A Guide to Amsterdam’s Theatres

Amsterdam has a theatre for almost every taste within a few tram stops: grand stages for opera and musicals, the country’s home of cabaret, English-language comedy, open-air summer theatres and a surprising number of stages built for children.

This guide sorts them by what you want to see, and links every theatre in our directory.

The big stages

Koninklijk Theater Carré

Carré on the Amstel was built for the circus and still hosts the Christmas circus, alongside musicals, cabaret and concerts.

It is the most-reviewed theatre in the city, at 4.7 from more than 10,000 Google reviews.

Nationale Opera & Ballet

The home of Dutch National Opera and Dutch National Ballet stands on the Amstel at Waterlooplein, a short walk upriver from Carré.

Internationaal Theater Amsterdam

The grand Stadsschouwburg on Leidseplein is home to the ITA ensemble, one of the best-known theatre companies in Europe.

Around the corner on the Marnixstraat, DeLaMar Theater runs musicals, comedy, drama and concerts, and on the Leidsekade Theater Bellevue puts on around 650 performances a year.

Further from the centre, Theater Amsterdam on the Danzigerkade is built for long-running productions, and Meervaart in Nieuw-West has a broad programme of cabaret, music, dance, drama and family shows.

Podium Mozaïek in Bos en Lommer and ZID Theater in Nieuw-West bring the neighbourhoods their own stages.

Cabaret and kleinkunst

Cabaret, the Dutch mix of stand-up, song and satire, has its own home in De Kleine Komedie on the Amstel, the oldest theatre in the city.

Smaller stages carry the tradition too: Theater De Richel on the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, Theater Mascini on the Zeedijk and De Roode Bioscoop on the Haarlemmerplein, where the audience sits close to the artists.

Next door, Theatercafé De Roode Remise is the place for a drink before or after.

Ceintuur Theater in De Pijp is another neighbourhood favourite.

Comedy and theatre in English

For comedy you can follow without Dutch, Boom Chicago on the Rozengracht has been the city’s English-language comedy club for decades.

Comedy Café Amsterdam at the IJdok, near Centraal Station, has stand-up in English and Dutch.

Mike’s Badhuistheater, in a former bathhouse on the Boerhaaveplein in Oost, is an English-language theatre.

New work and small stages

On the Nes, one of the oldest streets in the city, Frascati Theater shows new work by young makers and Tobacco Theater stages performances and events.

Nearby are Torpedo Theater in the St. Pieterspoortsteeg, Compagnietheater on the Kloveniersburgwal and AstaroTheatro in the Sint Jansstraat.

In Oost, Plein Theater on the Sajetplein pairs its stage with an eatery.

In West, Munganga Theater is a house for music and performing arts, Polanen Theater serves the Spaarndammerbuurt, Theater De Cameleon sits on the Derde Kostverlorenkade and Het Amsterdams Theaterhuis runs a stage for theatre and dance alongside drama courses.

Just outside the city, Theater De Omval is the theatre for Diemen, and Bijlmer Parktheater serves Zuidoost.

Theatre for children

Few cities have as many stages for children.

Theater De Krakeling at Cultuurpark Westergas is the city’s youth theatre.

Black Cat Theatre in West makes shows for ages 1 to 6 and is rated 4.9 from nearly 300 Google reviews.

The Amsterdams Marionetten Theater near the Nieuwmarkt uses large wooden puppets for opera and music theatre, Kindertheater De Toverknol is on the Kerkstraat, and Koos Kneus Poppentheater on the Iepenplein plays on Sundays.

Open-air summer theatre

From late spring the city moves outdoors.

The Vondelpark Openluchttheater runs music, comedy, dance, classical and children’s shows through the summer, and the Amsterdamse Bostheater in the Amsterdamse Bos stages theatre, concerts and film nights from May to September.

Before you go

Much of the programme is in Dutch, so check the language on each show’s page, linked from the venue’s listing.

Our full list of theatres shows them all on a map.

For concerts, see our guide to music venues and concert halls, and for talks and debates, the city’s cultural centres.