimentation. Try out prototypes, join artists as they explore, and stick around for a drink and a chat. There’s no set start time, so drop in whenever you like.
DocLab VR Gallery @ de Brakke Grond
Venue: Nes 45. Opening hours: Friday, November 13 through Saturday, November 21, 11:30–20:30; Sunday, November 22, 11:30–18:00. Admission: Regular ticket at idfa.nl/VR.
De Brakke Grond is home to the VR Gallery, featuring a selection of VR films and interactive works. Your ticket reserves a 50-minute slot with your own VR headset. A volunteer will help you choose an experience and show you how everything works.
You can also drop in without a reservation: one free walk-in spot is available for visitors willing to wait in line. The gallery also features Shifting Connections by Tungyen Chou, a shared VR experience in which bodies made of points and lines continually form new connections.
DocLab fulldome experiences @ ARTIS Planetarium
Venue: Plantage Kerklaan 38–40 B. Saturday, November 14: 21:00–22:45 (with Q&A). Tuesday, November 17: 21:00–22:30. Admission: Regular ticket at idfa.nl/artis.
Under the vast dome of the ARTIS Planetarium, these evenings invites you to do more than just look and listen—you can taste as well. Discover four works from the DocLab selection adapted to fulldome experiences, exploring time, everyday rituals, and life after death.
DocLab @ Droog
Venue: Staalstraat 7B. Opening hours: Friday, November 13 through Saturday, November 21, 11:30–20:30; Sunday, November 22, 11:30–18:00. Admission: Free. Tickets for the two experiences at idfa.nl/droog.
Microbiome Restaurant
Discover Microbiome Restaurant by artist collective POLYMORF: a mix of art, VR, and performance exploring the microorganisms that live in and around us. Visit the free exhibition and audio installation at @droog, or book one of the following experiences:
Plural Tastings: In this unique experience for six people, you’ll encounter your own microbes in VR, inside a life-sized petri dish. You’re both the dinner guest and the meal. Haute Cuisine for the Rectum: A surreal gastronomic performance for three people, featuring a Michelin-style snack delivered rectally to nourish your gut flora.
DocLab @ Nationale Opera: Studio Boekman
Venue: Amstel 3. Monday, November 16: 17:30–18:50. Admission: Regular ticket at idfa.nl/opera.
The Invisible Woman: An Immersive Opera in the Making
Whose voices are missing from our history? The Invisible Woman takes us from 17th-century archives to the present day, and from VR into the world of opera. Experience a one-time preview of a live immersive opera currently in development.
DocLab @ Casa Rosso
Venue: Oudezijds Achterburgwal 106–108. Opening hours: Friday, November 13 through Sunday, November 22, continuous screenings from 11:30–17:30. Last entry at 16:30. Admission: Regular ticket at idfa.nl/casarosso.
Orgasmagoria
Working with (cyber)sex workers, porn performers, and their friends, Dries Verhoeven has created a film about sexual pleasure in the digital age. It screens on a continuous loop at Casa Rosso, the sex theater in Amsterdam’s Red Light District.
Your ticket grants entry at your selected time slot. You’re welcome to stay as long as you like and leave whenever you finish.
DocLab @ ENTR VR Museum
Venue: Oosterdokskade 131b. Opening hours: Saturday, November 14 through Wednesday, November 18, 11:00–18:00. Admission: Regular ticket at idfa.nl/entr.
In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats
In this interactive VR documentary, travel back to 1989 with three other people and set out in search of an illegal rave at a secret location somewhere in Coventry. Grab a flyer, jump in the back of a car, and dive into British rave culture. The anticipation, the search, the euphoria—it’s all part of the experience.
Presented at the new VR museum ENTR, with screenings every hour. Choose your start time.
