A guide to holidays and festivities in the Netherlands
30 September 2025
Events for internationals in Amsterdam this month
Updated 10 September 2026 at 11:44
Each month, the Amsterdam area plays host to an incredible range of things to do. Lots are accessible to non-Dutch speakers while still letting you get involved with your local community and explore aspects of Dutch culture. This time, don’t miss Ambacht in Beeld, where you can learn (and learn about) a dazzling amount of crafts and artisanship.
Markets
When summer draws to a close and early autumn hits, we think that browsing around a market is one of the best ways to spend a weekend day in your hometown. Make the most of one of these golden September days by buying new-season produce at a farmers’ market or exploring a design or flea market in a new part of town. Here’s our picks:
- IJ-Hallen flea market, 19 & 20 September – glorious vintage finds are pretty much guaranteed at this monthly flea market at NDSM Wharf: it’s easily one of the biggest and best in Europe.
- Pure Markt, 13 September (Amstelpark), 20 September (Amsterdamse Bos), 27 September (Park Frankendael), 11 October (Amstelpark), 18 October (Amsterdamse Bos), 25 October (Park Frankendael) – more than 90 food and drink stalls, organic farmers, producers and artisans, plus music, outdoor seating and generally good vibes.
- The Maker Market, 26 & 27 September – a vibrant hub of craftsmanship, design and inspiration De Hallen in Amsterdam-West.
- Cabinet, 3 & 4 October – Bos en Lommer’s Centrale Markthal hosts this carefully selected array of vintage furniture, fashion, records and books, plus coffee, wine, snacks and live music.
- Art Amsterdam Spui, Sundays – Generations of locals, students from the nearby UvA, tourists and travellers have traipsed along this charming art market and found themselves an unexpected gem.
Find more markets: https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/see-and-do/shopping-and-markets
Yayoi Kusama
Yayoi Kusama, who died recently at the age of 97, was a key figure of avant-garde art and this major retrospective is an absolute must-see, exploring more than seven decades of painting, sculpture, installations, drawing, fashion, collages and performances.
Game on
If you like to take the kids to a museum to get them away from their screens, this might not be the right place. But perhaps it’s enough that these are different screens? And in addition to providing plenty of gaming options, the exhibition explores the evolution of gaming into a mighty industry and an entertainment phenomenon to be reckoned with.
Amsterdamse Sport- en Beweegweek (Exercise and Movement Week)
This event offers a great opportunity to explore what your neighbourhood has to offer in terms of exercise classes, sports clubs and other options for getting active, with activities, clubs and disciplines for all ages.
This event offers a great opportunity to explore what your neighbourhood has to offer in terms of exercise classes, sports clubs and other options for getting active, with activities, clubs and disciplines for all ages.
Klassiek op het Amstelveld
After last months blockbuster classical open-airs – the Grachtenfestival and the Prinsengrachtconcert – this event has more of a neighbourhood, community feel to it. But that doesn’t mean the programme and performers are any less impressive. Bring your own picnic and let the kids run free.
Ambacht in Beeld Festival
This event celebrates crafts and artisanship, from Japanese carpentry to glass-blowing, screen-printing to lace-making. Crucially, the focus is on interaction and education, showing and sharing skills rather than selling items, with a huge amount of workshops and presentations.
Children’s Book Week
Amsterdam’s public libraries put the spotlight on children’s literature, with plenty of events and even a mini festival to kick it off. The website has some great book tips for different age groups, too (in case your kids have worked their way through our list already).
Pub Quiz
Test your general knowledge (and your competitive streak) at this pub quiz taking place regularly in Amsterdam Oost. Questions are kept at an achievable level and are in English, though Dutch is available on request. The maximum group size is 5, and you can find co-competitors in a dedicated WhatsApp group. The winners get €50 off their bar tab – as well as eternal fame and glory, of course.
Afrovibes
Amsterdam is home to a number of excellent venues and initiatives giving a platform to artists from around the world and those of mixed heritage, including this festival for contemporary dance, theatre and music by artists from Africa and the African diaspora in the Netherlands.
Camera Japan
This annual festival is an absolute highlight for cineastes and Japan fans alike. While the main festival takes place in Rotterdam, each autumn a selection of films from the programme is brought to Amsterdam for a weekend of screening the best films from Japan, from the weird to the wonderful.
24H Zuid
The 24H Amsterdam events regularly offer an opportunity to experience the city in new ways, either by exploring new places in your neighbourhood or by discovering new areas of Amsterdam. In a blistering 24-hour period, theatres, museums, churches, shops, bars, hotels and clubs open their doors and throw up some special surprises.
Cinekid
A mainstay of the autumn holidays, the Cinekid festival expands horizons with a huge array of the latest films, masterclasses and events in the MediaLab, including games, VR and workshops.
Lennox
Here you really can take the kids away from the screens (see above): this energetic, fun and sweeping hip-hop opera, based on the book Lennox and the Golden Sickle by Zindzi Zevenbergen, is sure to captivate them. Running time: 1 hour; sung in Dutch.
See also:
Never miss a beat in Amsterdam!
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.
✔ Events and activities in English
✔ Invitations to free info sessions and workshops
✔ News affecting international residents
✔ Tips for relocating and navigating daily life in the Netherlands
