Essentially Amsterdam – Thursday, November 12, 2026

Thursday November 12, 2026

Good morning, Amsterdam. Today: the IJ-tunnel is set to close from July 2027 for major repairs, bowling alley Knijn reopens after a major renovation, and amber light art guides visitors around Westergas.

Amber light art guides visitors around Westergas: Artist collective Children of the Light has lit eight round windows at the cultural park in amber and added LED screens that become a map up close. The colour recalls the gas street lamps the site once supplied, and district councillor Daniëlle de Jager wants more public art and lighting.

IJ-tunnel to close from July 2027 for major repairs: Ageing ventilation and lighting will be replaced, new asphalt laid and the tunnel linked to the new traffic control centre. Until 1 November 2028 no traffic can use it, including public transport, and only emergency services may pass. Drivers will be diverted via the A10.

Amsterdam start-up Perry digitises veteran technicians’ know-how: Perry’s app turns company manuals and work instructions into step-by-step guidance on a technician’s phone, then checks each step and writes the reports. A few hundred technicians at grid operators and installation firms already use it, and the seven-person firm is now in talks in Germany.

Sarah J. Maas teaser appears on Amsterdam billboard: Publisher Bloomsbury revealed a line from A Court of Forgotten Melody on an Amsterdam billboard, its second teaser for the next A Court of Thorns and Roses book. The novel is out on 12 January 2027, and the next quote is due at a Berlin shopping mall on 19 November.

Brutalist Leeuwenburg building by Amstel station becomes Bruut: The 1977 concrete office block at Weesperzijde 190 is losing its facade, which will be replaced by one that restores its original look. Developer Vastint plans offices plus a ground floor with a fine dining restaurant, cocktail bar, deli and meeting centre, with completion expected in 2031.

Elizabeth Holmes and Elon Musk films at Amsterdam’s IDFA: The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam opens today for its 39th edition, screening 253 films from 80 countries until November 22. Highlights include a secretly filmed portrait of the Theranos founder before prison, Alex Gibney’s almost four-hour Musk film and a restored 1995 documentary on Curaçao’s 1969 uprising.

Amsterdam’s rough-edged Zeeburgerpad to make way for homes: The 1.5-kilometre strip between the Nieuwe Vaart and the Lozingskanaal, lined with sheds, workshops and houseboats, is set to get 700 to 900 new homes. Some call it one of the city’s last rough edges. Upcycling artists Joan and Jan must leave their shed next April.

Typical Amsterdam couple’s wealth rose to €93,000 in 2025: Median wealth of Amsterdam’s 180,200 couple households rose 11.9% to €93,000 in 2025, up from €83,100, according to figures national statistics office CBS published on Wednesday. Average wealth grew only 2.1% to €621,800, still about 6.7 times the median, so wealth is skewed towards richer households. Couples in Rotterdam saw faster gains.

Amsterdam bowling alley Knijn reopens after major renovation: The bowling centre marked 55 years with a reopening party after months of building work, its biggest renovation yet. The bar has moved, the old logo is back and the carpet was redesigned as a nod to 1971. Designers Ronald van der Kemp and Bas Kosters were among the guests.

Dancing violinist joins Bach’s St John Passion in Amsterdam: Slovenian violinist Mojca Gal, 41, moves freely among the dancers in Sasha Waltz’s staging at the Dutch National Opera, playing from memory as she turns and kneels. Trained in classical dance, she says one simple, natural knee bend took her a month to learn, because she first had to unlearn her habits. The production runs until 26 November.

Six new buildings rise on Osdorp’s old district office site: MIX Amsterdam, beside the Osdorpplein, holds 528 energy-efficient flats, 162 of them social rentals from Ymere, plus 4,000 square metres of business space. An arts and culture centre with a library and film house is due in the complex in 2028.

Most home workers would struggle with full-time office return: More than half of home workers would struggle to return to the office full-time, according to an FNV and Nieuwsuur survey of 3,000 workers, who cited productivity, commuting and health. None of the 25 largest Dutch companies said they require five office days, though Booking.com won a court case last month over 40% office time.

Wil’s Café: Michelin-starred chef Joris Bijdendijk opens a neighbourhood bistro on Weesperzijde serving French dishes, Amsterdam classics, and boiled eggs on the bar, open seven days a week.

Tannay: Chef Thomas Demuth, trained in Paris, cooks classical French cuisine with seasonal depth in a monumental canal house on Zandhoek, with a terrace by the old drawbridge.

Café Cenc: A French bistro serving sandwiches, snacks and a three-course menu with dishes like gravad lax, poussin, and cassoulet, open Wednesday to Sunday from 1 p.m.

 

Daily markets open today: Albert Cuyp (De Pijp), Markt Anton de Komplein and Markt Plein 40-45. See all markets open today

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Diorama artist Oliver Schaffer at the We Love Playmobil exhibition: More than twenty themed worlds and thousands of figures, with large dioramas, XXL objects, shows to watch and zones for hands-on play. 12 November, 10:00 – 19:00, Vincent Hall | Playmobil Exhibition | Amsterdam. FAMILY SHOW

Ancient Greek games and Roman payments on a children’s discovery tour: Children aged 6 to 12 play researcher in the Nile to Amstel exhibition, finding out how ancient Greeks played and Romans paid. 12 November, 10:00 – 17:00, Allard Pierson. MUSEUM / EDUCATIONAL

Toddler dance class in De Banne, with a five-euro trial lesson: Creative dance for toddlers from 18 months with a parent, or from two and a half with friends, taught by Sanne Fokkens. 5 November, 09:15 – 09:45, Huis van de Wijk de Banne (Theaterzaal). CLASS

Free Afro dance lessons for kids near the Oosterpark: Every Thursday, children aged ten and up learn moves to Afro beats. No dance experience needed. 22 October, 15:45 – 16:45, Oosterparkhuis. KIDS WORKSHOP

Two outsider teens meet in detention, staged inside a theatre truck: STIK is a raw musical play about not fitting in, performed inside a converted lorry trailer parked on the Westergas grounds. 12 November, 19:30 – 20:30, Theater De Krakeling. FAMILY SHOW

Reading club for children aged seven and up in Duivendrecht: Kids who enjoy books or want to read better read together, learn new words and practise comprehension; sign up via duivendrecht@oba.nl. 12 November, 15:15, OBA Duivendrecht – Open ruimte. STORY / READING

Free Thursday rehearsals with the Ukulele Orchestra Amsterdam: Open to intermediate and advanced players who read music, with bass ukulele and small percussion players especially wanted; RSVP to Candace first. 12 November, 19:00, Lijnbaansgracht 191. GAMES / HOBBIES

Tove Lo’s ESTRUS tour, with Rose Gray in support: Frank, synth-driven pop from the Swedish singer behind Habits (Stay High), touring her sixth album, with her set starting at 21:00. 12 November, 18:30 – 22:30, AFAS Live. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Candlelight: the best of Ludovico Einaudi on piano: Nuvole Bianche, Una Mattina, Le Onde and more, played over an hour in a candlelit church, for ages eight and up. 12 November, 18:45, Posthoornkerk. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Real Life at twenty, played in full by Joan As Police Woman: Presented by Paradiso, the New York singer and her trio revisit the 2006 debut alongside fan favourites, deep cuts and reworked covers. 12 November, 20:30, ‘t Zonnehuis. SINGER-SONGWRITER

Adele songs on piano at a Candlelight tribute: Sixty minutes of Hello, Someone Like You, Skyfall and Easy On Me in a candlelit church, latecomers not admitted. 12 November, 21:00, Posthoornkerk. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Along the Silk Road: Tuvan throat singing with Huun-Huur-Tu in Ruigoord: The quartet sings khöömei, sygyt and kargyraa during an evening of stories, food, tea and art tied to Tuvan culture. 12 November, 18:00, Ruigoord. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Jazz at the Pianola: an Oscar Peterson tribute in the Jordaan: Piano, guitar and double bass from Berend van den Berg, Martien Oster and Carla Beekman. Admission is 20 euros. 12 November, 20:00, Pianola Museum. JAZZ / BLUES

Mom-preneur dinner, served by grandmothers, with a Grandma knows best interview: Mothers running businesses introduce themselves in a minute each, hear a founder on growing alongside family, and eat dinner with three drinks. 12 November, 19:00 – 22:30, The Social Hub Amsterdam City. NETWORKING

AI@Work: The Human Frontier, Reshaping Work’s tenth-anniversary conference: Two days of keynotes and debates in English on algorithmic management, AI’s effect on democracy and the economy, and changing healthcare. 12 November, De Rode Hood. CONFERENCE

Zoku x Buzbo networking, with your first introductions arranged in advance: Founders, professionals and managers arrive to find three introductions already matched for them. Anouk Horrevorts hosts, and registration needs approval. 12 November, 16:00, Zoku Amsterdam. NETWORKING

IDFA 2026 begins: eleven days of documentaries across the city: Premieres, competitions, talks and children’s films through 22 November, with Tatiana Huezo as guest of honour and a William Greaves spotlight. 12 November, 14:30-23:00; individual screenings vary, IDFA. FESTIVALS

Free at NDSM: Nasal Demons, an exhibition on humans and machines: Artist Quintus Glerum gathers ten projects asking whether life might feel easier as a machine, named after programmer slang for undefined behaviour. 12 November, 13:00 – 18:00, Treehouse NDSM. ART / MUSEUMS

Climate, geopolitics and technology on stage at the Science Gala: The Gala van de Wetenschap, curated by Lotte Jensen, mixes talks by scientists and thinkers with music in a three-hour Dutch-language evening. 12 November, 19:30, Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam, Rabozaal. TALKS / IDEAS

Emily & Women of Utopia: free show of central Australian art: Acrylics on linen and carved wooden sculptures by Emily Kam Kngwarray and other Utopia women, marking thirty years since her death. 12 November, 12:00 – 18:00, Gallery Boomerang. ART / MUSEUMS

Family recipes, scents and food memories from Nieuw-West: Residents share six family recipes through photos, stories and scents you can smell, and you can take free recipe cards home. 12 November, 09:30, OBA Osdorp – Maakplaats. ART / MUSEUMS

A restored 1530 Descent from the Cross, home in the attic church: Pieter Coecke van Aelst’s triptych is back in the hidden church, with a short film beside it showing the restoration. 12 November, 10:00 – 18:00, Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder. ART / MUSEUMS

Ten sessions helping women into work or their own business: Sessions cover talents, money, job hunting and starting a company, with a buddy, links to job centres and a free interview outfit. 1 October, 09:00 – 12:00, Stichting Malak. WORKSHOP

A free nine-stop Oosterdok walk guided by your phone: About ninety minutes from harbour history to the city’s first official swimming spot, adapted for visitors with a visual impairment. 12 November, all day, Various locations in Amsterdam. TOUR

Art at the Table: three courses with sculptor Cedric Laquieze: He turns insects, feathers and botanicals into fantastical sculptures; a small group eats, looks at the work and talks with him. 12 November, 19:30 – 22:30, Arles. RESTAURANT

Move, Sweat & Connect: a social 5K or hot yoga, then drinks: 020 Run Culture’s evening at Jimmy Woo offers an easy-paced run for all levels or Isabelle Bedaux’s hot yoga, with bites afterwards. 12 November, 17:30, Jimmy Woo. SPORTS

Build a story in Italian over four practical sessions: AmsterDaje’s course works on characters, suspense and rhythm through improv games, ending with each person performing an original story; no experience needed. 12 November, 19:00 – 21:00, Q-Factory Amsterdam. CLASS

Learn the basics of improv in Italian with AmsterDaje: Taught in Italian, it covers ‘Yes, and’, characters, invisible objects and imaginary spaces, then offers a chance to perform publicly. 12 November, 19:00 – 21:00, Q-Factory Amsterdam. CLASS

Board games in English with a small group of strangers: Socials by Detor seats four to eight people who haven’t met and sends the address a day ahead; over-18s only. 12 November, 19:00 – 22:00, Amsterdam. GAMES / HOBBIES

Partnerships & Operations Coordinator Chocolonely Foundation: Tony’s Chocolonely, Amsterdam, EUR 50,000 – 63,000 a year – Coordinate the Chocolonely Foundation’s project portfolio, funding partnerships and operations to support lasting change in cocoa-growing communities.

Site Reliability Engineer: Funda, Amsterdam, EUR 5,586 – 6,504 a month – Build and improve cloud infrastructure, CI/CD pipelines, and monitoring for Funda’s platform as part of its SRE team.

Financial Accountant: TicketSwap, Amsterdam, EUR 60,800 – 84,100 a year – Own month-end close, reporting and process improvements with TicketSwap’s Financial Accounting & Operations team.

Enterprise Customer Onboarding Manager: Bynder, Amsterdam, EUR 50,000 – 56,000 a year – Lead complex enterprise implementations for global brands on Bynder’s DAM platform, working with the professional services and onboarding team.

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Looking ahead: Amsterdam Winter Terrace (from Fri 13 November), Sinterklaas Arrival in Amsterdam (Sun 15 November) and KUSUM Creative Market (Sat 14 November). See the week ahead →

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