Essentially Amsterdam – Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Tuesday October 27, 2026

Good morning, Amsterdam. Today: Rudi Fuchs, former director of the Stedelijk Museum, dies at 84, the Rembrandt House Museum opens a pop-up tattoo studio, and the opening of Amsterdam’s slavery museum is delayed to 2033.

Rudi Fuchs, former Stedelijk Museum director, dies at 84: Rudi Fuchs, who led the Stedelijk Museum from 1993 to 2003, died on Sunday evening, his family announced. A writer, teacher and exhibition maker, he also wrote books on Karel Appel and Rembrandt. Artist Rob Scholte remembers a headstrong, sometimes difficult friend with a unique eye for art.

Parcels from outside EU fall 32% after surcharge: PostNL says the drop, mainly in packages from Asia, follows a €3 per-product EU charge introduced on 1 July. A 40% rise in parcels sent within the EU did not make up the loss, and the company expects further falls when the fee rises by another €2 next month.

Schiphol noise limits allow louder nights over Amsterdam: A newspaper analysis finds the new limits set so generously that some night-time points over Amsterdam could get up to 80% more noise than projections require. Flights stay capped at 478,000 a year, but noisier aircraft and more frequent routes over dense neighbourhoods would go unpenalised.

Rembrandt House Museum opens a pop-up tattoo studio: Visitors can book or drop in from 26 October to 7 November for a Rembrandt-inspired tattoo costing €100 to €300. Meanwhile, artists from Amsterdam and Antwerp studios are inking his etching The Descent from the Cross across one volunteer’s back for free, finishing at a late opening on 7 November.

Amsterdam parking permits rise next year, some doubling: Residents in the centre will pay €857 a year, up from €677, while most other permits inside the ring rise 37.5% to €550. Alderman Elise Moeskops set out the increases in a letter to the council. Noord, Zuidoost and most of Nieuw-West follow in 2029.

Rijksmuseum to send Vermeer and Rembrandt to Hong Kong: The Rijksmuseum and the Hong Kong Palace Museum signed an agreement on October 21 for a joint exhibition in Hong Kong in 2027. About 100 pieces from Amsterdam will travel, including Vermeer’s The Love Letter and the largest group of Rembrandt works ever shown in the Greater Bay Area.

Old Indische Buurt police station becomes affordable homes: The Lutheran church’s charity is converting the 1911 building on Balistraat into 20 flats of 27 to 67 m² at social or mid-range rent, plus three studios for people needing temporary shelter. Remaining residents will be selected in the new year, with priority for locals and people in social professions.

Elandsgracht spot serves New York-style pizza by the slice: Dinamo opened in September, run by the four owners of sandwich shop Zero Zero, who got the idea on a trip to New York. Slices from its 50-centimetre pizzas cost €5 to €7 and can be eaten at the bar or on the terrace with wine, or taken away.

Driverless parking studied for GVB’s Amsterdam bus depot: Autonomous Systems assessed Garage West, one of GVB’s three Amsterdam bus depots, and found three routine bus movements that could be automated, including trips to the workshop. Drivers would leave buses at the gate and the system would park and charge them. GVB has not decided to adopt it.

Fletcher Hotels sold to Indian operator Sunday PropTech: Sunday PropTech is buying 100% of Fletcher from Egeria and its management, for an undisclosed sum. The chain runs 170 three- and four-star hotels in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium with about 5,800 staff. In September the same company took a large stake in Amsterdam’s Sircle Collection.

Zuidoost hip-hop venue in doubt as city stalls: The owner of the Amsterdamse Poort shopping centre needs the city’s decision by 5 November on a planned rooftop hip-hop venue for about 1,000 visitors. The city says funding is taking longer than expected. Without a deal, the owner is weighing bowling or laser games instead.

Amsterdam slavery museum opening delayed to 2033: Experts have picked 10 design teams from more than 100 entries for the museum and park on the Kop van Java-eiland, with an architect due in summer 2027. A €22.3 million funding gap, largely from inflation, has opened, and the City is exploring design changes to close it.

Find out how TUMO’s free after-school tech programme works: For parents and teenagers aged 12 to 18, explaining how to sign up for game design, AI, robotics and music production. 27 October, 17:30, OBA Next Lab Kraaiennest – Makerspace. KIDS WORKSHOP

Seven-week children’s clay course in Zuidoost, already under way: Children aged 8 to 12 learn clay basics through play until 1 December; places are limited and confirmed by email after registering. 27 October, Synestheet. KIDS WORKSHOP

LEGO robots to build and program in a NewTechKids bootcamp: Eight Tuesday afternoons on a virtual world tour for children aged 8 to 12, maximum fourteen, with a teacher speaking Dutch and English. 27 October, 15:00, OBA Next Lab Kraaiennest – Makerspace. KIDS WORKSHOP

Free mindful parenting training for parents of children up to nine: Renée and Marijn lead one of four sessions in the Strandzaal, no mindfulness experience needed, just reserve a place beforehand. 27 October, 09:30, De VerbroederIJ. CLASS

Placebo celebrates 30 years at the Ziggo Dome: The British band’s 30th anniversary tour comes to Amsterdam, with The Mirror Trap opening at 20:00 and Placebo on stage at 21:00; doors open at 18:30. 27 October, 18:30, Ziggo Dome. POP / ROCK

Fresku’s hip-hop meets the Metropole Orkest, sold out: His programme Hand op mijn hart builds on the Edison-winning 2024 album Leren Leven, played straight through without an interval. 27 October, 20:15, The Concertgebouw. HIP-HOP / R&B

Spotlight on Lucie Horsch, pure baroque for recorder, cello and lute: Lucie Horsch plays alongside Thomas Dunford and, for the first time, Nicolas Altstaedt, from Marais to Bach, drinks included. 27 October, 20:15, The Concertgebouw. CLASSICAL

Canadian songwriter Goldie Boutilier, with Ugly Ozo opening: An independent singer-songwriter pairing personal stories with filmic style and avant-garde fashion; Ugly Ozo plays at 19:30, she follows at 20:30. 27 October, 19:00 – 20:30, Paradiso. SINGER-SONGWRITER

Twelve months, twelve remote places: Stu Larsen’s Solitude songs: The Australian singer-songwriter spent a year in remote locations writing a song a month; Tim Hart supports, payment by card only. 27 October, 20:15, Tolhuistuin. SINGER-SONGWRITER

Okvsho’s improvised dance-floor jazz in the Super-Sonic Jazz series: Zurich brothers Georg and Christoph Kiss expand to a five-piece band in the Upstairs Room, which is already sold out. 27 October, 19:30, Paradiso. JAZZ / BLUES

Clarinet and string orchestra in a church on the Amstelveld: On tour this autumn, the ensemble pairs clarinet works by Horowitz and Maconchy with string pieces by Ethel Smyth and Victor Herbert. 27 October, 20:15, Amstelkerk. CLASSICAL

Aviation maintenance trade show MRO Europe, three days at the RAI: More than 500 exhibitors from the aviation aftermarket fill Hall 2, with a conference and floor talks aimed at industry professionals. 27 October, 09:30, RAI Amsterdam. CONFERENCE

Free Oude Kerk entry for Amsterdammers on the city’s 751st birthday: Bring post showing your Amsterdam address; the old city vault is open all day, and Navid Nuur removes a vase at 13:06. 27 October, 10:00, Oude Kerk. ART / MUSEUMS

The Matrix in English, with a film group meetup first: Amsterdam Film Group gathers in the cafe an hour early, then watches the 1999 Wachowski film together in the Parisienzaal. 27 October, 20:00, FilmHallen. FILM

David Bowie, the insatiable chameleon, in a music lecture: Music archaeologist Marc Stakenburg traces Bowie from his early bands to Black Star in the attic room, using songs, clips and images. 27 October, 20:00, Theater De Richel. TALKS / IDEAS

Australian comedy trio Sooshi Mango in Nieuw-West: Brothers Joe and Carlo Salanitri and their best friend Andrew Manfre, a comedy group since 2015, take the Red Hall stage. 27 October, 20:15, Meervaart. COMEDY

What happens to your online self after death, in Dutch and English: A student-made card toolkit for end-of-life talks opens the evening, then a panel weighs who decides about digital remains and griefbots. 27 October, 19:30, Pakhuis de Zwijger. TALKS / IDEAS

Seidl’s Sparta, English subtitles, with a Morgan Knibbe warm-up: Morgan Knibbe shows Garden of Earthly Delights and discusses delicate themes, before the Seidl film whose Toronto premiere was cancelled. 27 October, 18:45, Eye Filmmuseum. FILM

Learn to sew your own clothes over ten Tuesday evenings: Rasa Gaspers takes beginners and experienced makers from measuring and patterns to sewing and finishing, and you can start any week. 27 October, 19:00, Amsterdam House of Arts & Crafts. CLASS

Drawing, painting and the odd clay night in the Rivierenbuurt: Exercises like drawing without looking or using music as a prompt, materials supplied, no experience needed, and two euros cash. 27 October, 19:00, Atelier 77. GAMES / HOBBIES

Rock ‘n’ roll dance lessons with Gel, then a social dance: A rock ‘n’ roll club running since 1984 teaches several levels on KNSM Island, then everyone practises on the floor over a drink. 27 October, 19:30, KZ – Kompaszaal. CLASS

Babies welcome at a morning drawing circle for mothers: Illustrator and mother Dunya Atay leads a relaxed session with materials sourced from nature, in a children’s bookshop, no experience needed. 27 October, 10:00, De Kinderboekwinkel. WORKSHOP

International Pub Quiz in English on Thorbeckeplein: Teams of up to five compete for top-three prizes, solo players are slotted into a team, and phones stay in pockets. 27 October, 19:00 – 22:30, Coco’s Outback. GAMES / HOBBIES

Kulture Kitchen Kraft Korner, a free craft afternoon in Noord: Bring your own sewing, knitting or crochet or start something new, with coffee, tea and advice laid on and sign-up by email. 27 October, 13:00, Het Groene Veld. WORKSHOP

 

Daily markets open today: Markt Plein 40-45, Nieuwmarkt, Dappermarkt, Albert Cuyp (De Pijp) and Ten Kate (Oud-West).

Data Engineer: Funda, Amsterdam – Build reliable data models, pipelines and data products for Funda’s Core Data Team, supporting analytics and products such as Waardecheck and Vraagscan.

Duty Management Intern: Accor, Amsterdam – Assist the Duty Manager with hotel operations at an international luxury five-star hotel, helping maintain consistent service and guest satisfaction.

Office & Keuken Medewerker: Vandebron, Amsterdam – Keep Vandebron’s office clean and welcoming, support the Office & Kitchen team with lunch and daily tasks, and greet visitors.

Risk and Compliance Officer: Booking.com, Amsterdam – Coordinate risk, audit and compliance across DML’s data and machine learning platforms, advising owners and driving assessments, controls and remediation.

More international jobs in Amsterdam: see the full list or get them in your inbox every day.

Looking ahead: Tapis Rouge French Film Festival (from Wed 28 October), Imagine Film Festival (from Thu 29 October) and Stevie Wonder (Wed 28 October). See the week ahead →

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