Culture Guide (January 2026)

Editor’s Pick: Shakespeare’s Mid-Winters Night at Mike’s Badhuistheatre

Enjoy 12th night on the 12th night (of January) at this Shakespearean special at Amsterdam’s leading English-language theatre. This two-bit special (run-time 2h 10min with an interval) is a deluxe performance of Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which takes on some wintry magic. Performance by the Prague Shakespeare Company, this has all the trappings of a night of drama, wit and comedy - is there a better way to spend a January evening? 

Mid-Winter’s Night| 6 January 2026, 19:30

Comedytrain in Westergas

Opening mid-January, this is one of Amsterdam’s chief venues for emerging and established comedy acts. As part of Westergas, the Cultural Park of Amsterdam, Comedytrain’s new location features two rooms: one for large-scale acts and one for smaller, experimental, and English-language acts. It’s been a go-to institution for both Dutch and international comedians, so plot a route here and celebrate the new year with a laugh (hopefully).

Comedytrain | 7 January 2026 onwards

Last chance (!) exhibitions

Some of the capital’s most significant exhibitions close come January, so swing by while you can. These are the highlights:

• Van Gogh and the postman Joseph Roulin. Finally together again | closes 11 Jan
• Josephine Baker: A life of resistance at Verzetsmuseum | closes 11 Jan 
• De Cycloop at Museum Cobra | closes 17 Jan
• Brancusi: The Birth of Modern Sculpture at H’ART | closes 18 Jan 

We don’t live here anymore at Theatre Bellevue

Taking to the stage is this reflective piece about hidden truths and the discomfort that can arise when past choices start to feel constrictive. Explored through the relationships between two couples, it’s as much a show about living with what you’ve chosen and looking for what you still could find. One for the poetic theatre goers who want to leave the room thinking. 

We Don’t Live Here Anymore | 2-4 January 2026 

Winter at ARTIS

While the festive season kicks into full swing, the animal kingdom plods along as normal. And the peace and quiet of ARTIS is a welcome retreat from all the socialising this period usually entails. From nocturnal animals and starry skies to workshops and evening openings, there's plenty to experience both day and night. Discover how animals and plants follow their circadian rhythm and brush up on your knowledge with interactive activities that demonstrate the importance of nighttime for all living things. The Groote Museum and Micropia also offer a wealth of activities for all ages to explore.

Winter at ARTIS| throughout winter

The Last Ship at Carré

None other than musician Sting – yes, that Sting - lands in Amsterdam with his very own musical. Inspired by his shipmaking upbringing, it’s a tale of a tight-knit community fighting the decline of the shipbuilding industry in the northern English town of Wallsend. A personal tale, Sting serves as narrator and conductor here, in a story that is as much about his longing to escape the past as it is about finally embracing it. 

The Last Ship| 4 January - 1 February 2026 

Junior Dance Company at National Opera & Ballet

The ballet always remains an excellent cultural outing, and while the big names have pull, don’t forgo the Junior Ballet, which showcases some of dance culture’s brightest young stars. Throughout January, get a glimpse of the junior ballet dancers set to make it big, with classic renditions and solo performances, heaps of talent and enviable grace and flexibility. 

Junior Dance Company | throughout January

National Tulip Day at Museumplein

While not strictly cultural, you could argue that the tulip plays an essential role in Dutch culture at home and abroad. Kick off the tulip season by visiting a one-off picking garden at Museumplein, where Dutch growers invite everyone to pick tulips for free.

National Tulip Day | 17 January 

Amsterdam Light Festival (last chance)

The city’s annual light festival heads into its last few weeks, this time under the theme of ‘Legacy’ and how we want to be remembered. To glimpse all the installations looking to capture what that means, you have a range of options. Opt for a cocktail cruise with one of the many canal companies or follow a self-guided 6.5km walking route that you can dip into at your own pace. Bring your winter coat, camera and a sense of awe.

ALF | until 18 Janaury 2026

Origin: future is feminine at Meervart

The Scapino Ballet Rotterdam brings its magnetic modern dance to the Meervaart. Part of a new program by female choreographers and filmmakers, this audiovisual dance experience reinterprets traditional pieces like Stravinsky’sLe Sacre du Printemps with new feminist perspectives. Traditions, power, humour and absurdism combine in this relentless theatrical production. 

Origin | 31 January 2026