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Essentially Amsterdam

Essentially Amsterdam Staff

Reporting by the Essentially Amsterdam newsroom. We cover the city every day for the people who live in it: transport, housing, policy, money and the things that change how a week in Amsterdam actually goes. Every story is written in our own words from the original reporting, and the newsroom that broke it is credited at the foot of the article. Corrections and news tips: editorial@essentiallyamsterdam.com

428 published pieces Corrections and tips: editorial@essentiallyamsterdam.com

  1. News Amsterdam’s Kwaku Summer Festival to change format after 2026

    Rising operational costs and stricter permit regulations are forcing the historic multicultural festival to reconsider its future in Amsterdam-Zuidoost.

    23 July 2026

  2. News Dutch government turns to regional allies to extradite most wanted fugitive

    Justice Minister David van Weel is building a coalition of West African neighbors to pressure Sierra Leone over drug lord Jos Leijdekkers.

    23 July 2026

  3. News Amsterdam real estate agent urges client to gut interior before landmark status applies

    Footage from a reality television show has sparked criticism over how historic Amsterdam properties are renovated.

    23 July 2026

  4. News Amsterdam’s first CTO departs after twelve years in office

    Ger Baron reflects on his time steering the capital through the rise of tech platforms, municipal IT failures, and artificial intelligence.

    23 July 2026

  5. News Three arrested after €5 million smartphone theft at Schiphol

    Military police have detained two men from Amsterdam and a third suspect in connection with a major cargo heist at the airport.

    23 July 2026

  6. News Hera United returns to training following Eredivisie relegation

    The Netherlands' first independent women's professional club has restarted training following a major roster turnover and relegation to the second division.

    22 July 2026

  7. News Dutch outdoor advertising revenue jumps 20 percent as digital screens proliferate

    Digital displays in storefronts and transit spaces now drive sixty percent of all out-of-home advertising spend across the Netherlands.

    22 July 2026

  8. News Amsterdam installs extra bins and clear signage to combat Sarphatipark litter

    City officials are trying new waste management tactics in De Pijp to keep one of the neighborhood's busiest parks clean.

    22 July 2026

  9. News Citadel Securities opens new hub in Amsterdam

    The global market maker has chosen the city as a European base for its equity options operations.

    22 July 2026

  10. News Amsterdam’s 2025 population growth driven by migration from abroad

    New CBS figures show a net gain of nearly 25,000 residents from outside the Netherlands, while more people left the city for other Dutch municipalities than arrived.

    22 July 2026

  11. News Centraal bike conveyor still failing nearly six times a week

    Faults at the underground bike parking have climbed to 745 in three and a half years, and the city’s all-inclusive repair deal ends in 2026.

    22 July 2026

  12. News Amsterdam adds 17 areas to panhandling ban

    The city has widened rules against nuisance begging to more neighborhoods and shopping centers, with fines of €110.

    22 July 2026

  13. News Provo activist Hans Metz dies at 81

    The quiet Amsterdam campaigner who helped get the Provo movement’s first magazine into the papers has died.

    22 July 2026

  14. News Amsterdam unemployment claims rise for fourth year

    UWV data show 14,890 city residents on WW benefits at the end of June, the highest mid-year figure since 2021.

    22 July 2026

  15. News Heat speeds up insect boom across North Holland

    Warm weather is driving faster breeding of ants, moths, flies and mosquitoes, with more residents calling pest control.

    22 July 2026

  16. News Rental homes must reach energy label D by 2029

    A draft Dutch regulation would bar landlords from renting out homes rated E, F, or G from the start of 2029, with limited exemptions and existing subsidy support.

    22 July 2026

  17. News Class rank shapes secondary school advice for Dutch pupils

    A new study finds that children with identical end-of-primary test scores can still receive different track recommendations depending on how they rank in their class.

    22 July 2026

  18. News ASML growth revives Nokia-style dependence questions

    Soaring chip-machine sales and jobs bring gains for the Dutch economy, but experts also flag the risks of relying too heavily on one firm.

    21 July 2026

  19. News Realtor advised buyer to strip interior before possible monument listing

    A clip from a Dutch reality series has drawn criticism after a broker told a new owner in Amsterdam-Zuid to remove historic features while the house was not

    21 July 2026

  20. News Rob van Bree named next Amsterdam police chief

    The 48-year-old will take over from Peter Holla in December after years working on national and international crime cases.

    21 July 2026