Essentially Amsterdam – Friday, October 16, 2026

Friday October 16, 2026

Good morning, Amsterdam. Today: the Haarlemmerdijk is dug up until 2028, TomTom cuts 200 jobs, and an Artis hornbill hunts again with a 3D-printed beak.

Haarlemmerdijk cycle route faces 18 months of roadworks: From 26 October, Liander and Waternet replace the gas and water pipes under the Haarlemmerdijk, one of the city’s busiest cycle routes. The work moves along the street in stages until early 2028, starting with a week-long closure of the Haarlemmerstraat.

TomTom to cut 200 jobs in restructuring: TomTom is cutting 200 jobs as it splits into three divisions: automated driving, location intelligence and navigation. Revenue fell 6% to €129 million in the third quarter.

Dam carriage owner wants his Amsterdam permit back: Dikran Migdesyan ran horse-drawn carriage tours from the Dam for thirty years, until the city stopped issuing permits for tourist transport six years ago. He has sold his horses but kept three carriages, and is taking his case to the Council of State.

Artis hornbill hunts again with 3D-printed beak: Artis has given a southern ground hornbill a new upper and lower beak, printed in 3D after ten months of work with specialists from Utrecht. The next morning he picked a mouse off the ground, and the zoo says replacing both halves at once is a world first.

Nazi-looted Amsterdam Kandinsky sells for nearly €32 million: A Kandinsky the Nazis took from an Amsterdam family in 1940, once on loan to the Stedelijk, sold at Christie’s in London for about €32 million. The Lewenstein heirs sold it after years of fighting to get it back.

Higher Dutch bar pushes Amsterdam learners towards B1: Newcomers are increasingly expected to speak Dutch at B1, one level above the old A2. It already applies to integration courses, and the coalition wants it for a new route to citizenship.

Amsterdam’s Kinkerbuurt market faces budget uncertainty: A volunteer-run market and chess tournament with 55 stalls on Nicolaas Beetsplantsoen may not return next year. The city is ending the neighbourhood budgets that paid its costs, and nothing has replaced them yet.

Banks must refund fraud victims before seeking repayment: Banks must refund customers who lose money to phishing straight away, even when the customer was careless, the EU Court of Justice ruled on Thursday. The bank can then try to recover the money, but only by proving gross negligence or intent.

International residents to lose right to IND penalty payments under new law: A new law ends the daily penalty payments the IND owes when it misses a residence permit deadline. It covers highly skilled migrants, students and family members, not only asylum seekers.

Follow a forest ranger through the Amsterdamse Bos at dusk: An hour and a half with a ranger, watching how the forest shifts into evening and which animals come out, for €5. 16 October, 19:00, Amsterdamse Bos. OUTDOOR / ACTIVE

Cinekid Festival brings children’s films, series and a MediaLab: Young visitors can explore films, maker conversations, workshops, games and digital art, alongside AI, virtual and augmented reality in the MediaLab. 16 October, Pathé Noord Amsterdam. FAMILY SHOW

Cello Cello plays OUD! with discarded objects and classical music: Two cellists move from Bach and Mussorgsky to contemporary sounds, performing beside a talking radio and other discarded objects. 16 October, 13:30, The Concertgebouw. FAMILY SHOW

Make portraits and still-life photos in the castle studio: Drop in to draw or colour a picture, arrange a still life for your phone, or book a guided paper self-portrait workshop. 16 October, Muiderslot. KIDS WORKSHOP

Festival Tweetakt brings Flemish theatre and free family activities: The programme pairs performances for children and adults with a free side programme of waffle decorating, a gallery tour and workshops. 16 October, 15:15, Vlaams Cultuurhuis de Brakke Grond. FESTIVAL / FAIR

Mystery Ensemble plays The Music of the Lord of the Rings at Zuiderkerk: Howard Shore’s themes in the ensemble’s own arrangements, including The Shire and Gollum, over sixty minutes and suitable from age six. 16 October, 20:00, Zuiderkerk. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Racoon marks 25 years with songs across its catalogue: The Dutch band’s set spans English-language hits, Dutch favourites and newer music, with Josua Peter opening the evening. 16 October, 20:00, AFAS Live. POP / ROCK

Death Over Europe Part II: Mayhem with Marduk: Marduk opens the night before Mayhem’s Main Hall set, part of a tour marking forty years of the band. 16 October, 19:00, Paradiso. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Tenebrae sings unaccompanied English Renaissance sacred music: The British choir centres its programme on William Byrd’s Mass for Four Voices, with motets by Tallis, White and Mundy. 16 October, 20:15 – 22:00, Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Gerben Budding and Nanette Mans: soprano and organ: A free lunch of cheese or hummus sandwiches, soup and tea or coffee precedes a programme of organ and soprano works. 16 October, 13:13, Het Orgelpark. CLASSICAL

Bach Motets: Cappella Amsterdam pairs choral works with cello suites: Cappella Amsterdam sings the sacred motets under Daniel Reuss, interwoven with movements from Bach’s Cello Suites. 16 October, 20:15, Meervaart. CLASSICAL

Own Your Story, Own the Room: live stories and a Story Lab: In English, leaders share stories of setbacks and change, followed by a public-speaking masterclass, optional open mic, drinks, bites and networking. 16 October, 18:30 – 21:30, A Beautiful Mess – Amsterdam. NETWORKING

Whistler: Dandy and Disruptor brings paintings, prints and drawings: Paintings, etchings and drawings from several cities explore Whistler’s belief that art should evoke a mood, with an audio tour. 16 October, Van Gogh Museum. ART / MUSEUMS

Funny Amsterdam Festival mixes stand-up and improv in Oost: Across five nights, visiting international acts and local comedy formats range from stand-up to improv. 16 October, 19:30 (14-16 Oct), 16:00 (17 O, Mike’s Badhuistheater. COMEDY

Outdoors: free exhibition on city life and nature: Historical maps, books and archive material show how nineteenth-century fears of unhealthy cities encouraged faith in nature and fresh air. 16 October, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Bijzondere Collecties (erfgoedvitrine naast de ingang van de Universiteitsbibliotheek, 1e verdieping Hoofdgebouw). ART / MUSEUMS

The Mo You Know: Mo Gilligan’s stand-up show: Mo Gilligan performs stand-up as part of an international tour spanning Europe, North America, Asia and Oceania. 16 October, 20:00, Theater Amsterdam. COMEDY

Free Oosterkunst open studios and group exhibition in Amsterdam: More than thirty artists feature in a central show, with around nineteen studios opening to visitors over the weekend. 16 October, all day, Plantage Dok. ART / MUSEUMS

Bring Your Own Book Fair: zines, books and printed work: Browse, buy or swap independent publications, and talk with makers presenting books, zines, magazines, posters and other printed work. 16 October, 14:00, Loods6 (Bagagehal). FESTIVAL / FAIR

The Book Market on Spui Square: About twenty-five booksellers bring second-hand and antiquarian books, alongside prints, posters and magazines in several languages. 16 October, 10:00 – 18:00, De Boekenmarkt op het Spui. FOOD / MARKETS

Botanical collage and circular dinner with The Circular Table: In this English-language workshop, participants make collages with vegetable inks and dried plant waste before sharing a three-course circular dinner. 16 October, 18:00, Treehouse NDSM. WORKSHOP

Bake sourdough bread from starter to finished loaf: Participants work through natural fermentation and kneading dough while learning the steps to bake sourdough bread. 16 October, 13:30 – 16:00, Stichting De OASE van de Oosterparkbuurt. WORKSHOP

Three vegetarian courses among artworks at Beautiful Distress: The candlelit meal is served beside works from the exhibition A. Beginning; drinks are not included in the €25 price. 16 October, 18:30 – 21:30, Stichting Beautiful Distress. RESTAURANT

Riso Postcards: design and print a set of two-colour cards: Participants choose a shared theme and colours, then develop individual designs and learn colour separation, layering and risograph printing. 16 October, 19:00, Broedplaats Baggerbeest. WORKSHOP

Free Karaoke Fridays in Amsterdam at Lellebel: The queer bar’s living-room-style setting hosts karaoke through the weekend, with singers taking turns at the microphone. 16 October, 21:00, Lellebel: Queer Bar. GAMES / HOBBIES

Four guided life-drawing sessions with one live model: The weekend course develops line work and chiaroscuro, with participants drawing the same model under a tutor’s guidance. 16 October, 18:00, OT301. WORKSHOP

Yuyou: Female-first fitness shop combining sportswear, beauty products and specialty coffee, with run clubs and yoga classes held in-store.

Hoi Tin Cafe: Cafe serving iced lattes, matcha drinks, sweet snacks and sandwiches.

Miyabi Matcha: Matcha café located on Amsterdam’s Zeedijk.

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