What's on in Amsterdam

Check out what’s on in Amsterdam with our complete guide to events and entertainment. As a world-renowned capital of culture, you’ll find theatre performances, festivals, nightlife, sports events and exhibitions to inspire you. Search the agenda for something specific or browse our highlights and recommendations to start you off.

What's On highlights

Major summer events

Holland Festival

Holland Festival will return in 2023. A leading international performance arts festival in the Netherlands, the Holland Festival t...

01/06/2023 - 25/06/2023

Diverse locaties / various locations

SAIL Amsterdam

SAIL Amsterdam takes place once every five years and is one of the biggest events in the city. The tenth edition will start in Aug...

20/08/2025 - 24/08/2025

SAIL Amsterdam

Open Garden Days

For one weekend only, visit the pristine gardens of some of Amsterdam’s finest canal houses and experience the quiet oases during ...

16/06/2023 - 18/06/2023

Diverse grachtentuinen

Uitmarkt

The Uitmarkt has been marking the national opening of the cultural season in the Netherlands for 45 years and offers an accessible...

26/08/2022 - 28/08/2022

Uitmarkt

Vondelpark Open Air Theatre

Every year, the Vondelpark Open Air Theatre presents a programme packed with festivals, dance, cabaret, children's theatre, stand-...

05/06/2022 - 11/09/2022

Vondelpark Openluchttheater

Julidans

Julidans presents the current state of affairs in contemporary dance. In a broad program, see the work of leading and idiosyncrati...

01/07/2023 - 15/07/2023

Diverse Locaties / Various locations

Keti Koti Festival

Every year on July 1, the abolishing of slavery is commemorated in various places in the Netherlands. Keti Koti reminds us of the ...

01/07/2023

Oosterpark

Open Days Fortress Island IJmuiden

The Fortress Island IJmuiden offers monthly tours. During these open days you can explore the island with or without a guide.

20/07/2022 - 06/11/2022

Forteiland IJmuiden

Pride at the Beach

Rain or shine, it's time to get out your flip-flops and swimwear as Pride Amsterdam returns to the beach at Zandvoort aan Zee from...

30/07/2023 - 01/08/2023

Pride at the Beach

ROEF Festival

ROEF proudly presents the Roof Season '22 with a program from Holland Festival, Fringe Festival, Julidans, IDFA, Cinetree, Rooftop...

10/06/2022 - 04/09/2022

Diverse Locaties / Various locations

West Beach (Film) Festival

The Nieuw-West District of Amsterdam gets in on the outdoor cinema action with the West Beach (Film) Festival: movies and more at ...

15/09/2022 - 26/09/2022

West Beach (Film) Festival

Pluk de Nacht Filmfestival

For more than 20 years you can enjoy the open air film festival at the Stenen Hoofd in Amsterdam. This festival guarantees sultry ...

17/08/2022 - 27/08/2022

Het Stenen Hoofd

De Parade Theatre Festival

In the summer of 2022, the Parade, the travelling theatre festival with its colourful tents, terraces and restaurants, returns to ...

12/08/2022 - 28/08/2022

Martin Luther Kingpark

Amsterdam Open Air

The aim of Amsterdam Open Air is to reflect the diversity of today's electronic music scene and Amsterdam's nightlife, rather than...

03/06/2023 - 04/06/2023

Amsterdam Open Air

Dekmantel Festival

The multi-day Dekmantel Festival, which guarantees quality house and techno, returns in the summer of 2023 to the Amsterdamse Bos ...

04/08/2023 - 06/08/2023

Het Amsterdamse Bos

Grachtenfestival Amsterdam

The magnificent Grachtenfestival (Canal Festival), held annually in August on and around Amsterdam’s canals, is one of the cultura...

12/08/2022 - 21/08/2022

Grachtenfestival Amsterdam

Milkshake Festival

Milkshake Festival is a multi-genre music festival in Amsterdam and has become a favorite of the capital. Milkshake Festival will...

29/07/2023 - 30/07/2023

Westergas

Red Light Jazz Festival

Red Light Jazz is an annual festival that celebrates Amsterdam's position as a true jazz city. Each year, the event aims to showca...

02/06/2023 - 04/06/2023

Diverse Locaties / Various locations

Amsterdam Roots Festival

Amsterdam Roots is getting ready for one of the first open air festivals in Amsterdam. Unbelievable but true, Roots Open Air is re...

28/06/2023 - 02/07/2023

Oosterpark

Once Upon a Time

In a stunning town house on Museumplein square, right between the Van Gogh and the Moco Museum, a pop-up museum hosts the Once Upo...

21/05/2022 - 30/10/2022

Once Upon a Time

Best of

Best stages for comedy and spoken word in Amsterdam

From slam poetry and storytelling to stand-up and improv., there is a whole range of unique stages for spoken word hidden across Amsterdam. Catch some...

English-language and surtitled theatre in Amsterdam

Amsterdam’s international focus means that there is never a shortage of things to do, and where English-language theatre is concerned there are option...

Best jazz venues in Amsterdam

Amsterdam has built a name as one of the leading European jazz cities. In this guide, we will cover the best jazz venues across the city. From intimat...

Best vinyl bars in Amsterdam

Anyone looking for DJ sets and listening sessions that are all about the records will be spoilt for choice in Amsterdam. With its eclectic and ever-gr...

Best cinemas in Amsterdam

A trip to the movies is always extra special in Amsterdam, where you’ll find some of the quirkiest independent film houses in Europe. Enjoy a gr...

Outdoor cinema in Amsterdam

As summer sun casts Amsterdam in a dreamy glow, the time has finally come for one of our favourite seasonal pastimes: open-air cinema. Pack some popco...

Amsterdam's major music festivals

From blockbuster dance festivals to exotic canal parades, here are some of the best music festivals taking place in and around Amsterdam each year.

Amsterdam's intimate music venues

Going out in Amsterdam is not all about big crowds and world famous dance festivals. One of the musical thrills is that you can find a wide array of p...

Amsterdam's major music venues

Amsterdam is one of Europe's live music capitals, attracting almost every major artist when they head out on tour – as well as being a...

Amsterdam's best clubs

Amsterdam is home of Europe's best nightlife venues, from underground bunkers to newly converted warehouses. No matter what your scene, you’re b...

What's on by season

Music

Pop & rock gigs

Amsterdam adores live music and touring bands love stopping off in Amsterdam, so it's always easy to find great music throughout the city.

Jazz, world & blues concerts

There's a clear passion for jazz, blues and world music in Amsterdam, as evidenced by the world-class international players that continually return to...

Classical music concerts

With world-class performances, Amsterdam strikes all the right notes with classical music fans. Despite its relatively small geographical size, the ci...

Music festivals

From jazz on roofs, to classical concerts on canal barges, to Bowie on church harpsicords, through to electronic beat-filled fields, the local music f...

Dance music festivals

Dance music is a big deal in Amsterdam, and the dance festival season stretches from the beginning of summer through to the end of autumn.

Festivals & events

Cultural festivals

Culture. It’s a big deal. It covers the full spectrum of what it means to be human: art, history, dance, sand sculpture, craftsmanship, tulips, ...

Theatre festivals

While Amsterdam has plenty of Dutch-language theatre, the city also harbours a rich dance tradition, as well as a whole scene that prefers the visuall...

Children's festivals

Dutch children and teens have been rated by UNICEF as the happiest in the world. One reason: they are given a lot of freedom to explore their interest...

Fairs & events

Amsterdam is a convention town. It hosts events that range from tribal art to AI-driven MedTech, along with other fairs that focus on everything from ...

Major sporting events

From the Amsterdam's streets to its stadiums, the city is an iconic sporting location. Swimmers and rowers can be seen racing in the canals, Amsterdam...

Film festivals

Amsterdam has massive and globally acclaimed festivals dedicated to documentaries and animation – along with more intimate ones related to subje...

Culinary events

Amsterdam hosts a number of culinary events throughout the year offering locals and visitors plenty of opportunity to try many new dishes. Whether foc...

On stage

Comedy

Laugh it up with top comedy talents in Amsterdam. Be it the Amsterdam-based comics of Boom Chicago and Toomler or top touring acts from the UK and US,...

Theatre

With something for everyone, choose from a rich selection of theatre performances in Amsterdam and the surrounding area.

Opera performances

With large-scale staged productions and intimate vocal sessions, opera fans can certainly get their fill in Amsterdam.

Musicals & shows

Catch a dazzling selection of musicals, burlesque performances and other shows in Amsterdam and the surrounding area.

Modern dance

The modern dance scene in Amsterdam (and the Netherlands) is particularly vibrant. As such, Amsterdam frequently plays host to both cutting-edge chore...

Ballet

In Amsterdam you'll find that there is a great tradition of ballet, led by the Dutch National Ballet. This world renowned troupe can be seen performin...

Find out more about Amsterdam