Friday August 21, 2026
Good morning, Amsterdam. Today: the regional weather warning is lifted, Simon Rigter and Eric Ineke play at Contra, and a new exhibition shares stories of the IJ ferry.
At a glance
🌦️ Weather: Hi 20°C / 68°F (1° cooler than yesterday) · Lo 15°C / 60°F · 41% chance of rain · wind NW 14 km/h (8 knots)
🚲 Cycling: Dry until about 12:00, wet after that.
🌙 Sun & moon: Sunrise 06:33 · Sunset 20:52 · First Quarter · Moonrise 17:26 · Golden hour 20:22 to 20:52
🌊 Outdoors: Air quality fair (AQI 24) · grass pollen low
💶 Markets: AEX 1,103 (+0.0%) · S&P 500 7,652 (-0.7%) · €1 = $1.17 · $1 = €0.86
KNMI withdraws weather warning for Amsterdam region: The meteorological institute has lifted its code yellow warning for Noord-Holland just hours after issuing it. Severe downpours, hail, wind gusts and waterspouts are no longer expected across the capital.
Weekend closure on A10 West for viaduct construction: The inner ring of the A10 West will close from Friday night until early Monday morning for infrastructure works. Drivers face diversions and up to 30 minutes of extra travel time.
Final Dutch Grand Prix returns to Zandvoort: Zandvoort is preparing to host its final Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix this coming weekend. The event concludes a five-year run of racing festivities held in the seaside town.
NS ends alternative travel compensation during strikes: Train operator NS has scrapped compensation for passengers using alternative transport during rail strikes. The company cited heavy administrative burdens and fraud risks after paying €2.8 million following strikes in June 2025.
More first-time buyers turn to starter loans: A growing share of first-time homebuyers is relying on special starter loans as standard mortgages fall short. Several schemes now offer purchase discounts of up to €70,000 alongside extra borrowing options.
Autumn coronavirus vaccination round limited to over-seventies: The autumn coronavirus vaccination round will only be open to people aged 70 and older alongside certain high-risk medical groups. Invitations will be sent by post while appointments open on Tuesday.
Over 85,000 Dutch air travellers faced major summer delays: More than 85,000 passengers experienced flight delays exceeding three hours at Dutch airports over the summer. Budget airlines recorded the highest number of disruptions, with weather frequently cited as the cause.
Kids explore coding, robotics and virtual reality at Mediawegwijs: Eight to twelve-year-olds spend the day building robots, coding games, drawing with 3D pens and trying virtual reality. 09:00 – 17:00, Mediawegwijs. 📅 Kids Workshop
Audio walk for kids through the greenery of Flevopark: Inge Wannet created this self-guided 90-minute audio walk for children aged seven and up through the Flevopark greenery. 10:00 – 18:00. 📅 Outdoor / Active
Kids yoga and crafts workshop with Fleur at De Kinderboekwinkel: Movement, mindfulness around gratitude and ten minutes making lucky charm dolls for children aged seven to ten. 21 August, 15:15, De Kinderboekwinkel. 📅 Kids Workshop
Hands on making and discovering workshop for children: Kids recreate scenes from their favourite books using Lego, then shoot stop-motion animations frame by frame on iPads. 21 August, 16:00 – 17:15. 📅 Kids Workshop
Classic films for teens in the Pluk de Nacht festival tent: Early evening classics screened in the festival tent with headphones and deckchairs, tailored for teenagers before main outdoor showings. 21 August, Pluk de Nacht. 📅 Family Show
Simon Rigter and Eric Ineke play Friday Night Live at Contra: An opening set followed by an open jam session, with free admission for musicians who bring along their instruments. 21 August, 20:00, Contra. 📅
Reinier Baas and Ben van Gelder play the Basement Sessions: Longtime collaborators on guitar and alto saxophone bring their tight, innovative jazz duo work to the basement space. 21 August, 19:30, The Concertgebouw. 📅
Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider performs Brahms’ Violin Concerto at The Concertgebouw: The acclaimed violinist joins the Royal Danish Orchestra for the Brahms concerto alongside selected dances from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet. 21 August, The Concertgebouw. 📅
Musicians gather for the regular Splendorjam session: Musicians affiliated with the independent collective assemble for an unscripted season-opening jam, free for members and prospective joiners. 21 August, 20:00, Splendor. 📅
Mystery Ensemble performs epic anime soundtracks live at Zuiderkerk: Live chamber arrangements of iconic themes from Naruto Shippuden, Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer and Your Name. 21 August, 20:00 – 21:15, Zuiderkerk. 📅
DJ battles and games night at Felix Meritis: DJ battles take centre stage alongside games, leaning heavily into Afrobeat, Amapiano, and classic R&B selections. 21 August, 20:00, Felix Meritis. 📅
Sydney trio Shady Nasty brings post-punk and hip-hop to Paradiso: Sydney trio Kevin Stathis, Haydn Green and Luca Watson bring their distinct mix of post-punk and modern hip-hop. 21 August, 19:30. 📅
Friday night storytelling and spoken word at Mezrab: The cultural center fills its floor for a weekly mix of true, mythical, and comedic spoken stories. 21 August, 20:00, mezrab.nl. 📅 Theater
Open air dance and storytelling performances at Vondelpark Openluchttheater: Former NDT dancers Lea Ved and Spencer Dickhaus perform a raw, intimate duet exploring human vulnerability. 21 August, 20:30, Vondelpark Openluchttheater. 📅 Dance / Performance
Stories of the IJ ferry told in a new exhibition: Bring photos, objects or personal memories of the river IJ to help build stories for historic ferry tours. 21 August, 16:00, Expo. 📅 Art / Museums
Friday evening art and culture programme at H’ART Museum: Speed tours through three exhibitions led by resident guides, accompanied by DJ sets and a free first drink. 21 August, 15:30, H’ART Museum. 📅 Art / Museums
Exhibition marks 25 years of social struggle at Binnengasthuisterrein: An exhibition tracing twenty-five years of grassroots community activism, neighborhood building, and development on the Binnengasthuis grounds. 21 August, 12:00, VOX-POP. 📅 Talks / Ideas
Hockey World Cup Amsterdamse Bos day at Wagener Stadion: Dutch sing-alongs, party lights and traditional Amsterdam street songs fill the entrance tent before the tournament match. 21 August, 19:00 – 22:00, Wagener Stadion. 📅 Sports (Spectator)
Sababa serves Middle Eastern street food in the Tolhuistuin garden: Pita falafel, aubergine-harissa bitterballen and new weekend specials served outdoors from the Middle Eastern street food kitchen. 21 August, 12:00, Tolhuistuin. 📅 Food / Markets
Sprouts Film Festival screens aquatic shorts at Framer Framed: Short films and discussions examining aquatic histories and speculative fiction alongside the venue’s current water exhibition. 21 August, 20:00, Framer Framed. 📅 Film
Esther van der Voort tests new material at Southend Comedy Club: Esther van der Voort tests fresh material, crowd work and new stories alongside bits from her touring show. 21 August, 20:30. 📅 Comedy
Queen musical We Will Rock You takes the stage at DeLaMar: Lucas Hamming and Magtel de Laat star in the Queen musical, backed by a full live band. 21 August, 20:00. 📅 Theater
Dutch stand-up and sunset drinks at Comedy Cafe on the IJ: Dutch-language stand-up paired with mixed drinks on the water as the sun sets over the IJ. 21 August, 21:00. 📅 Comedy
Community gardening afternoon at Het Groene Veld in Noord: Spend Friday afternoon helping out across three experimental community garden plots near the dome in Noord. 21 August, 13:00, Buitenterrein Het Groene Veld, Buikslotermeerdijk 95 of via G.J. Scheurleerweg 212c, Amsterdam Noord, Nederland. 📅 Volunteering
Social swing dancing on a summer night with Swing Philosophy: DJs spin swing tunes out on the terrace for an open evening of social dancing. 21 August, swingphilosophy.com. 📅
Home barista workshop at the SMEG Showroom: A certified barista walks participants through the fundamentals of making coffee using SMEG showroom equipment. 21 August, 10:30, SMEG Showroom. 📅 Workshop
Shared stroopwafel baking workshop at Latin Amsterdam Party: Bake and decorate two XL Dutch stroopwafels with hot tea or coffee over a guided forty-five-minute session. 21 August, 13:00, Latin Amsterdam Party. 📅 Workshop
Join the movement workshop De BewegerIJ at De VerbroederIJ: Sandra leads an easy-going outdoor community exercise session tailored for all fitness levels without any gym pressure. 21 August, 10:00, De VerbroederIJ. 📅 Sports (Active)
Two hours of quiet collective rest and napping at CREA: Two unstructured hours dedicated entirely to collective rest, with no discussion, programme, or performance expected of anyone. 21 August, 18:00, CREA (room 3.06). 📅
Swing dancers master Balboa throw-outs in a Kompaszaal workshop: Swing dancers tackle Balboa throw-outs, starting with a beginner fundamentals hour before moving into advanced styling and variations. 21 August, 19:00, Kompaszaal. 📅 Workshop
Guided open air painting and drinks in the Tolhuistuin garden: Guided painting rounds with drinks in the garden, with no prior experience necessary and all materials provided. 21 August, 15:00, Tolhuistuin. 📅 Workshop
Try hands-on crafting at Amsterdam House of Arts & Crafts: Spend the evening experimenting with different hands-on crafting techniques in an open studio setting where no experience is needed. 21 August, 19:30, Amsterdam House of Arts & Crafts. 📅 Workshop
Good to know
New on Dutch streaming: Off the Rails (Prime Video), Um Pai em Apuros (Netflix), Americana (SkyShowtime), Fired Up! (HBO Max)
New on the big screen: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone returns Wednesday to 7 cinemas, Ted & De Magische Lamp opens Wednesday at 6 cinemas, and Champagne opens Tuesday at Theater De Omval. Showtimes here.
Overheard on Reddit: A thread about a proposed IJ tunnel behind Centraal drew skepticism from residents who questioned the builder consortium’s optimistic cost estimates, while others worried that the project’s escalators would constantly break down.
Today’s supermarket deals: Dr. Oetker Big Americans Texas pizza (2 for €5.99) from Albert Heijn, Lay’s Max, Hamka’s, Doritos, Bugles, Cheetos (2 for €4.50) from Jumbo
Did you know? During the war, resistance banker Walraven van Hall helped steal millions from De Nederlandsche Bank’s Amsterdam vault to finance the resistance.
108 years ago today: On August 21st, 1918, Abraham Tuschinski announced plans for a world-theatre palace, setting in motion the cinema that became Theater Tuschinski.
Adoptable pet of the day: Meet Frenkie, a 1-year-old European Shorthair at Dierenopvang Amsterdam. Take a look →In case you missed it
Our three most clicked-on items from yesterday’s newsletter.
In tomorrow’s edition: The Wilde rokken exhibition of Cobra textile art at Museum Cobra, the Batik, Beats & Bumbu event at De Balie, and a screening of the 4K restoration of Paris, Texas at LAB111.
Running something in Amsterdam? Tell us about it and we will take a look.
Have a good Friday, and keep a raincoat handy.
Want to make sure you never miss a day of Essentially Amsterdam? Subscribe here.
