Elfia Arcen is the second of the two annual Elfia editions, held since September 2009 in the Kasteeltuinen Arcen, some 32 hectares of themed gardens, ponds and glasshouses around a 17th-century moated castle, a couple of kilometres from the German border. The 2026 edition runs on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 2026; the 2025 edition was held on 20–21 September. The gardens close to ordinary visitors on the days before and after for build-up and take-down, and regular Kasteeltuinen tickets are not valid during the festival, though season-pass holders get a discount.
What happens is the Elfia formula: stages with bands, workshops, authors, walking acts, a large international market of costume, jewellery, leather and fantasy wares, and above all the visitors themselves, who come in elaborate elf, cosplay, steampunk and medieval dress and present them in the costume parade. The garden setting, with its rose gardens, water features and the castle as backdrop, is what distinguishes Arcen from the spring edition.
Arcen has a real medieval past. It was a lordship of the Duchy of Guelders from 1330, had a rampart with three gates by the 14th century and gained market rights in 1503; the ruined Schanstoren by the river survives from its defences. The medieval castle did not survive the wars of the 17th century, and the present house dates from the 1650s.
Tickets are sold in advance through elfia.com, with separate Saturday, Sunday and two-day prices; around 20,000 visitors were expected in 2026 according to regional broadcaster Omroep Venlo. Arcen has no railway station; the nearest is Venlo, with buses along the Maas, and the gardens lie at Lingsforterweg 26, a short walk south of the village centre.
