Essentially Amsterdam – Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Wednesday August 26, 2026

Good morning, Amsterdam. Today: plans for a night train to Copenhagen and Malmö, a creative writing workshop at Pakhuis de Zwijger, and pianist Martin Fondse’s hybrid trio at Splendor.

Night train to Copenhagen and Malmö planned for 2028: European Sleeper plans to launch a direct overnight rail service from Amsterdam to Copenhagen and Malmö in April 2028. The roughly 15-hour journey will feature both regular seating and sleeper compartments.

NS offers discounted train tickets near rush hour: National rail operator NS is expanding discount tickets to the edges of peak commute hours. The move aims to spread passenger crowds on busy Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

Amsterdam Fringe Festival returns across 23 city venues: The Amsterdam Fringe Festival runs from 3 to 13 September with over 200 performances across 23 venues. Tickets start at 10 euros for a programme spanning comedy, dance and experimental theatre.

Water board lifts sprinkling ban across Amsterdam: Waterschap Amstel, Gooi en Vecht is lifting the regional sprinkling ban from Wednesday morning. Recent rainfall and cooler weather have stabilised water levels, allowing surface water use to resume.

Schiphol closes Buitenveldertbaan runway for eight days: Annual maintenance on the runway will redirect takeoffs and landings to alternative routes from Monday. Residents in central Amsterdam, Zuidoost and surrounding areas may experience increased aircraft noise.

Flight claim service EUclaim is declared bankrupt: The Arnhem district court has declared flight compensation company EUclaim bankrupt after airlines began proactively informing passengers about their rights. A bankruptcy trustee is working on a restart with eight interested buyers.

Westerdag festival returns to Westergas on Sunday: The third edition of the neighbourhood event features free activities, games, and performances across Cultuurpark Westergas. Organised with Stadsdeel West, the daytime programme starts at 11:30 followed by an evening show at the Gashouder.

Creative recycled craft workshops for kids at De Hallen Amsterdam: Children aged five and up build and design creative craft projects alongside makers using recycled materials. 26 August, 13:00 – 15:30, De Hallen Amsterdam. KIDS WORKSHOP

Children make colourful pasta suncatchers at De Kinderboekwinkel: Children break up lasagne sheets and paint them into window suncatchers in an hour-long afternoon craft workshop. 26 August, 14:00, De Kinderboekwinkel. KIDS WORKSHOP

Interactive storytime for toddlers and parents at OBA Amsterdam: Half an hour of simple, visually rich stories read aloud for toddlers aged two to four and their parents. 26 August, 14:30 – 15:00, OBA Amsterdam. STORY / READING

Hands-on open-air water science experiments on the NEMO roof: A free Wednesday afternoon session exploring the science behind ordinary tap water, held open-air above the museum. 26 August, 13:00 – 15:00, NEMO. OUTDOOR / ACTIVE

Free inflatable pop-up cinema brings Cinekid shorts to Zuidoost: A free inflatable pop-up cinema screening short films for kids as Cinekid kicks off its travelling tour in Zuidoost. 26 August, 15:00 – 17:00, Jeugdcentrum Anansi. FESTIVAL / FAIR

Summer lunchtime concerts on the historic Duyschot organ at Westerkerk: Cantor-organist Evan Bogerd and guests play the historic church instrument, with close-up camera work projected on a big screen. 26 August, 13:00 – 13:30, Westerkerk Amsterdam.

Cuban guitar legend Eliades Ochoa plays Amsterdamse Bostheater: The veteran Cuban guitarist brings his traditional sound to the open-air stage for this rescheduled, sold-out summer evening show. 26 August, 20:00, Amsterdamse Bostheater.

Pianist Martin Fondse leads a hybrid trio at Splendor: Pianist Martin Fondse leads a hybrid trio with singer Margriet Sjoerdsma and Qniverse, playing piano, Fender Rhodes and vibrandoneon. 26 August, 20:30, Splendor.

Open community choir rehearsal welcomes all singers at Tolhuistuin: An open-door community choir welcoming all experience levels and backgrounds for a pay-what-you-want rehearsal focused on singing together. 26 August, 20:00, Tolhuistuin.

Concertgebouw Orchestra plays Prokofiev and Beethoven with Víkingur Ólafsson: Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali leads Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony, joined by pianist Víkingur Ólafsson for Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto. 26 August, 20:00, The Concertgebouw.

Free late night jazz session with Lachy Hamilton at Studio K: Saxophonist Lachy Hamilton leads a late-night quartet session with Massimo Imperatore, Thomas Pol and drummer Felix Schlarmann. 26 August, 22:00, Studio K.

Open air cinema festival Pluk de Nacht returns to Het Stenen Hoofd: Beach chairs on the IJ waterfront showing unreleased festival features, documentaries and shorts under the open sky. 26 August, 19:00 – 00:00, Het Stenen Hoofd. FILM

Watch The Fifth Element outdoors at Oedipus Craft Space: Outdoor sci-fi on the brewery terrace, pairing Luc Besson’s colourful cult future with local craft beer. 26 August, 21:00, Oedipus Craft Space. FILM

Two waacking dance performances explore identity at ITA: Two debut Dutch performances use the precision and punch of waacking to explore personal transformation and identity. 26 August, 21:30 – 22:55, Internationaal Theater Amsterdam (ITA). THEATER

Paddleboarding and an open air movie at Jachthaven Ottenhome: Paddle across the Loosdrechtse Plassen before settling in for an open-air film screening beside the water at dusk. 26 August, 16:00 – 23:00, Jachthaven Ottenhome. FILM

English improvised musical comedy and open jam at De Dijktheater: An improvised musical comedy showcase by students, followed immediately by an open musical jam for anyone in the room. 26 August, 19:30, De Dijktheater. COMEDY

Archival footage explores the 1980s Wallen underworld at De Balie: Archival footage from the early 1980s captures the Wallen underworld just as hard drugs began altering the neighbourhood. 26 August, At various times, De Balie. FESTIVALS

Emerging international photographers showcase work at FOAM Photography Museum: The photography museum surveys emerging image makers, showcasing selected work from fifteen international artists shaping the medium. 26 August, FOAM Photography Museum. ART / MUSEUMS

Compete in a general knowledge pub quiz at Oedipus Craft Space: Teams compete across general knowledge rounds over craft beers at the brewery taproom in Amsterdam Noord. 26 August, 19:30, Oedipus Craft Space. GAMES / HOBBIES

Play interactive darts and board games over drinks at Oche: An informal social evening built around interactive darts, curated board games and drinks in the city centre. 26 August, 19:30, Oche. GAMES / HOBBIES

Creative writing workshop with sensory prompts and freewriting at Pakhuis de Zwijger: A quiet creative session using low-pressure prompts like freewriting and sensory exercises, suitable for absolute beginners. 26 August, 16:00, Pakhuis de Zwijger. WORKSHOP

Learn fermented kimchi making with seasonal vegetables at Stretch and Fold: Seasonal vegetables turn into fermented kimchi during this hands-on workshop focused on quiet, slow culinary technique. 26 August, 19:00, Stretch and Fold. WORKSHOP

Cocktail themed rooftop painting workshop with skyline views at Zoku: Three hours of guided painting with skyline views over the city, following a summer cocktail theme. 26 August, 18:30, Zoku Amsterdam. WORKSHOP

Wine and psychological thriller discussion with AMS Chapters Book Club: Readers gather over a glass of wine to discuss Alice Feeney’s psychological thriller in a small group. 26 August, 19:00, Ams Chapters. GAMES / HOBBIES

Vision board and scrapbook collage night at The Social Corner: Magazines, stickers and boards are provided for a casual evening of collage, with a drink included. 26 August, 19:00, The Social Corner. WORKSHOP

Fresh handmade pasta workshop and Sicilian tasting at La Bottega: Learn to shape orecchiette and cavatelli from scratch, paired with Sicilian appetizers and a drink. 26 August, 18:00, La Bottega by Chiara’s Food. WORKSHOP

Free interval running and fitness session through Vondelpark: A forty-minute loop mixing easy jogging, bodyweight exercises and short sprints where the group regroups every time. 26 August, 18:30, Vondelpaviljoen. SPORTS (ACTIVE)

West African djembe ensemble drumming workshop with Jaco Benders: Jaco Benders leads an open drumming session focused on traditional West African rhythms and ensemble techniques. 26 August, 19:00, studio PXP. WORKSHOP

Natural textile dyeing workshop using fresh flowers and plants: Learn the craft of bundle dyeing, using fresh flowers and plants to imprint patterns onto textiles. 26 August, 19:00, Spaarndammerdijk 17h. WORKSHOP

Informal expat dinner and social gathering near Leidseplein: Newcomers and long-term residents meet for an informal group dinner hosted by a local guide near Leidseplein. 26 August, 18:30, De Hollandse Tulp, Leidsekruisstraat 18.

Discuss Bait by Eugenia Ladra at The Book Nook: Readers gather over cups of tea to share thoughts, reflections, and emotional reactions to the monthly novel. 26 August, 18:30, The Book Nook. GAMES / HOBBIES

Cowork on side projects and share informal demos at Build Café: Bring any side project or startup idea to work alongside others, followed by informal slideless demos in the evening. 26 August, 16:00, Amsterdam. PITCH / DEMO

Jesús Espino and Mohammed Nafees present Go technical talks at JetBrains: Jesús Espino and Mohammed Nafees present technical talks tackling the select statement and Go memory accounting mysteries. 26 August, 17:30, JetBrains. SEMINAR / TALK

Learn storytelling techniques for complex deep tech ideas with Lina Pauline: Lina Pauline leads a storytelling session and hands-on workshop focused on explaining complex deep tech products and ideas. 26 August, 15:30, Amsterdam. WORKSHOP / TRAINING

International residents meet for informal midweek drinks at Bar Shaffy: International residents gather for an informal midweek social taking over the whole bar beside Vijzelgracht metro station. 26 August, 19:30, Bar Shaffy. SOCIAL / DRINKS

KIRI: A restaurant inside Hotel Okura in Zuid, serving a bento box built on the classic Japanese lunchbox. RESTAURANT

Wonton Express: A takeaway spot from the Wonton dumpling team serving dumplings and buns to eat at home or in the park. RESTAURANT

Broodje Popov: The Van Woustraat sandwich institution has expanded into the city center with the opening of a second location. RESTAURANT

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