Friday October 2, 2026
The activities listed below are just a curated sample of what’s going on in Amsterdam. Check out our completely redesigned events calendar here.
At a glance
🌦️ Weather: Hi 21°C / 70°F (about the same as yesterday) · Lo 14°C / 56°F · 0% chance of rain · wind SW 11 km/h (6 knots)
🚲 Cycling: Good cycling all day.
🌙 Sun & moon: Sunrise 07:43 · Sunset 19:15 · Last Quarter · Moonrise 22:02 · Golden hour 18:45 to 19:15
🌊 Outdoors: Air quality moderate (AQI 44) · grass pollen low
💶 Markets: AEX 1,103 (-1.1%) · S&P 500 7,666 (+0.2%) · €1 = $1.13 · $1 = €0.89
Amsterdam museum visits drop 5.2% in first half: Museums in the city drew fewer visitors in the first six months of the year than a year earlier. The city’s marketing foundation says visitors are spending less and staying for shorter periods.
Prinsengracht health check startup raises €3.4 million: Blue Health Intelligence has raised €3.4 million in a round led by Knop Investments. The company plans to open its next location in Paris or Milan in the first half of 2027.
Butterfly highway needs residents’ gardens and balconies: A local initiative is planting pesticide-free native greenery between the Amsterdamse Bos and the Marineterrein. Residents can now order butterfly plant packages for their own gardens and balconies.
De Stofzuigerkoning on Jan van Galenstraat since 1936: The vacuum cleaner shop in De Baarsjes has been at the same address for ninety years. Its fifth owner now repairs Dyson models and plans to sell refurbished machines.
Landlord must repay over €15,000 for mouldy, overpriced home: A court has ruled that an Amsterdam couple paid far too much rent for a home with mould and a faulty boiler. The landlord must now return more than €15,000 to them.
Draft law aims to spell out who counts as a freelancer: A draft law sets out when someone is genuinely self-employed and when they are a disguised employee. The public can respond until 29 October, and the law will not take effect before 1 January 2028.
Writers protest at Meta’s Amsterdam office and prepare court case over AI training: Around 150 writers, journalists and translators protested at Meta’s office against the use of their texts to train AI. The protest marks the start of a collective lawsuit against the company.
Minister plans compulsory register for estate agents: The housing minister plans a legal register for real estate agents, with conduct standards set in law. Agents who do not register, or who are removed from it, will be barred from working.
Improvised scenes and invented characters with actor Jochum ten Haaf: Children aged nine and up improvise, invent characters and act out scenes in a bookshop, no acting experience needed. 2 October, 15:30 – 16:30, De Kinderboekwinkel. 📅 KIDS WORKSHOP
English Storytelling and Songtime at the public library: A morning session at the public library with stories read aloud and songs to sing along to, all in English. 2 October, 10:00, OBA – Openbare Bibliotheek. 📅 STORY / READING
Music Lessons for Toddlers out on the NDSM wharf: A morning music lesson aimed at the very young, held over on the NDSM wharf in Amsterdam Noord. 2 October, 10:00, Treehouse NDSM. 📅 CLASS
Met de Buurtcampus op voorleesreis, a read-aloud trip for children: A Dutch-language read-aloud morning for children at the public library, organised with the local Buurtcampus. 2 October, 10:00, OBA. 📅 STORY / READING
Kinderboekenweek, Children’s Book Week, with free events citywide: Free events across the city celebrate children’s reading, and some of them are aimed at babies and toddlers too. 2 October, Across Amsterdam. 📅 FESTIVAL / FAIR
Myriam Fares and her full band, with SOUK afterparties: The Lebanese pop singer’s first concert in the Netherlands, with DJs Zobayda and Jimmy Moon playing elsewhere in the building afterwards. 2 October, 20:15, The Concertgebouw. 📅 DANCE / PERFORMANCE
Synthony No. 2: Avicii and Swedish House Mafia with an orchestra: A live orchestra plays club anthems by the likes of Calvin Harris, Eric Prydz and David Guetta, with DJs and singers. 2 October, AFAS Live. 📅 DANCE / PERFORMANCE
Metropole Orkest Cellos, from romantic melodies to rock: Formed over a home video during lockdown, the quartet writes its own arrangements and plays them acoustically in a small cinema-theatre. 2 October, 20:00, Theater de Roode Bioscoop. 📅 DANCE / PERFORMANCE
Paesaggi Records Autunno Minitour starts its Benelux run in Noord: Live sets from Mlin Patz, Pittori Locali and Twoonky, then DJs Elina Tapio and Wutu, all through two homemade sound stacks. 2 October, Transit. 📅 ELECTRONIC / DANCE
Big Band Night: 1930s and 40s jazz in a 1956 art-deco hall: Jazz Warriors Big Band plays for people who want to listen and people who want to dance, with drinks, on KNSM island. 2 October, 21:00, KZ – Kompaszaal. 📅 DANCE / PERFORMANCE
Indie rock, reggae and soul by Shaggy Greys on a sixth-floor roof: An acoustic band on the hotel’s rooftop with views over the city, after a happy hour that runs from five to six. 2 October, 18:00, Zoku Amsterdam. 📅 DANCE / PERFORMANCE
Min of Meer Minimal weekend, opening with The Manual Stop and free lunch: Sander De Keere plays parts of his album on organ, after a free foyer lunch of soup and sandwiches from noon. 2 October, 13:13, Het Orgelpark. 📅 DANCE / PERFORMANCE
Toy piano and new scores in a Dutch Classical Talent lunchtime recital: Singaporean pianist Elizabeth Goh, a Conservatorium van Amsterdam graduate, plays new works by Mattias Spee and Apollon Kalamenios. 2 October, 12:30, Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ. 📅 CLASSICAL
Oude muziek: the Sweelinck Barok Orkest at lunchtime: A midday programme centred on John Dowland, with Mieneke van der Velden joining the conservatory’s own baroque orchestra. 2 October, 12:30, Sweelinckzaal, Conservatorium van Amsterdam. 📅 DANCE / PERFORMANCE
Telemann Revisited: Horizon Ensemble on traverso, violin, harpsichord and gamba: Kate Clark, Rebecca Huber, Kathryn Cok and Cassandra Luckhardt look at Telemann as Kapellmeister and innovator, with tickets at the door. 2 October, 20:15, English Reformed Church. 📅 DANCE / PERFORMANCE
Agentic AI and the newsroom, an invitation-only deep dive: For invited media partners, the AI and Democracy Lab looks at how newsrooms respond to agentic AI, with drinks until five. 2 October, 13:00, Institute for Advanced Study (IAS). 📅 SEMINAR / TALK
Turkish Tech Amsterdam Fall Get-Together, with baklava on the grass: Bring a blanket, drinks and snacks to what’s probably the group’s last outdoor meet-up before winter, for people working in tech. 2 October, 19:00 – 21:00, Vondelpark. 📅 NETWORKING
Amsterdam Real Estate Club x Breitling: property contacts among the watches: Property professionals get matched by stated interest, from financing to new projects, while the boutique’s watches are on show. 2 October, 17:00, Breitling Boutique. 📅 NETWORKING
La Machine, a three-day robotics hackathon with Hugging Face arms: Teams build and test on two sets of SO-101 robotic arms, fed all weekend, ending Sunday with demos, judging and an afterparty. 2 October, 18:00, Amsterdam. 📅 WORKSHOP
Valley Visions: thirty strangers and a host who makes introductions: A small hosted evening for internationally minded professionals, capped at thirty guests, where a host introduces people and keeps conversation going. 2 October, 18:30, Novotel Amsterdam City. 📅 NETWORKING
Beyond Time and Space with Ukiyo-e, a CAMERA JAPAN screening: Matsumoto Takako’s 2025 film on Japanese woodblock prints, 110 minutes with English subtitles, part of a four-day festival. 2 October, 14:15, LAB111. 📅 FILM
I’m Fine: Sasha Nezlobin on losing a country and starting over: One of Russia’s biggest stand-ups left for free speech and now works in America, and this hour mixes cultural observation with personal story. 2 October, 18:00, Comedy Cafe. 📅 COMEDY
Freedom Is Not Free: war, freedom and personal stories in a cafe: One of two gatherings on freedom, war and encounter, where personal stories are shared alongside dance, music and images. 2 October, 13:00, Café Belcampo / OBA De Hallen. 📅 TALKS / IDEAS
Comedy dubbel: two new shows, forty-five minutes each: Selma Visscher tries material from Trekvogel and Leids Cabaret Festival winner Alina Sharipova shows her debut show taking shape. 2 October, Torpedo Theater. 📅 THEATER
Michela Giraud, an Italian stand-up, on the Boom Chicago stage: On stage since 2015, she landed on the Italian TV comedy show Colorado within months, and here plays a full main programme. 2 October, 18:00, Boom Chicago. 📅 COMEDY
First Friday: stone-oven pizza and house wine at a vineyard: Mrs. Italy’s food truck keeps the stone-oven pizzas coming, unlimited rounds, while Wijngaard Zonnestraal pours its own homemade wine. 2 October, 17:00 – 20:00, Wijngaard Zonnestraal. 📅 FOOD / MARKETS
Stephen Bell’s EEJIT, Een Ierse Idioot, on living between two cultures: A full-length stand-up show about being split between two cultures, poking at upbringing, authority, feeling and rationality, in the small hall. 2 October, 20:00, Theater Bellevue (Klein Bellevue). 📅 COMEDY
Stadsgesprek in Oost: put your questions to Femke Halsema: The mayor and district chair Emre Ünver talk with residents about housing, safety and neighbourhood ideas, free but register ahead. 2 October, 16:30, De Bron. 📅 TALKS / IDEAS
Launch of the Kattenburg Atlas, with VR walks along the old wall: Researchers and students show a digital atlas of the island’s past, and you can try VR headsets along the wall. 2 October, Marineterrein Amsterdam. 📅 TALKS / IDEAS
Open Atelier: make something with your hands near Oudeschans: A drop-in studio session with different crafts, materials and techniques to try, relaxed and open to people with no experience. 2 October, 19:30, Amsterdam House of Arts & Crafts. 📅 WORKSHOP
Practise Spanish and Dutch with native speakers, beginners welcome: Teachers Alberto and Johannes pair learners with native speakers, walk-ins are fine if there’s room, and proceeds fund Dutch for everyone. 2 October, 18:30 – 20:00, Taalhuis Amsterdam. 📅 SOCIAL / DRINKS
Rechten van de Bij: speak up for bees at your city council: An afternoon workshop on bee rights and how to make the bee’s case to your own municipal council. 2 October, 13:00, De Ceuvel. 📅 WORKSHOP
Friday Kirtan Night: call-and-response chanting and a short philosophy talk: Mantra meditation and chanting, a talk on ancient philosophy in between, then tea and snacks, no singing experience needed, pay by donation. 2 October, 20:00, Studio 108. 📅 CLASS
Make and decorate two XL stroopwafels to take away: An hour with a guide, about 45 minutes of it hands-on, with apron, supplies and coffee or tea included. 2 October, 13:00, Latin Amsterdam Party. 📅 WORKSHOP
Yin yoga with Tibetan singing bowls, poses held for minutes: Seventy-five minutes of static positions held two to five minutes each, with slow breathing and singing bowls, organised by Daisy Jiang. 2 October, 17:30, H. Cleyndertweg 603. 📅 CLASS
Mindful Chi Kung on the beach by the IJ: Forty-five minutes of slow standing exercises modelled on a tree’s stance, ending with a poem, so dress warmly, free or a donation. 2 October, 08:30, De VerbroederIJ. 📅 CLASS
Proxy Kitchen: Gekookte Geschiedenis, a storytelling dinner: Dinner and stories together, organised by KIP Republic with Imagine IC, under a title that translates as cooked history. 2 October, 19:30, Hartwig Proxy. 📅 TASTING
Women of Amsterdam, a walking tour through the city’s history: A historical walking tour about the women of Amsterdam’s past, running on various dates through 24 October. 2 October, Majoor Bosshardthuis. 📅 TOUR
Neon Sip & Paint: glow paint under blacklights with wine: Painters guide you through a template or free painting, materials and apron included, and the canvas dries in time to take home. 2 October, 18:00 – 23:00, Rembrandt van Wine. 📅 WORKSHOP
Tire Bouchon: A new French restaurant that opened in September, offering classic French dining in Amsterdam.
Berli: A new Indonesian restaurant bringing Southeast Asian flavors and dishes to the city.
Bon Burger Noord: The second Bon Burger location in Noord serves dry-aged burgers and open-fire dishes with wine in a listening-bar atmosphere.
Good to know
New on Dutch streaming: Inception (Prime Video), Agnelli (HBO Max), Last Christmas (SkyShowtime), Medusa (Netflix)
New on the big screen: Crawlers is now showing at 3 cinemas, and Yugly opens Sunday at 3 cinemas. Showtimes here.
Overheard on Reddit: A post about quiet hours and noise disturbances in Amsterdam apartments drew replies debating what constitutes reasonable neighbor behavior, with commenters suggesting that washing machines at odd hours could sometimes be addressed directly but that residents should also accept urban noise, invest in noise-canceling earplugs, or adjust their expectations if they want peace.
Today’s supermarket deals: Snickers Caramel peanut ice bar (25% off) from Albert Heijn, Valess meat substitutes (2 for €4.99) from Jumbo.
Did you know? The 1928 Amsterdam Olympics were also the first Games where women competed in athletics events.
240 years ago today: On October 2nd, 1786, Albertus Brondgeest was born in Amsterdam; his career ranged from painting and etching to art dealing.
Adoptable pet of the day: Meet Bill, a 1-year-old European Shorthair at Dierenopvang Amsterdam. Take a look →Looking ahead – next week
The bigger things coming up in Amsterdam over the next seven days.
• PINT Bockbierfestival · Friday 2 October to Saturday 3 October, De Hallen Studio’s
• Dutch Dance Festival · Friday 2 October to Thursday 8 October, Various venues
• Afrovibes Performing Arts Festival · Thursday 1 October to Sunday 4 October, Various locations Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Haarlem
• Harvest Festival at Wereldmuseum Amsterdam · Sunday 27 September to Sunday 4 October, Wereldmuseum Amsterdam
• NDSM Open · Saturday 3 October, NDSM TERREIN
• Cinekid Film Festival · Saturday 10 October to Friday 16 October, Pathé Amsterdam Noord
In case you missed it
Our three most clicked-on items from yesterday’s newsletter.
Have a great Friday.
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