Essentially Amsterdam – Friday, October 30, 2026

Friday October 30, 2026

Good morning, Amsterdam. Today: building starts on Amsterdam’s tallest residential tower in Zuidoost, lit boats fill the Vondelpark pond for All Souls, and Old Skool Bingo goes Halloween at Panama.

Local news site seeks Amsterdam’s scariest Halloween house: Residents who decorate their homes for Halloween, with fake blood on the walls, gravestones or rotting zombies in the front garden, are being asked to show them off. Entries go by email or by message on Instagram or Facebook, and the houses will be shared with readers.

Building starts on Amsterdam’s tallest residential tower in Zuidoost: Eleven Square, the new district beside the Johan Cruijff ArenA, will bring 1,120 homes and about 40,000 square metres of offices. Its 145-metre tower holds 478 rental apartments, part of 933 homes, including 455 student studios, bought by Bouwinvest. The first phase was planned for completion around 2029.

One permit, not two, for Amsterdam heritage renovations: From 26 November, removing part of a building during a renovation, such as cutting into a roof for a dormer, no longer needs its own demolition permit. What comes out and what goes in will be judged together. Demolishing a whole building still requires separate permission.

Amsterdam gains 2,135 social homes, but waiting list unchanged: Housing associations across the metropolitan region grew their stock by 4,026 homes in 2025, up from 2,439 in 2024. That is just over 1% of the nearly 400,000 homes they rent, so the wait of around ten years for a social rental in Amsterdam is not expected to shrink soon.

Vondelpark pond fills with lit boats for All Souls: On Monday 2 November, anyone can set a small lit boat on the big pond in Vondelpark between 18:30 and 20:30 in memory of someone they miss. Organisers hand out boats, paper for messages and decorations. The gathering has been held every year since 2010.

Free Amsterdam map finds toilets and bike pumps: A new website, Amsterdam On The Go, also lists drinking water points, cash machines, little free libraries and defibrillators, with filters to choose what appears. Its route planner for cyclists and walkers can favour shade, light or quieter streets, though those options rest on experimental estimates.

Concertgebouw Orchestra’s academy for young musicians turns 25: Current and former academy members, close to a hundred musicians, give a jubilee concert at the Concertgebouw tonight under Klaus Mäkelä, the orchestra’s chief conductor from next September. Cellist Tom van Lent, one of the first two students, says the academy has grown far larger and more international.

De Baarsjes community room closes for November move: Meneer Howard & Co, run by social entrepreneur Howard Kramer, opens for the last time on the Willem de Zwijgerlaan on Friday 30 October. A major renovation forced the move. The new space at Shackletonstraat 4, on the corner of Vespuccistraat, opens on 1 December.

De Hallen pledges another €10,000 for neighbourhood projects: The foundation behind the Oud-West venue will again hand out the money next year through Mensen Maken Amsterdam, which chose this year’s seven local initiatives. Business support is more urgent now that the neighbourhood funds were left out of the city budget, and a petition aims to get them included.

Govert de Roos launches photo book in Amsterdam: Govert de Roos, 72, spent ten years on a book covering more than 60 years of work, presented last week at Amsterdam’s Clayton Hotel with an exhibition. The walls show ABBA, David Bowie and his John Lennon and Yoko Ono pictures from the Hilton, taken when he was 15.

New compost drop-off points open in Noord: Residents’ initiative Afval naar Oogst now accepts peelings and cores at De VerbroederIJ, NoordOogst, De Moestuinschool and Tolhuistuin, with Waterlandplein and Waldorf aan de Werf to follow. Volunteers turn the scraps into compost for vegetable gardens. Two short composting courses run at Tolhuistuin on Saturday 7 November.

Amsterdam clothing recycling factory closes after 18 months: Brightfiber is shutting down the port factory where it pulled shredded clothing apart into fibres for new yarn, with the machines stopping this month. Director Ellen Mensink blames a slow market and lax government recycling rules. The firm keeps sorting the city’s donated clothes and selling recycled garments.

Night climbing among the trees of the Amsterdamse Bos: The yearly night climb, about 20 minutes by bike from the centre, takes you up to ten metres with a bungee jump. 30 October, Fun Forest Amsterdam. OUTDOOR / ACTIVE

Build moving art machines, a Friday club for ages 6 to 9: Over eight afternoons, up to ten children work in cardboard, wood or metal on wheels, levers and balance, guided by an artist. 30 October, 14:30 – 16:30, OBA Molenwijk – Maakplaats. KIDS WORKSHOP

Story time for toddlers aged 2 to 4 in the Indische Buurt: Simple, recognisable stories with lots to look at, read aloud to toddlers and their grown-ups in the children’s corner, no sign-up needed. 30 October, 10:00, OBA Javaplein – Maakplaats. STORY / READING

The Boy Who Loved the World, staged with miniatures, ages 9+: Het Filiaal adapts Tjibbe Veldkamp’s book about an unborn boy who must bring his future parents together, with miniature sets and video. 30 October, 19:30, Theater De Krakeling. FAMILY SHOW

Free space-tech workshop for ages 6 to 9 in Amstelveen: In small groups, children tackle a laser maze, make a height map with radar and try lidar, with parents staying out. 30 October, 16:00 – 17:00, Bibliotheek Amstelveen Westwijk. KIDS WORKSHOP

Cancelled: D-Block Europe and French Montana at AFAS Live: This Worldwide Wave Tour date pairing UK and US hip-hop has been called off, and ticket buyers will get details by email. 30 October, all day, AFAS Live. HIP-HOP / R&B

Coltrane at 100: Flat Earth Society’s The Coltrane Mutations: A 15-piece band reworks Coltrane classics and adds new compositions, in the Kleine Zaal, one set with no interval. 30 October, 20:15, The Concertgebouw. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Drums, bass and tenor sax with the Bill Stewart Trio: No piano, just John Scofield’s longtime drummer with Larry Grenadier and Walter Smith III, a trio with Village Vanguard residencies behind it. 30 October, 20:30 – 22:00, Bimhuis. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Respighi world premiere, played by the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra: Soloists Giovanni Sollima and Laura van der Heijden join the visiting Antwerp orchestra for a concert billed as a Respighi world premiere. 30 October, 20:15, Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ. CLASSICAL

Pop-up jazz in a church: Hidden Jazz Club at the Posthoornkerk: Run by musicians who present artists they admire, the series began in London and moves here after earlier nights in the Vondelkerk. 30 October, 20:00, Posthoornkerk. JAZZ / BLUES

Britney to Linkin Park: We Love 00s Halloween in Paradiso: Y2K pop, rock, indie and hip-hop fill the Main Hall as the official afterparty for London Calling’s Friday, over-18s only. 30 October, all day, Paradiso. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

First Amsterdam show for Alvorada, award-winning London choro band: Flute, clarinet, cavaquinho, seven-string guitar and percussion take on choro, Rio’s 19th-century instrumental music, with players from London, Brazil and Uruguay. 30 October, 20:00, Munganga Theater. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Old Skool Bingo goes Halloween at Panama: Bingo with a Halloween theme, played early in the evening at a club that usually hosts techno, trance and urban nights. 30 October, 19:00 – 22:00, panama.nl. GAMES / HOBBIES

Costumes, tarot and a horror RPG at the ABC Halloween Party: Anyone in costume gets a 10 euro book voucher, mocktails are free, and gothic horror author Johanna van Veen signs books. 30 October, 20:00 – 23:00, The American Book Center. STORY / READING

Watch the NOFX documentary in English, then El Hefe’s Q&A: Two hours on the band’s four decades, in English without subtitles, followed by the guitarist taking questions from the room. 30 October, 19:00, Melkweg. FILM

Ghost in the Shell with English subtitles and a talk on AI: Mamoru Oshii’s 1995 film follows an introduction by Payal Arora, who teaches inclusive AI cultures at Utrecht, for Imagine Fantastic Film Festival. 30 October, 18:15 – 21:30, LAB111. FILM

Festival of the Dead, with theatre, mariachi and a foyer altar: Festival van de Dood mixes stage pieces, an improv musical among them, with mariachi and an altar for the dead. 30 October, 20:15, Theater De Richel. THEATER

Rooftop Día de los Muertos with Latin American flavours and cocktails: Your ticket covers a welcome cocktail, selected cocktails, wine, beer and soft drinks plus three snacks, then a party. 30 October, 20:00 – 23:59, CIMA Rooftop Bar. FOOD / MARKETS

Love VS Fear in Shakespeare, a year’s work by six students: Romeo and Juliet in 1921 Rome and Antony and Cleopatra as teenagers, each play directed by the cast of another. 30 October, Mike’s Badhuistheater. THEATER

Free opening for Life After Love: In Search of the Militant Image: A survey of how militant imagery changed across a decade of uprisings, from Hong Kong to Beirut and Yangon to Jenin. 30 October, 18:00, Framer Framed. ART / MUSEUMS

Phones away, books out: the Offline Reading Party in Houthavens: Bring your own book, comic or poetry and read for two and a half hours, then swap finished books if you like. 30 October, 19:00 – 22:00, DB55. GAMES / HOBBIES

Fresh pasta and seasonal sauces from scratch on the Overtoom: Micaela of The Balanced Plate leads four hands-on hours in an Italian kitchen setting, and no cooking experience is needed. 30 October, 18:00 – 22:00, The Balanced Plate – Italian food workshops and Catering in Amsterdam. WORKSHOP

Paint a Halloween scene in acrylics on Revaleiland: An instructor guides the whole three hours, so you can come with no painting experience and leave with a finished canvas. 30 October, 18:30 – 21:30, Vessel Amsterdam. WORKSHOP

A gentle 45-minute walk from the Marineterrein fountain: Rondje Zachtheid, a monthly walk for anyone who wants more gentleness in the world, follows a friendly route led by René. 30 October, 19:00, Marineterrein Amsterdam. TOUR

Carve a pumpkin with the Vegan Student Association, members only: Pumpkins and tools are provided in a Roeterseiland campus room, so you only need to arrive with a design in mind. 30 October, 17:00, UvA Green Office. WORKSHOP

Free bike repair help in Noord, tools and a mechanic included: Under a covered spot on the square, a De Standaard mechanic talks you through repairs, and reused parts go for a donation. 30 October, 12:00, De Ceuvel. WORKSHOP

•  Smelt Houthavens: Six Swiss, Dutch, Italian and French cheese fondues with bread and seasonal vegetables open Thursday at Bar Hout in the Houthavens through winter.

•  Schout-bij-nacht: Refined seasonal dishes by day, vinyl DJs and cocktails by night in the Jordaan on Westerstraat, opened May 2025.

•  Aden’s: Fresh croissants, homemade lemonade, pavlova and tiramisu paired with craft coffee in Nieuw-West.

 

Daily markets open today: Markt Plein 40-45, Nieuwmarkt, Dappermarkt, Albert Cuyp (De Pijp), Ten Kate (Oud-West) and Versmarkt Amstel1 (Stopera).

E-Commerce Stage: Red Bull, Amsterdam – Support the e-commerce team in planning and running Red Bull online activations across supermarkets, wholesalers and marketplaces, while coordinating content, promotions and reporting.

Liaison Officer, Global Mobility – Bureau Internationale Studentenmobiliteit: University of Amsterdam (UvA), Amsterdam – You will administer the UvA-wide exchange programme, focusing on outgoing student mobility, and support student information and events for the Bureau Internationale Studentenmobiliteit.

Senior Project Manager – Payments: Booking.com, Amsterdam – Lead complex payments projects across Finance, FinTech and business teams, improving payment and partner payout processes from discovery through rollout.

Cabinemonteur: KLM, Schiphol – Maintain, repair and refurbish cabin and cargo areas across aircraft types for KLM’s aircraft maintenance team, following technical manuals and procedures accurately.

More international jobs in Amsterdam: see the full list or get them in your inbox every day.

Looking ahead: IJ-Hallen Flea Market (from Sat 31 October), PAN Amsterdam Art Fair (from Sat 31 October) and Imagine Film Festival (from Sat 31 October). See the week ahead →

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