Josje Huisman, 40, Returns to K3 for December Concerts
Josje Huisman is returning to K3. The 40-year-old singer, a former member of the Belgian-Dutch girl group, will rejoin the stage as a guest artist for the Studio 100 SingAlong in Symphony concerts in December 2026, temporarily replacing the pregnant Hanne Verbruggen (32), according to VRT NWS.
She announced the comeback via Instagram on October 3, 2026, with the words: “What if I told you I’ll be back with K3 very soon?” The timing was deliberate, falling exactly 17 years after Huisman won the talent show K2 zoekt K3 on October 3, 2009, when she first became a K3 member.
A Symbolic Return
Huisman will perform alongside current K3 members Julia Boschman and Marthe De Pillecyn. She steps in for Verbruggen, who is on maternity leave expecting her second child with her husband, Jorn Sarens.
“I’m really looking forward to being part of Studio 100 SingAlong in Symphony,” Huisman said in a press release. “There are so many songs from that period that still evoke very special memories. To sing them again soon, with such a large orchestra and together with thousands of people in the hall, will be very special.”
As Studio 100 noted in its announcement, the press release was timed to coincide with the anniversary of her 2009 debut, calling it a moment that “makes the fairy tale complete.”
In a video on its YouTube channel, the Flemish newspaper Het Nieuwsblad reported that Huisman will stand in for Verbruggen during the AFAS Dome performances.
A Family Milestone
For Huisman, the December shows carry a deeply personal dimension. As she told De Telegraaf, her young son Kamari will see her perform in a large-scale production for the first time.
Huisman’s return continues a broader pattern at K3, where former members have been brought back to cover maternity leaves. Her comeback follows a similar arrangement for Verbruggen’s fellow K3 member Marthe De Pillecyn (29), who is also pregnant with her second child. Former member Klaasje Meijer is temporarily filling in for De Pillecyn while she is on maternity rest, Studio 100 announced in February 2026.
According to VRT NWS, Verbruggen announced her pregnancy on July 6, 2026, confirming that at one point two of the three K3 members were expecting children at the same time.
The Event
The concerts mark the 30th anniversary of Studio 100. The shows will pair the biggest hits from the company’s catalogue with the 58-piece Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen and the familiar XL-band, hosted by Gert Verhulst and James Cooke.
The lineup includes the current K3, Samson & Marie, Kabouter Plop, Piet Piraat, Jelle Cleymans, Eugène Van Leemhuyzen, and Alberto, with more names to be announced.
Dutch-language entertainment coverage of the event sees the December dates as part of a broader revival of K3 nostalgia. Studio 100 describes Huisman as a member of the group from 2009 to 2015, when she “formed the iconic K3 trio with Karen Damen and Kristel Verbeke.” VRT NWS frames her tenure as running until 2016; her final performance with the group came in May 2016, after her successors were announced in November 2015.
What to Watch
The confirmed Belgian dates are the three AFAS Dome shows in Antwerp on December 3, 4 and 5, according to the Studio 100 event page. Two further dates are scheduled at Rotterdam Ahoy in the Netherlands, on December 11 and 12, as listed by the Uitagenda Rotterdam.
Several questions remain open. It is unclear whether Huisman will perform exclusively as a substitute for the K3 repertoire or also appear in other Studio 100 segments. Nor is it confirmed whether she will appear on all of the scheduled dates. What is certain is that the December concerts will feature a K3 lineup partially reshaped by maternity leaves, with a musician who helped define the group’s 2010s era returning to the stage alongside its newest generation.
Devoted fans hoping for a full reunion with Huisman’s former K3 colleagues will have to wait for further announcements, but for now, the concert series already promises a cross-generational musical celebration.