Essentially Amsterdam – Monday, October 19, 2026

Monday October 19, 2026

Good morning, Amsterdam. Today: Lemi Berhanu and Buze Diriba win the Amsterdam Marathon, Schiphol’s passport gates are back in use after a Sunday IT failure, and Krystian Zimerman gives a Great Pianists recital.

Albert Heijn home deliveries to resume on Friday 23 October after cyber incident: Albert Heijn’s delivery service restarts on Friday after nearly two weeks offline because of a cybersecurity incident. Orders placed up to Thursday have been cancelled, and new orders cannot be placed yet.

Lemi Berhanu and Buze Diriba win Amsterdam Marathon: Ethiopian runner Lemi Berhanu won Sunday’s 51st Amsterdam Marathon in 2:03:33, three seconds outside the course record. Buze Diriba, also from Ethiopia, set a new women’s course record of 2:16:12.

Amsterdam director Thijs Bouman nominated for International Emmy: His series De Achterblijvers, about young people stuck at home over the summer holidays, is up for an International Emmy Award. Bouman is the only Dutch nominee this year.

Schiphol passport gates back in use after Sunday IT failure: An IT fault put all 78 electronic passport gates at Schiphol out of action from 06:00. Travellers queued for up to 90 minutes, and several hundred missed their flights.

Amsterdam’s private rentals drop 18% since 2023: Private landlords rented out 53,510 homes in Amsterdam at the start of 2026, down from 63,375 three years earlier. Experts say students and other newcomers to the city are hit hardest.

Noord shopping centre shows cyclists the red card: The manager of Boven ‘t Y in Noord is handing out red cards to people who cycle through its pedestrian area. He says visitor numbers have grown so much that riding there is no longer safe.

Eight events for word lovers in Amsterdam West this autumn: Eight events in Amsterdam West put writing, spoken word, comedy, singing and storytelling on the calendar from October into November. Several invite audiences to take part, and two are free.

Baby Concert for babies up to 18 months: A singer, cellist and pianist perform for babies in a no-break concert, though the listed performances are sold out. 19 October, 09:30, The Concertgebouw. FAMILY SHOW

Autumn holiday science activities at NEMO: Children can try chemical experiments, build spinning tops and sorting machines, play with mirrors, and explore an exhibition about video games. 19 October, 10:00 – 17:30, NEMO Science Museum. MUSEUM / EDUCATIONAL

Autumn holiday activities across ARTIS’s park and museums: Families can add to an autumn artwork, follow a search card, watch the planetarium show or try Micropia’s body mission. 19 October, ARTIS-Park. MUSEUM / EDUCATIONAL

Make an autumn light through art and technology: The activity is a Maakplaats workshop about art and technology, where participants make their own autumn light. 19 October, 14:30, OBA Molenwijk – Maakplaats. KIDS WORKSHOP

Holiday crafts, cooking and tours at Wereldmuseum: The holiday programme includes Mexican paper crafts, cooking activities on selected days and family tours; access is free with a museum ticket. 19 October, Wereldmuseum. MUSEUM / EDUCATIONAL

Great Pianists: Krystian Zimerman’s 24-key piano recital: Zimerman chooses 24 short pieces in different keys at the last moment, in a programme inspired by Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier. 19 October, 20:15, The Concertgebouw. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Dave East’s Harlem rap draws on 1990s New York: The rapper’s East Coast sound recalls 1990s New York, with a catalogue spanning studio albums, collaborations and mixtapes. 19 October, 20:30, Tolhuistuin. HIP-HOP / R&B

Slayyyter’s WOR$T GIRL IN THE WORLD TOUR: The concert is sold out, and Kalika is the support act before Slayyyter’s main programme. 19 October, 19:30, Paradiso. POP / ROCK

Lavinia Meijer and Reyer Zwart’s harp and strings concert: The birthday concert honours music journalist Hans Heg at 90, with violinist Tjeerd Top and works by Glass, Roukens, JacobTV and Saint-Saëns. 19 October, 19:30, De Duif. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Felukah blends Arabic culture with Western sounds: Her set combines rap, singing and poetry, bringing Arabic cultural influences into Western sounds as part of the Tones series. 19 October, 22:00, Paradiso. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Free Nottingham school choir, concert band and chamber ensembles: Their one-hour programme moves between classical and secular music, musical-theatre numbers and religious vocal repertoire. 19 October, 14:00, English Reformed Church. CLASSICAL

Ricciotti’s Free Recycle Tour: symphonic music and recycled percussion: Forty-three young musicians play Brazilian music on percussion made from recycled waste, Shostakovich and a work by Tijn Wybenga, with Clean Pete. 19 October, 19:30 – 21:00, Groene Afslag (Hotel). DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Eva Jinek’s current-affairs talkshow, recorded live: Audience members watch interviews, conversations and live performances as Eva Jinek’s current-affairs programme is recorded; students attend free Monday through Thursday. 19 October, 18:00 – 20:00, De Hallen. TALKS / IDEAS

Esther van der Voort’s ‘Mom’s Just Trying Her Best’ try-out: This Dutch-language musical comedy tests new jokes and stories with audience interaction, alongside material from her existing show. 19 October, 20:00, Comedy Cafe. THEATER

Monday Night Laughs, pay only if you laugh: Ollie Horn performs a registered-entry show that’s free upfront; afterwards, audiences choose whether to pay and how much. 19 October, 19:15 – 22:15, Proeflokaal Brouwerij de Prael. THEATER

David Linszen’s ‘Striptease of Death’ cabaret debut: Linszen’s debut is described as musical comedy rather than gloomy cabaret, following his sweep of prizes at the Leids Cabaret Festival. 19 October, 20:15, De Kleine Komedie. COMEDY

Big Tech and the New World Order: who governs power?: Speakers debate AI, private military companies and Taiwan’s chip sector, asking whether liberal democracy can govern shifting global power relations. 19 October, 20:00, De Balie. TALKS / IDEAS

Charles Avery’s Where Rocco Found a Dead Monster: The solo show bridges Avery’s fictional Island project and newer Eidolons work, including pieces set in an imagined non-place. 19 October, GRIMM. ART / MUSEUMS

Where does my savings go? A lunch talk on banking: Lisanne Keijzer and Manolis Papastergis explain deposit protection, bank supervision and lessons from the 2008 financial and euro crises. 19 October, 12:00, De Nieuwe Schatkamer. TALKS / IDEAS

Make a Super Saint Martin light sculpture: Participants make a Super Saint Martin light sculpture; registration is required, with an optional €15 meal beforehand. 19 October, 19:00, Restaurant Elixer. WORKSHOP

Wines of Galicia Amsterdam, a tasting across six regions: Wine professionals can sample wines from five Galician appellations plus traditional spirits, with a separate masterclass aimed at industry visitors. 19 October, 12:00 – 16:00, LuminAir. TASTING

The Social Corner’s Pottery Making Night, held in English: Women learn hand-building basics with a ceramicist; materials, tools and firing are included, and finished glazed pieces are collected later. 19 October, 18:30 – 20:00, Heart & Soul Studio. WORKSHOP

Spin & Sculpt: A Creative Date for Two: A private instructor guides two people from preparing clay to shaping and glazing bowls, cups or vases; finished pieces follow after firing. 19 October, 18:00, Atelier Kleie. WORKSHOP

The Beach’s Gangmakers Design Lab: The Beach’s Gangmakers Design Lab is a design workshop for participants, though the listing gives no further activity details. 19 October, 15:30, OBA Osdorp – Maakplaats. WORKSHOP

Lute Kruid ’02: Fine dining from the Lute team, newly opened in Amstelveen.

De Laatste Kruimel Amsterdam: Fresh sandwiches, salads and baked goods at a new outpost of this bakery cafe.

Cafe Susy: Coffee and matcha by day shift to Brazilian and Surinamese food when evening arrives.

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