The longest-running and largest LGBTQI+ film festival in the Netherlands begins a few days post Sunday night's Oscars frenzy, within the industrial but cosy confines of Westerpark Cultural District's Het Ketelhuis. Check out Friday’s premiere of the short film “Not Built to Last”, the winner of the 2nd annual Roze Filmdagen film competition, or Sunday’s “A Good Child”, following the relationship between a drag queen and his mother.
Roze Filmdagen (Pink Film Days) | 18-29 March | Het Ketelhuis
In collaboration with Stromma
There's nothing like seeing Amsterdam from the water. Whether you live here or you're visiting, early spring provides you with an excellent opportunity to get out in the city without the bracing cold. Take one of Stromma's 1-hour canal cruises – which are open-top and covered – and receive a free 'Hidden Gem Map', only in the last two weeks of March. This curated guide features 50 hidden gems, two walking routes, and insider tips you won’t find in standard guides. Try out a walking route after your cruise and explore the storied Jordaan (neighbourhood) in a way you haven't before, plus discover local favourites across food and drink, as you unearth a more hushed side of Amsterdam.
Enjoy a free canal cruise with the City Card and explore Amsterdam like a local.
Learn more about the I amsterdam City Card
A far cry from the expected, traditional affair implied by such a setting, this 28-year-old band shakes off stereotypes and fuses genres, moving through klezmer (traditional Ashkenazi Jewish music), balkan, ska, jazz, rap and more. Sit under candlelit chandeliers and vaulted ceilings and let the music make this an occasion.
Candlelight Concert | Portuguese Synagogue | Jewish Cultural Quarter| Saturday 21 March 19:30-20:30 | Portuguese Synagogue
Amsterdam’s (and Utrecht’s) resident animation festival arrives in the Dutch capital, under the theme of “human touch”. Inspired by the idea that everything begins with a touch – from a brushstroke to an embroidery stitch – this year’s selection grounds animation in all things human. Saturday night features back-to-back full-length animes by renowned director Kenji Nakamura – works of psychedelic surrealism that are sure to amaze.
Kaboom Animation Festival| 19-22 March |Various locations and online
This Queer, Latin-infused party marks its fifth anniversary at a technical school-turned-rave haven that has long been one of the most interesting spaces in the city. Join the bass-loving Kiwi DJ Fuckoff, nicer than her name may suggest, or Neoperreo exemplar Ms Nina, in either of the two rooms inside. Expect the building's large panelled windows to fog over, as the high-octane affair continues long into the night.
The Planet x TILLATEC| Friday 20 March 23:00-7:00 | TILLATEC
This Vietnamese-Danish artist presents “πνεῦμα (Ἔλισσα)” – taken from the Greek words for spirit, breath, or Elissa (another name for the mythological figure Dido) –a spring exhibition with flowers as a central motif. By placing them in test tubes, encased in glass, along with photographs from his own garden, alongside assortments of artworks and sculptures, Vo investigates what it means to be displaced. Come for the stripped-back aesthetics, stay for the depth of emotion.
Danh Vo — πνεῦμα (Ἔλισσα)| Until 2 August | Stedelijk
Spring surfaces once again, this time in the title of this free-to-enter museum in the Bijlmer, where eight artists from across the diaspora present their work, inspired by artist Raymond Saunders’ painting of the same name. The exhibition was made in collaboration with ARTNOIR, a female-majority, Black- and Brown-led cultural platform that supports artists of colour, and is a perfect addition to a visit to the Black archives, or a tour of Zuidoost's greenery.
OSCAM x ARTNOIR: Watering a Black Garden – OSCAM| Until 6 May | Oscam
Wander into this seventeenth-century canal house on the Herengracht and learn about how life was spent by the wealthy who lived on Amsterdam's waterways, before the truly warm weather hits and you spend your afternoons populating terraces. The lavishly adorned rooms of this decadent time capsule are filled with original elements, including gilded murals, paintings, and chandeliers.
Huis Willet-Holthuysen| 10:00-17:00 Monday-Sunday
Amsterdam pays tribute to one of its most iconic figures on the anniversary of his death Saturday night, with the premiere of a documentary on his life. Join the crowds in the Stadium in which he made his name (and was then named after him) as unseen footage from the man himself, as well as his close circle, is debuted. If this puts you in the mood for more Cruyff-themed activities, then check out this walking route.
Cruyff Premiere | Johan Cruyff| Saturday March 21 18:00-22:15 | Johan Cruyff Arena
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