Essentially Amsterdam – Monday, November 2, 2026

Monday November 2, 2026

Good morning, Amsterdam. Today: one American’s Rivierenbuurt Halloween now draws children from across the city, Van Basten’s Euro 1988 shirt goes on show at the Rai, and Irish pop-rock duo Picture This play the Max hall.

One American’s Rivierenbuurt Halloween now draws children citywide: Jackie van Doorn started the trick-or-treat in 2021 with about 20 houses; this year 107 households and 1,200 children signed up, 60% of them from elsewhere in Amsterdam. Worried the households cannot keep up, she pairs each house with four to eight visitors who donate sweets.

Van Basten’s Euro 1988 shirt on show at the Rai: The PAN art, antiques and design fair opens at the Rai on 1 November, with a 360-year-old Jan Steen as its top piece. Auction platform Matchwornshirt is showing the orange shirt Van Basten wore for his famous volley in the 1988 European Championship final, alongside a 1967 Jan Mulder shirt.

How safe is Schiphol’s PFAS soil wash for neighbours?: Schiphol is using a special installation to wash a large stockpile of PFAS-contaminated soil, partly from firefighting foam once used in drills, so most can be reused. An independent Deltares expert asks whether PFAS could spread through the air in tiny droplets, and flags concerns over baking the planned bricks.

Amsterdam designer Emma van Engelen 3D-prints couture for stars: The Bhumi founder runs nine 3D printers in a former Vogue office on the Keizersgracht, making corsets, bags and shoes from corn and sugarcane plastics. Julia Fox and Ashley Graham have worn her designs, and Kering chose her for a Milan Fashion Week project. She wants a business partner.

Amsterdam balcony heat pump too loud, judge rules: An owner who moved to Spain needed energy label A before his mortgage lender would let him rent out his flat, but the owners’ association refused the heat pump. The judge found it too loud, less than three metres from a neighbouring window, and he must pay €720 in costs.

Eight Asian food stops in the Haarlemmerbuurt: Haarlemmerstraat and Haarlemmerdijk are packed with Asian food spots, from Satay Club’s Java-inspired skewers to Balraj, a North Indian family restaurant open since 1977. Newer arrivals include a second Yubu Bento serving onigiri and inari sushi, plus bakeries selling mochi donuts and Sichuan pepper cookies.

Inside the Amsterdam-Noord kitchen making Febo’s croquettes: Febo’s croquettes are made every morning in Amsterdam-Noord. In a short video, Ferry Stevens leads a very early tour of the production line and explains the whole process, from the ragout filling to the perfect crispy bite. The clip runs just over a minute.

Young workers gain most as minimum wage rises: From 1 January 2027 the adult minimum wage rises by 30 cents to €15.29 an hour, about €12 a week extra for a 40-hour week. Workers aged 16 to 20 get the biggest increases: an 18-year-old will earn at least €9.56, or 62.5% of the adult rate.

Schiphol’s armed marechaussee unit marks 30 years: The armed security unit of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, set up in 1996 to protect high-risk flights, now patrols the whole Schiphol area day and night. Its officers guard Taghi’s Marengo trial court, track drones and regularly find firearms and banned items such as samurai swords.

Free public transport would cost Amsterdam hundreds of millions: The city’s executive estimates that free trams, buses and metros for all Amsterdam residents would cost roughly €175 million to €250 million a year, responding to an SP and BIJ1 proposal. It warns that more riders would raise costs further and that GVB could not handle the extra demand.

Lollies against touchline shouting at Noord football clubs: On Saturday 21 November, everyone who plays, watches or cheers at a football club in Amsterdam Noord gets a lolly and a card with eight tips for good behaviour. Volunteer teams will also talk with parents and spectators about the increasingly harsh tone along the touchline.

Oost volunteers clean bird boxes around sports parks: Since 2005, the Natuur Je Beste Buur volunteer group has tended the edges of the Middenmeer and Voorland sports parks, cleaning bird boxes of parasites so more healthy young birds fledge. Newcomers with no nature knowledge are welcome on Saturday mornings; willow pollarding follows on 6 and 7 November.

Free Climate Week afternoon for kids: bird feeders and hedgehog shelters: Children aged six to twelve make fat balls for the birds and build a shelter for hedgehogs, and you sign up by email beforehand. 2 November, 15:30 – 17:30, Kindertuinen. KIDS WORKSHOP

Free cooking for kids, then dinner with the neighbours in De Meeuw: Children aged seven to twelve make snacks for the neighbourhood restaurant, then sit down with the guests for a three-course dinner, and family eat for €8. 2 November, 16:00 – 18:00, Huis van de Wijk De Meeuw. KIDS WORKSHOP

Stories in three pictures, the Picture This! illustration winners: Winning entries from a publisher’s contest for new illustrators, each telling a story in three images, fill the library’s children’s floor. 2 November, 12:00, OBA Oosterdok – OBA helpt plein. MUSEUM / EDUCATIONAL

Kids aged 6 and up hunt for the Peanut Butter Monster’s treasure: Children follow task signs around the Roelof Hartplein library, earning a letter at each, in a hunt based on Andy Griffiths’ books. 2 November, 08:30, OBA Roelof Hartplein – Jeugdhoek Jip en Janneke. KIDS WORKSHOP

Picture This, the Irish pop-rock duo from Athy, in the Max hall: Big singalong choruses from the band whose first single spread from a phone video, with Dreamboys The Band and Marc Atlas opening. 2 November, 19:00, Melkweg. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Hyperpop from underscores, with internet-pop producer umru opening: April Harper Grey’s San Francisco solo project, behind the album Wallsocket, plays the big hall, and umru goes on first at 19:30. 2 November, 20:30, Paradiso. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Sitar meets sixties guitar pop with Canada’s Elephant Stone: Rishi Dhir sings and plays bass and sitar in a quartet blending Indian classical music with a Kinks and Beatles sound, upstairs. 2 November, 19:30, Paradiso. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Cello, piano and percussion from Nesrine’s trio at Cellofest: The French-Algerian cellist sings in several languages over Mediterranean and Arabic music, with Anissa Nehari on percussion and Leo Jassef on piano. 2 November, 20:00 – 21:00, Bimhuis. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Cello Biënnale’s Beethoven cycle, with a new Thomas Beijer premiere: Part of a four-concert run of all Beethoven’s works for cello and piano, with Hecker and Helmchen opening and Veress’s solo sonata. 2 November, 14:00, Bimhuis. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Melbourne soul from The Meltdown, ten years on from Better Days: Horns, organ and southern soul with gospel and jazz edges, led by singer Simon Burke in the club room, no membership needed. 2 November, 20:30, Tolhuistuin. POP / ROCK

Irish songwriter Ben Reel with de Brave Burgers, dinner first: Goeie Zin, the Monday singer-songwriter night, serves a three-course vegetarian dinner before the live music starts at eight, so bring cash. 2 November, 18:00, Zaal 100. DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Work out a fair freelance rate, after a free meal: Bilal Bachir, a performer who’s active in the artists’ union, explains how to calculate an hourly rate and where to find reference rates. 2 November, 18:00, Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten. WORKSHOP

Float a lit boat for Allerzielen, free, on the Vondelpark pond: Hundreds of small boats with lights are handed out at the tent by the pond, and you put yours on the water whenever you’re ready. 2 November, all day, Vondelpark. OUTDOOR / ACTIVE

Behind the depot doors: a company art collection at PAN Amsterdam: Art advisor Floor Haverkamp talks with three guests for 45 minutes about storing a corporate collection in a depot so the public can see it. 2 November, 16:00, PAN Amsterdam. ART / MUSEUMS

Imagine Film Festival screens My Bloody Valentine, restored in 4K: George Mihalka’s 1981 film, ninety-five minutes, part of the largest Dutch festival for fantasy, horror and sci-fi, which runs until 8 November. 2 November, 19:00, LAB111. FILM

Pan’s Labyrinth in 4K with English subtitles, and company to watch with: Del Toro’s 2006 film in a 20th-anniversary restoration, with Amsterdam Film Group meeting in the lobby first, though you buy your own ticket. 2 November, 18:00 – 21:30, FilmHallen. FILM

Who does the housework when AI joins the family?: A panel on the uneven split of chores at home and what AI changes, with Elien van Riet, Tim Gouw and Noëlle Cicilia. 2 November, 20:00, Pakhuis de Zwijger. TALKS / IDEAS

Stand-up from a touring comedy couple, Chad Daniels and Kelsey Cook: He has a Netflix special and eight albums, she has a YouTube special and TV spots, and together they host the podcast Pretend Problems. 2 November, 20:00, Boom Chicago. COMEDY

Uprisings from Hong Kong to Jenin in Life After Love, free entry: Hera Chan and Edwin Nasr curated this show of artists and organisers tracing how protest imagery has changed over the past decade. 2 November, 12:00 – 18:00, Framer Framed. ART / MUSEUMS

Handel’s Messiah, sung and explained, for choir singers and beginners: Hans Veldhuizen leads a course evening where you sing parts like the Hallelujah and listen closely to the choral writing, drinks included. 2 November, 20:00, The Concertgebouw. CLASS

Stars, planets and black holes across five evenings in the Planetarium dome: A beginners’ course over five Monday evenings in November, no prior knowledge needed, with a course book and two drinks each night included. 2 November, 19:00 – 22:00, ARTIS-Planetarium. CLASS

Irish set dancing by the Amstel, everyone welcome: A ceili night of Irish set dancing in the Irish music bar overlooking the Amstel, and anyone who comes along can join in. 2 November, 19:30, Mulligans Irish Music Bar. CLASS

Watercolour, collage and sketching for a handmade travel journal: Tim Voors teaches composition, perspective, pencil sketching and watercolour in three hours, and you leave with your own sketchbook and first painting. 2 November, 10:00 tot 13:00, 14:00 tot 17:, Vrije Academie. WORKSHOP

Stained glass from Chartres to Chagall, a full day of lectures: Lecturer Aldwin Kroeze follows the craft through Gouda’s windows, Matisse and Tiffany, ending with Marc Mulders’ work in the Nieuwe Kerk. 2 November, 10:30 – 16:15, Vrije Academie. TALKS / IDEAS

Learn Lindy Hop and slow jazz steps in Amsterdam-Noord: Stampij, a dance school rooted in Black American jazz and blues traditions, runs this hour-long class in a neighbourhood community centre. 2 November, 19:45 – 20:45, Huis van de Wijk De Meeuw. CLASS

•  Tula Cantina: A restaurant in Noord.

•  Maxwell: The 2.0 version of Maxwell opens at Beukenplein in Amsterdam, serving food and drinks from Monday to Sunday.

•  Nobu: Chef Nobu Matsuhisa brings his Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine to Zuid, with signature dishes like yellowtail with jalapeño.

 

Daily markets open today: Nieuwmarkt, Waterlooplein Market (Waterlooplein), Dappermarkt, Albert Cuyp (De Pijp), Ten Kate (Oud-West), Markt Lambertus Zijlplein (Lambertus Zijlplein), Noordermarkt, Markt Anton de Komplein (Anton de Komplein), Plantenmarkt Amstelveld (Amstelveld) and Markt Westerstraat (Westerstraat).

Data Engineer: Funda, Amsterdam, EUR 4,512 – 6,084 a month – Build reliable data models, pipelines and data products for Funda’s Core Data Team, supporting analytics and products such as Waardecheck and Vraagscan.

Office & Keuken Medewerker: Vandebron, Amsterdam, from EUR 15.75 an hour – Keep Vandebron’s office clean and welcoming, support the Office & Kitchen team with lunch and daily tasks, and greet visitors.

Senior Legal Counsel: TicketSwap, Amsterdam, EUR 71,000 – 114,200 a year – Advise TicketSwap teams on legal and regulatory risks, helping the Legal team and Product and Engineering develop compliant features and support international growth.

F&B Services Intern (Oriole): Accor, Amsterdam, up to EUR 750 a month – Provide personalised food and drink service and learn bistro operations at Mediterranean Garden Bistro Oriole.

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

Looking ahead: ISPO 2026 (from Tue 3 November), Le Guess Who? International Music Festival (from Thu 5 November) and Museumnacht 2026 (Wed 4 November). See the week ahead →

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