Events for internationals in Amsterdam this month
CABINET – Curated curiosa & design market
Mooching around a flea market is a great way to spend a weekend day, and CABINET, Amsterdam’s new(ish) market for design and vintage objects ticks all the boxes. Expect a carefully selected array of vintage furniture, fashion, records, books and assorted curiosities, plus coffee, wine, snacks and live music. The market is also a great opportunity to check out the Centrale Markthal. Built between 1932 and 1934, it served as the centre of Amsterdam’s main food market for generations and is now being restored.
Art of Taste – Asian edition
This long weekend, head to Museumplein for a large-scale food festival showcasing the best of Asian cuisine. Japanese, Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai and more. Plus there’s art, music, workshops and various other cultural activities… and, for good measure, a Ferris wheel.
Language Exchange Meetup
Practice your language skills in a laid-back setting at this multilingual social. All languages are welcome, so this is a great opportunity to meet people from all over the world and chat in your language of choice over some snacks and drinks.
Dutch Water Week
Many people living in the Netherlands spend a significant amount of their summers on the water, and if you haven’t joined them yet, this could be the perfect kick-off for your water sports life. Sailing classes, competitions and plenty of trial lessons, demonstrations and clinics in disciplines including wingfoiling, SUP and (checks notes) canoe polo are happening in the waters around Almere. And don’t miss the regatta, which is part of the ‘Sailing Grand Slam’: five regattas bringing together the best international sailors from the Olympic sailing disciplines.
The Maker Market
This monthly market at De Hallen in Amsterdam-West is a vibrant hub of craftsmanship, design and inspiration, with plenty of creations and original designs by makers from Amsterdam and beyond. Combine with a stroll around De Baarsjes and Bos en Lommer.
Holland Festival
The Netherlands’ leading festival for performing arts never fails to deliver, so mark your calendars and start plotting your must-sees. Productions to look out for include Huang Ro’s City of Floating Sounds, which begins with a sound experience on the walk towards the venue; a sharp and funny reimagining of Brecht’s first play, Baal, by the Beijing Repertory Theatre; and Théâtre National de Strasbourg’s Lacrima, directed by Caroline Guiela Nguyen.
Amsterdam Architecture Day
It’s exciting times for architecture and urban planning in Amsterdam: the city is changing rapidly to deal with social and ecological challenges. New buildings and entire neighbourhoods are rising up, and so are new ideas about how we want to live in the city of tomorrow. And so this year’s Architecture Days are all about change and the future, with the programme set up around the theme of ‘transition’ and including guided tours by architects and lectures about urban development.
Jazz at H’ART Museum
A great advantage of living in a city like Amsterdam is the sheer amount of musical talent you have access to – as well as great locations to showcase them. This summer, the H’ART museum is proving that point by hosting jazz concerts by Conservatorium musicians in its expansive courtyard.
Open Garden Days
One of the joys of June in Amsterdam is discovering the secret gardens of the canal belt as they are opened to visitors for three days around midsummer. You begin by going to one of four starting addresses – Museum Van Loon, The Willet-Holthuysen House, Huis Marseille or Amnesty International, where you will be given a list of the rest of the participating gardens (which is not published in advance). Gardens include private gardens and those belonging to organisations, and range from traditional styles to contemporary designs.
The Little Big Things
This uplifting, pop-soundtracked, award-winning British musical is based on the best-selling memoir by Henry Fraser about adapting to life as a tetraplegic after a diving accident. The production is part of the Broadway in Carré series, which brings musicals from Broadway and London’s West End to Amsterdam, performed in English. Previous shows in the series include The Book of Mormon and Hadestown.
Ongoing events and exhibitions
World Press Photo
There are few better exhibitions to visit for vivid and often harrowing signs of our times. Each year, the winning images from the world’s largest and most prestigious annual press photography contest begin their world tour in Amsterdam, where they’re showcased in the Nieuwe Kerk. This year’s Photo of the Year is ‘Separated by ICE’ by Carol Guzy.
Artzuid
Regardless of its beauty – if you live in Amsterdam or its surroundings, it can get easy to get too caught up in everyday life to really appreciate the city. So, take some time out to explore and enjoy your hometown anew. And Artzuid is an excellent incentive to do so.
The Netherlands’ leading sculpture biennale sees 50 sculptures by internationally renowned artists erected on the leafy streets of Amsterdam Zuid. The heart of the five-kilometre route are the Apollolaan, Minervalaan and Churchilllaan avenues, which form part of the early-20th-century Plan Zuid grid by renowned architect and urban planner HP Berlage. You can explore Artzuid on your own or join a guided tour; in the school holidays, the Artzuid organisation also offers holiday camps for children between 6 and 12.
Vondelpark Open Air Theatre
It has entertained generations of Amsterdammers for more than 50 years, so it’s almost an understatement to call the Vondelpark Open Air Theatre an Amsterdam institution. Each summer, from May to September, the theatre presents a packed programme almost every weekend, from young talent to established names. There’s dance performances on Fridays, family entertainment on Saturday daytime, comedy on Saturday evenings, classical concerts on Sunday mornings and pop music on Sunday afternoons. And it’s all free.
Conservatorium Concerts
Experiencing the city’s rich cultural scene doesn’t always have to cost a lot. Amsterdam’s Conservatory hosts free concerts and other events almost daily, from piano recitals to woodwind workshops.
Pure Markt
Some of the farmer’s markets in Amsterdam offer a whole experience rather than just being a place to buy some organic celeriac and maybe a bit of fancy cheese. The Pure Markt has more than 90 food and drink stalls, organic farmers, knowledgeable producers and artisans, delis and non-food, plus music, outdoor seating and generally good vibes.
Metamorphoses
‘All things change, but nothing dies.’ The Rijksmuseum’s major spring exhibition, Metamorphoses, shows how artists were inspired by the Roman poet Ovid’s two-thousand-year-old poem about shape-shifting gods, humans and animals. The exhibition includes an impressive selection of works by Titian, Caravaggio, Correggio, Rodin, Brancusi, Magritte and Bourgeois, as well as contemporary photography and video art. It’s organised in partnership with Rome’s Galleria Borghese.
Rijksmuseum, until 25 May
Animalia Amsterdam: Pet Portraits
Photographer Isabella Rozendaal’s pet portraits have been published as a much-loved series in Het Parool for years. This mini exhibition in the Green Salon of the Museum of the Canals presents some of her most striking works.
Ekō – Japan in two visual narratives
This exhibition juxtaposes early photographs of Japan, including work by the British-Italian photographer Felice Beato, with contemporary pieces created in response by photographer and visual artist Anaïs López. Working in the second half of the 19th century, Beato created a carefully staged image of Japan that would conform to Western audiences’ expectations and ignored the country’s increasing modernisation.
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Whether you’re new to the Amsterdam Area or have been living here for years, our newsletter is designed to help internationals make the most of life in this vibrant region.
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