Amsterdam Events

Amsterdam is very much a global city with a lot of history and a rich cultural heritage. As such, it is fair to say that whenever you decide to go to, there will be a wide range of events and activities going on. Although these are too numerous to list here, we have put together some of the highlights for you to give you a taste of what you might expect whenever you decide to visit Amsterdam..

January

Jumping Amsterdam is Amsterdam's premier equestrian show jumping event which draws the world's leading show jumpers as well as large crowds. It takes place at the city's RAI exhibition centre between the 23rd-26th January.

February

It will be Chinese New Year on February month and there will be celebrations in the Nieuwmarkt and Zeedijk districts within Amsterdam's substantial Chinese community. Expect fireworks as well as other traditional cultural celebrations.

March

For lovers of techno and electronic music, the 5 Days Off festival takes place at the beginning of every March. From relatively humble beginnings, the festival now takes place across several of Amsterdam's top venues including De Balie, Paradiso and Melkweg.

April

April 27th sees the King's Day celebrations kick off with Amsterdam turning into a veritable sea of orange. Street parties, food stalls, markets and much more besides make this a fascinating time to be in the city.

May

The Hemeltjelief Festival is one of the city's biggest and features various music and theatrical events to mark Ascencion Day which takes place on May 2015.

June

The Holland festival is a cutting-edge, innovative festival with many highly regarded and respected theatre performances from around the world.

July

For a glimpse of the multicultural side of Amsterdam, the Kwaku Summer Festival attracting over 300,000 visitors provides a lively and colourful insight. The festival is a celebration of different cultures that have had an impact on Amsterdam and includes food stalls and a football tournament.

August

Sail Amsterdam is an impressive event for lovers of historic tall ships and takes place once every five years. The event returns in 2015 and sees a large flotilla of ships sailing along the River Ij with thousands of onlookers cheering them on.

September

The Discovery Festival is a science based event which takes place in Amsterdam Noord (Tolhuistuin) in September. The festival includes various scientific experiments, musical events, art and film installations spearheaded by young scientists on a “voyage of discovery”.

October

Amsterdam is well known for its electronic music and the Amsterdam Dance Event brings together many of the leading exponents of dance music with more than 450 events and 2,000 artists at 100 locations across the city.

November

Late November sees the unpronounceable “Het Hoofdgerecht” food festival to the city with a huge market hall at the Food Center in Amsterdam. The festival is a celebration of food but also features music and even a fun fair.

December

December sees the Amsterdam Light Festival which makes the city feel particularly festive. A canal cruise called “Water Colours” and a walking tour called the “Illuminade”. There are many events taking place throughout the city at this time at museums, theatres, restaurants and shops and it is worth checking out what is on if you are there in December.