Amsterdam is a vibrant city with lots to offer, maybe more than you might expect. English is widely spoken and understood in this cosmopolitan city. Visitors can therefore get along well without having to speak Dutch.

Below are just a few of the amazing events you can experience throughout the year:

Events in Amsterdam

Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)

Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) is the most influential and educational gathering for electronic music and its industry. With its conference, festival and educational breeding ground, ADE is able to create not only the biggest yearly industry moment, but also a solid foundation for future generations of electronic music professionals. The event attracts a total of more than 1,000 events in nearly 200 locations across its diverse programme; for five days and nights, the city of Amsterdam truly breathes electronic music. 

Amsterdam Light festival

Every winter a new edition of Amsterdam Light Festival is organised, with artworks that are created especially for the festival. Additionally, in collaboration with artists, partners and various stakeholders, the festival organises special projects. The education project (in which hundreds of primary school students take part) and the collaboration with the Breitner Academy (in which young talent co-creates an artwork for the festival) have been part of every edition for seven years. Find out more about the Light Festival here.

Amsterdam Museumnacht

Stichting Museumnacht Amsterdam was founded to connect Amsterdam’s young residents  to the museums in their city. On this night, over 50 museums open their doors after dark, not for tourists, but only for young Amsterdam culture enthusiasts. A varied programme with live music, workshops, and more awaits the visitors. Check out the date of the next Museumnacht here.

Roze filmdagen

The Pink Film Days is an eleven-day film festival that screens films, short films and documentaries with a LGBTQ-related theme. Since 1996, the festival has been held annually in March in Het Ketelhuis on the site of the Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam and is organised by the Pink Media Foundation. Read more about it here.

Pride Amsterdam

Stichting Pride Amsterdam is a non-profit organisation committed to emancipation, social, legal and social equality and acceptance of gay men, bisexuals and lesbians, and also for those who do not want to fulfill socially dominant gender roles or to conform (as masculine women, feminine men and queers) or assume a different physical gender identity throughout their lives (such as transgenders and transsexuals). To achieve visibility for diversity is necessary, because what you see cannot be ignored. The primary objective of the foundation is, therefore, to organise activities and events in public spaces. A moment this all comes together is during the Pride festival, usually hosted in August. Check out Pride Amsterdam here.

IDFA

The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam is a Dutch documentary festival that is held annually in the month of November in Amsterdam. It was founded in 1988 to stimulate documentary culture nationally and internationally. Usually, the Talent Development Programme organises cinema visits during IDFA. Find out more here.

Festival Season

Amsterdam has a rich festival culture, with many festivals throughout summer, and even in winter. It ranges from cultural activitiesto food and dance. You can find a list of festivals at the I Amsterdam page here.