New Year's Eve parties & events in Amsterdam
Celebrating the new year brings a fresh start full of opportunity, new leaves and blank slates. How will you celebrate? Amsterdam's list of parties is as long as the Prinsengracht. Our guide to the best and varied parties covers the mass-scale dance parties, costume shindigs, free-for-all family fun and quirky theme parties.
New Years, new cheers
The largest event in the city - and easiest on the wallet (it's free!) - is at Amsterdam's Museumplein. Get New Year's Eve rocking with Dutch bands and DJs and a gigantic fireworks extravaganza! The event kicks off at 21:30 with a full programme running through until 00:30. It’s a popular event so count on sizeable crowds, listen to safety announcements and respect each other’s space.
In addition to the Museumplein festivities, plenty of New Year's Eve parties to suit every taste spring up across Amsterdam which can make deciding where to spend the evening tricky business. Check out our comprehensive guide below for an idea of what was on offer for NYE 2011/2012.
2011/2012 parties
The Paradiso gets old-school this New Year’s Eve with their Going to a GoGo party. Amsterdam BeatClub are in charge of this groovy event featuring live bands, go-go girls, cult movies, great DJs, champagne and of course oodles of fun! 22:00 - 05:00, 25 euros.
SOLD OUT.
Apenkooi (Monkey Cage) goes supersize for their New Year's Eve event this year, taking over the Westerliefde, Westergasterras and Transformatorhius at the Westergasfabriek for an extra-large NYE blowout. There’ll be one area with techno, house and tech-house, one for electro and eclectic and another with hip-hop and party tunes! 22:00 - 06:00, 50 euros.
If you’re up for a night of bawdy burlesque naughtiness, look no further than the Midnite Burlesque New Year’s Eve costume party at the Comedy Theater at the Nes. Get your glad rags on and head along for a glamorous evening featuring live acts and rock ‘n' roll, big band, electro-swing and soul tunes. 22:00 - 04:30, 35 euros presale, 40 euros on the door. SOLD OUT.
Summer festival Loveland get in on the act for the Loveland New Year 2011 at not one, but two locations! Hotel Arena hosts Fire! (22:00 - 05:00, 45 euros) and T-Dansant is at the Magna Plaza (22:00 - 05:00, 65 euros). T-Dansant SOLD OUT.
This year, the Melkweg teams up with record label Border Community for the predominantly electro-flavoured Border Community NYE. The party takes over the entire Melkweg, with the inspirational DJ line-up spread out across the various halls. 22:00 - 06:00 (for The Max, opening times vary for other halls), 40 euros (early bird), 50 euros (standard).
After a successful Queen’s Night edition, Koekoek returns to Odeon with no less than 14 killer DJs including Benny Rodriguez and the Man Zonder Schaduw! 22:00 - 06:00, 29.90 euros (early bird, before 5 December), 39.50 euros (standard).
One of Amsterdam's jazz hotspots, the Bimhuis presents an extraordinary New Year’s Eve Concert featuring various artists performing highlights from the Zaal 100 ‘Brokken’ (‘Pieces’) series. 20:30 - late, 38 euros. SOLD OUT.
Rising from the ashes of the legendary club iT and conceived by top Dutch designer Marcel Wanders, Amsterdam’s Club AIR is a design-lover’s dream. In a nod of acknowledgement back to its roots, AIR’s Can You Feel iT New Year’s Eve Hollywood Party promises to be a trendy gay-friendly affair to help you see the New Year in in style. 21:00 - 05:00, 50 euros.
The ever-popular Escape Club throws open all three areas of the location for their New Year’s Eve 11-12 party featuring some of the country’s hottest club DJs. Or why not go all out and enjoy a 4-course dinner in the Escape Caffé before heading to the club. 20:00 (dinner) or 22:00 - 05:00, 60 euros (presale, party only) or 97.50 (dinner & party).
A product of the creative minds at Lloyd-Acardi, the Great Balls of Fire NYE party at Felix Meritus harks back to the innocent, intimate, gel-and-hairspray-styled fifties! This promises to be the ultimate prom ball, where the guys and girls enter separately and only meet once on the dance floor - a party where being single has its advantages… Come in costume! 21:30 - 05:30, early bird tickets: 69 euros (guys), 65 euros (girls); lazy bird tickets: 79 euros (guys), 75 (girls).
One of Amsterdam’s most popular gay-friendly hot-spots, this year PRIK are putting on their Sparkling PRIK Party! The venue opens in the afternoon and the DJs start spinning the pop and dance tunes at 22:00. Free entrance, 16:00 - 22:00.
For those of you looking for a (fire) crackin' good time, head down to Nieuwmarkt on New Year's Eve and watch the sensory-overloading spectacle!
Loveland isn’t the only organisation putting on a double whammy of parties this year... alongside their Border Community NYE event, the Melkweg are also behind the Wicked Jazz Sounds NYE party in the Rabozaal. A refreshing mix of funk, soul, jazz, hip-hop, house and electro complements the traditionally eclectic crowd. Starts 23:00, 40 euros.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Happy New Years! The Heineken Music Hall and Q Dance counts down with the best hardstyle with Qountdown to 2011. It's a black (or white) tie and cocktail dress event, but feel free take your own approach on the theme. 20:00 - 07:00. SOLD OUT.
This New Year's Eve, jump on the good ship Supperclub Cruise and sail away into the new year! NYE promises to be an extraordinary night to welcome in 2012. And for the full NYE Supperclub experience, reserve your seat for the 4-course dinner before dancing the night away. Dress code: chic. 19:30 (dinner) or 23:00 until late, 60 euros (party only) or 100 euros (dinner & party).
A regular feature of the Amsterdam party scene, event organisers GirlsLoveDJs have teamed up with Vriendjespolitiek and Klapstuk for the GirlsLoveDJs New Year’s Eve bash spread over the Stadsschouwburg foyers, the Stanislavski bar/restaurant and adjoining Café Cox. 22:00 - 05:00, 39.95 euros. SOLD OUT.
A beach sports location by day, The Sand morphs into a major player on Amsterdam’s nightlife scene after dark. Their Beautiful People NYE line-up includes Dennis Ferrer, Erick E and a host of international and home-grown talent. 21:00 - 05:00, 25 euros (early bird), 45 euros (standard).
The exclusive Jimmy Woo club close to Leidseplein whisks you off to Wooland this New Year’s Eve - a magical world of laughter, dancing, luxury and, of course, champagne. And to raise the exclusivity bar a notch higher, you will be informed of your own personal Wooland character (i.e. your dress code for the night) by email after you buy your ticket! 22:00 - 05:00, 55 euros presale, 60 euros on the door (100 euros VIP).
Located in the West District of Amsterdam, Club 8 leaves 2011 behind with their TWAALF (12) party. DJs, champagne, great music and host of side acts and things to do await! 22:00 - late, 30 euros.
Daniel Sanchez’s Bla Bla Records label is in charge of proceedings at Studio 80 this New Year’s Eve for Bla Bla NYE Madness featuring DJs including Mauro Picotto, Joey Daniel, Mind 01 and Ben Komor. 23:00 - 05:00, 29.99 euros presale. SOLD OUT.
The Sugar Factory teams up with Electronation to wave goodbye to 2011 at the NYE Silver Disco. The dress code is all about disco outfits and glitter for this merry evening packed with a whole spectrum of disco tunes and singalong classics. 00:00 - 06:00, 35 euros.
Amsterdam's Bitterzoet returns with its traditional New Year’s Eve double whammy. Get the party started a day early with the New-est Year’s Eve party on 30 December and come back a day later for Crack P.U.B.22:00 - late, 30 euros.
Amsterdam’s Panama* club celebrates New Year’s Eve with a special edition of their established We All Love 80s & 90s event. DJs spin old-school tunes and the VJ team spice things up with retro visuals. The main event kicks off at 22:00 or you can go for the Dine & Dance package and begin the NYE fun at 18:00 with dinner and drinks. 22:00 - 04:00, 40 euros (presale), 75 euros including 4-course meal or 82.50 euros including 5-course meal.
Housed in the former printing premises of several major Dutch newspapers, the parties at Club Trouw are positively front page. Tweeduizendtrouw is their New Year’s Eve offering, with resident and international DJ’s spinning the electro-house tunes. 23:00 - 05:00, 40 euros (dinner-club combination tickets also available late in November). SOLD OUT.
The recently renovated Het Sieraad building in the West District of Amsterdam hosts this year’s EdelWise New Year’s Spectacle. Head along from 19:00 for the ‘walking dinner’ or just join the party a few hours later. 19:00 - 05:00 including dinner: 65 euros or 22:00 - 05:00 party only: 35 euros. SOLD OUT.
Pacific Park breaks with tradition and moves away from the neighbouring Zuiveringshal West a more intimate Luna Park New Year’s Eve Party spread over three floors. it's a costume-themed event - think ‘sleazy 70s downtown’, ‘glitter & glam’ and ‘everyone in a dress’! 22:00 - 06:00, 30 euros presale from 5 December, 40 euros on the door.
Bang in the centre of Amsterdam, Winston Kingdom team up with neighbouring bar Belushi's for their NYE Full Half Moon 2 Venue Party. Buckets, bodypaint, sand, palm trees and homegrown DJ talent - one thing’s for certain, it’s going to be a sweaty affair. 22:00 - 06:00, 35 euros.
If dubstep, electro and drum ‘n’ base is your thing, make the short trip to Amstelveen’s P60 for New Year’s Eve - Light It Up. Electro-dubstep beat masters Guerilla Speakerz are joined by grime/dubstep DJ Pat and drum ‘n’ bass hero Gibbo. 00:30 ‘til late, 15 euros presale, 18 euros on the door.
Regular club nights Backstage and Awesome By Default team up with the newly-formed Knuckle Duster Agency for the Backstage NYE Party at the Chicago Social Club.Featuring DJs including Chris Julien, Victor Coral and Beesmunt Soundsystem and performances by the Knuckle Duster Sweethearts. 21:00 - 05:00, 25 euros (early bird), 35 euros (standard).
The Kriterion Cinema teams up with online magazine hard//hoofd for the no-nonsense Hard & Nieuw party that gets started a little later in the night. All entrance proceeds go to a Dutch campaign to support the arts. 01:00 - 'til late, 15 euros presale, 20 euros on the door. SOLD OUT.
COC (a Dutch organisation for LGBT men and women) team up with De Engel van Amsterdam for this year’s New Year’s Eve party held at the COC headquarters on the Rozenstraat. The event features entertainment by Dorothy Glamour & The Alley Girls, surprise acts, live music and includes free champagne! 21:00 - 04:00, 25 euros presale, 35 euros on the door.
Canvas op de 7e gets diplomatic for its United Nations NYE party this year. But this isn’t the time of year for arguing, it’s all about putting differences aside and uniting on the dance floor! Dress code: funky diplomat or traditional national costume. From 22:00 ‘til late, 30 euros. PRESALE TICKETS SOLD OUT, REMAINING TICKETS ON THE DOOR.
As the organisers of the country's largest techno event, Awakenings is an institution in the Netherlands. They return for a special Awakenings New Year’s edition at the Westergasfabriek. This is the first Awakenings to be held on New Year's Day itself, boasting an international line-up, visual extravaganza and a spectacular indoor fireworks display. 1 January, 16:00 - 04:00, 45 euros.
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