Amsterdam Weekend Guide (14–16 August)

ART & EXHIBITIONS

Escape to a museum garden at Huis Willet-Holthuysen

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When the weather is as good as it is now, it's hard to convince yourself a morning or afternoon inside is worth it (though the air-conditioning is welcome). Luckily, many of Amsterdam's canal museums are home to secret gardens and courtyards, with one of the best and most beautiful being Huis Willet-Holthuysen. Once considered among the most prominent buildings in the city, the house begins your day with a walk through the period rooms, including the ballroom, garden room, and dining room, to see how the wealthy former owners lived life to the full. Then head out into the garden, designed in the French classical style, complete with ornate statues, manicured hedges and gravel sprinkled into a work of art. Grab a spot on one of the benches, enjoy the sun and imagine yourself in a fairy tale of old, if only for a moment.

RESTAURANTS & CAFÉS

For an evening that's team USA, you don’t need to travel any further than Noord. This weekend, Stacks Diner is setting up a pop-up restaurant at Tolhuistuin. On the menu are their famous biscuits with chicken, fish or vegetables, along with other US classics. Those going on Saturday can enjoy music alongside the comfort food: during the In Dub Sessions, Harry Castle will play a mix of roots, lovers rock, dub techno, ambient dub and leftfield disco, to name just a few genres.

Tolhuistuin | 14 and 15 August | free

Newly opened: Smokin’ Summer

Fancy a summer Friday evening with barbecues, music and a cold drink? At Monk Bouldering Gym, the barbecue is fired up every Friday from 6 pm during Smokin’ Summer. Drinks are provided; all you need to bring is something tasty to grill. And while your burger, corn on the cob or skewer is sizzling away, various DJs provide the music. The line-up and specials change each week, so there’s something new to discover every Friday.

Monk bouldering gym | Friday 14 August | free

SHOPS & MARKETS

Museum Market

Go home empty-handed? It’s possible. But with so many lovely things to choose from at the Museum Market, it’s not very likely. On Museumplein, stalls filled with art and design, fashion, accessories and stationery set up every 3rd Sunday of the month. In between browsing, you can join a workshop or demonstration. And if you still don’t want to go home afterwards, you can always settle down at one of these terraces.

Museum Market | Sunday 16 August | Museumplein

FESTIVALS & EVENTS

Wildcard Pick: Circusbende Festival

A circus with glittering horses, clowns and trapeze acts? That’s not what you’ll see at Circusbende. What you will get is a festival where you never know what to expect: from a Balkan punk performance with bagpipes to a show featuring hairdryers and an 8-piece brass band forming a human tower while cycling. That unpredictability is precisely what makes Circusbende so much fun. This year, the festival is taking place at 2 locations across the city: this weekend, they’ll be at Het Groene Veld in Noord. Much of the programme is free to attend; for some performances, you pay what you can afford.

Circusbende Festival | 13-16 August| Erasmuspark

Local Pick: Reggae Lake Festival

Who says you need to catch a plane for a taste of the tropics and a weekend full of reggae? On 15 and 16 August, Gaasperpark hosts the much-loved Reggae Lake Festival. The line-up includes UB40 ft. Ali Campbell, The Wailers, Alpha Blondy and Zion Marley, among others. With 6 stages, there’s something new to discover throughout the day. And if you get hungry between performances, you’ll be spoilt for choice: with over 20 food stands, Reggae Lake has the largest Caribbean food court in the Netherlands with favourites like jerk chicken, roti, vegan snacks and much more.

Reggae Lake Festival | 15-16 August | Gassperpark

Summer @ H’ART: Sip & Paint

Making a painting is one thing. Whether you’ll want to hang it on the wall straight away afterwards? That depends... Fortunately, at Summer @ H’ART: Sip & Paint, it’s not about the perfect end result, but about enjoying a fun afternoon out. In the H’ART Museum’s courtyard, you’ll paint your own Kandinsky, accompanied by live music from Studentenkoor Amsterdam. And once your paint has dried, there’s more music: from 5 pm, the National Youth Jazz Orchestra will perform with Reinier Baas in the courtyard as part of the Grachtenfestival.

Summer at H'ART | Saturday 15 August | H'ART Museum

Grachtenfestival

That performance is also a taster of what can be heard throughout the city over the next 10 days. During the Grachtenfestival, Amsterdam once again becomes a celebration of classical music and jazz, with concerts in all kinds of locations. The theme of this edition is Amsterdam’s green spaces, with performances in city parks, allotments and surprising locations such as Tuincentrum Osdorp. The festive finale will take place at the Straat Museum on the NDSM wharf, where violinist Lisa Jacobs, together with The String Soloists, will perform Max Richter’s The Four Seasons.

Grachtenfestival | 7-16 August | citywide

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