Essentially Amsterdam – Saturday, October 24, 2026

Saturday October 24, 2026

Good morning, Amsterdam. Today: the lights go out on Saturday for free stargazing, the Concertgebouw Orchestra plays Beethoven under billowing cloth at ADE, and Dvořák’s Stabat mater brings two choirs to the Concertgebouw.

Artis sea lions fly to new home in Singapore: Sarina, Lilo and Puck flew out in crates on a commercial passenger flight, after months of training to eat fish inside them. The zoo decided they deserved a better home, leaving Artis without sea lions for the first time in over a century.

Free stargazing in Amsterdam as lights go out Saturday: On Saturday 24 October, lights go off across the Netherlands for the annual Night of the Night, which aims to raise awareness of light pollution. In Amsterdam, stargazing at the UvA domes and Camping Zeeburg is free if skies are clear, while a night walk at ARTIS costs €18.

Dutch house prices dip 0.4% in September: Owner-occupied homes cost 2.9% more than a year earlier, down from 3.3% growth in August, after a second monthly drop in a row. The average existing home sold for €504,658, about €1,000 more than in August. About 20,000 homes changed hands, over 7% fewer than last September.

Concertgebouw Orchestra plays Beethoven under billowing cloth at ADE: Artist Boris Acket’s installation EINDER, previously shown from New York to Mexico City, is in the Centrale Markthal for ADE. As 70 musicians play beneath it, fans blow wind at a large cloth that moves with the music. One violinist said the setting lets the orchestra reach a new audience.

A9 exit to Amstelveen centre closed until early 2028: From Monday 26 October, drivers from Schiphol or Haarlem heading to central Amstelveen must detour via exit 4 at Ouderkerk aan de Amstel and double back. Off-peak trips take three to five minutes longer. Rijkswaterstaat has set aside €1 million to help worried shopkeepers keep customers coming.

ADE family rave welcomes young kids at Westergas: ADE runs a Family Rave with Dome Concerts at Fabrique des Lumières on the Westergas site, giving young children and their parents a first taste of electronic music and visual storytelling. Head programmer Wiecher Troost says these children will fill the city’s parties for the next 30 years.

Rembrandthuis warns tourist tax is driving visitors away: The museum on Jodenbreestraat is 20% below its visitor budget and expects to struggle to reach 200,000 visitors this year, down from 300,000 in 2019. Its director says that without extra funding it can no longer pay for exhibitions as the tourist tax rises to 16% next year.

City fells 432 trees on Zeeburgereiland for new neighbourhood: Felling began on 5 October in Baaibuurt West, where a new district of up to 1,750 homes is planned. A 7-metre sand layer to stop streets sinking would kill the trees, and most cannot be replanted. Every felled tree will be replaced, and two parks are planned.

Scaring Amsterdam Dungeon tourists earns about €2,000 a month: A new YouTube series follows young North Hollanders in unusual jobs, from scaring visitors at the Amsterdam Dungeon to touring with a fairground ride from Blaricum. Episodes appear weekly from Saturday and show what each working day looks like and what it pays.

Amsterdam Mamas Spooktacular Parade for costumed little ones: An early Halloween outing for young children dressed as ghosts, witches, superheroes or monsters, in two morning slots with limited registration. 24 October, 10:00 – 11:30, 12:00 – 13:30, UJ Klaren Park. FESTIVAL / FAIR

Gaasperfestival, a free neighbourhood afternoon in Gaasperdam: Local initiatives and businesses set out an information market, with music, sports and games for all ages through the afternoon. 24 October, 13:00 – 17:00, Ir. Lely Lyceum. FESTIVALS

Autumn holiday stories, whale readings and whisper tours at the Maritime Museum: Daily drop-in story crafts from 11:00 to 15:00, a read-aloud club and family whisper tours, all free with a museum ticket, until 25 October. 24 October, 10:00, Het Scheepvaartmuseum. MUSEUM / EDUCATIONAL

GRRRimlach, a wordless 40-minute show for children four and up: Mr Carl tries to cheer up his ill, grumpy friend Mr Piet through theatre, dance and music, so no Dutch is needed. 24 October, 15:30, Munganga Theater. FAMILY SHOW

Rabbit-themed painting for kids, in English at 13:30: Children aged 6 to 12 study paintings in the galleries with a teacher, then paint in the studio, without parents, ten at most. 24 October, 10:00 – 12:00 (Nederlands), 13, Van Gogh Museum. KIDS WORKSHOP

Saturday art club for ages 5 to 12, eight weeks at a time: Art teacher Martin sets a theme or challenge each week and children try out different materials and techniques, with no fixed end result. 24 October, 12:00, MidWest. KIDS WORKSHOP

Amsterdam Dance Event marks its 30th edition with 1,200+ events: Five days of electronic music events, day and night, across the city, with a professional conference and arts programme running alongside. 24 October, Venues across Amsterdam. ELECTRONIC / DANCE

Dvořák’s Stabat mater with two choirs at the Concertgebouw: Two choirs, RBO Sinfonia and four soloists perform it without an interval, and ticket holders get a free introduction at 19:40. 24 October, 20:15, The Concertgebouw. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Glass and Reich under a starry sky, shoes off, in Oost: Players sit on islands across the dome while you sit, lie or stand anywhere, so bring a cushion; harpist Sandrine Chatron guests. 24 October, 20:30, NedPhO-Koepel. CLASSICAL

Haunted Harmonies, a secret Halloween programme from a wind orchestra: WesterHarmonie keeps the setlist secret, mixing baroque, musicals, jazz and pop around witches, ghosts, masks and nighttime legends. 24 October, 20:00, De Bron. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Cello Dreams, familiar classics and film themes in a canal church: Iván Nogueira on cello and Julia Tavit on piano play well-known classical pieces, lyrical film music and romantic favourites, about 75 minutes. 24 October, 20:00 – 21:15, Keizersgrachtkerk. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Star Wars and Harry Potter themes on organ and timpani: John Williams’ film scores rearranged for organ, piano and percussion, a small line-up standing in for the usual symphony orchestra. 24 October, 16:00, Singelkerk, Singel 452 Amsterdam. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Queer folk night with London’s Goblin Band at OCCII: Fiddle, squeezeboxes and hurdy gurdy from Goblin Band, modular synths from The Silver Field, and folk punk from The Hague’s Moonbugs. 24 October, 20:00 (doors) / 20:30 (show), OCCII. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Stand-up from Akaash Singh on his Generational Triumph tour: The co-host of the Flagrant podcast with Andrew Schulz brings a tour that has already played North America and Australia. 24 October, all day, RAI Theater. THEATER

Watch The Gift, Eric Staller’s giant green hand, sail the canals: The five-and-a-half-metre sea-green sculpture leaves Westerdok Marina at 13:15, travels the Prinsengracht and Amstel, and is free to see from bridges. 24 October, 13:15 – 16:00, Café de Jaren. ART / MUSEUMS

The Maker Market at De Hallen, free entry over two days: Designers and craftspeople sell only what they make themselves, prints, illustrations and trinkets, with resellers turned away; Sunday opens at noon. 24 October, Zaterdag 11:00 – 17:00, zondag, De Hallen. FOOD / MARKETS

Mist, storms and still water in Stephan Vanfleteren’s Transcripts of a Sea: The Belgian photographer’s sea pictures, taken along the coast from northern France to the southern Netherlands, were first shown in Ghent last year. 24 October, 10:00 – 17:00, Het Scheepvaartmuseum. ART / MUSEUMS

Belongings, Maya Inès Touam’s first Dutch solo show: Digital still lifes built from hundreds of studio shots, mounted on altarpiece panels, folding screens and trays, touching on migration and motherhood. 24 October, Huis Marseille, Museum voor Fotografie. ART / MUSEUMS

A Slow Art Tour through the Whistler exhibition, twelve people at most: For fifty minutes a guide gives you looking exercises to spend real time with a handful of works, part of the museum’s mental health programme. 24 October, 09:30, Van Gogh Museum. TOUR

Two hours among the Amsterdam School buildings of Plan Zuid: Starting from Museum De Dageraad, a guide explains the district’s Amsterdam School architects; you need both an activity and an entrance ticket. 24 October, 13:00, Museum De Dageraad. TOUR

Skate in front of the Rijksmuseum as the Museumplein rink opens: Open skating and lessons run until 16 January, with ‘t Wak serving hot chocolate and dinner beside the ice, where rinks stood from 1887. 24 October, Schaatsbaan Museumplein. SPORTS

Sous-vide sea bass and cod with a Conservatorium chef, in English: Chef Antonio Prezioso teaches a sea bass ceviche and steamed cod, then you eat your own cooking for lunch, though it’s listed sold out. 24 October, 10:00 – 13:30, SMEG Showroom. WORKSHOP

Board games and Dutch practice in the Jordaan, from A1 level: Welkomsterdam brings learners and teachers together for games, cooking, coffee or beer and reading aloud, free for native speakers, four euro otherwise. 24 October, 16:00 – 18:00, Buurthuis ‘t Claverhuis (Koentact). GAMES / HOBBIES

Dye a cotton scarf and tote with flowers and leaves: Bundle dyeing with flowers, leaves and natural pigments in a small group, no experience needed, with materials, drinks and snacks included. 24 October, Sanctuary Atelier. WORKSHOP

Your own symbolic animal, etched and printed in Oud-West: Guided meditation and drawing exercises lead you to a personal animal, which you etch and print, taking home the plate; two spots were left. 24 October, 12:30 – 15:30, Flow Community Studio. WORKSHOP

Italian Language Festival, a free day of lessons, pasta and wine: Mini Italian lessons, improv, a book reading and pasta workshops lead into an evening aperitivo and sing-along; wine tastings cost €15 extra. 24 October, 12:30 – 21:30, Taalhuis Amsterdam. FESTIVAL / FAIR

Creative Gathering TO GATHER, storytelling and painting on a De Ceuvel boat: Eight to ten people work on personal stories, drawings or paintings through archetypes and visualisation, in Dutch and English, beginners welcome. 24 October, 13:00, De Ceuvel. WORKSHOP

Duke of Tokyo: Japanese restaurant opens second location in De Pijp neighbourhood.

The Boule: Spot serving wine alongside ice cream.

Restaurant Monne: Restaurant opens just outside Amsterdam’s centre.

Looking ahead: Imagine Fantastic Film Festival (from Thu 29 October), PAN Amsterdam art fair (from Sat 31 October) and Diwali at de Bijenkorf (until Sun 1 November). See the week ahead →

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