Each major city in the world has its own yearly reoccurring events and festivities, and so it is with Amsterdam. Some of these happenings are worth leaving the comforts of home for and celebrating with us.
The city may not be the centre of drugs, sex and rock and roll it once was but what it is today is, according to many foreign visitors the town still attracts, more than enough.
Some of the events mentioned on this page are further explained on this site as they are important enough to have their own page dedicated to the event.
- Canal run
- Jordaan festival
- Queensday
- Marathon
- Sail
- Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus)
- Wedding locations
- Uitmarkt (Out market)
An overview of reoccurring events per month
If the date remains the same each year, it is mentioned in the description. If not, the dates may vary.
January
New Years
Auschwitz memorial day (27)
Chinese New year may also occur in February
Fashion Week
Friday Night Skating, large groups of people will put on their skates and clog up the city’s main roads each Friday night.
Jumping Amsterdam horse show
February
Chinese New year may also occur in January
February strike, a WW2 memorial day (25)
Friday Night Skate, a large group of people will put on their skates and ride the city streets, clogging up traffic.
Valentine’s day (14)
March
Book week
Friday Night Skate, a large group of people will put on their skates and ride the city streets, clogging up traffic.
Heineken Head of the river Amstel (rowing event), second or third weekend
His, a boat fair
International women’s day (8)
The fair on Dam Square, around Queensday
Restaurant week (top menus for a reasonable price)
April
Friday Night Skate, a large group of people will put on their skates and ride the city streets, clogging up traffic.
Queensday, free market, 30st
Secretary day, third Thursday
World Press Photo display in the Oude Kerk (from somewhere in April to somewhere in June)
May
Friday Night Skate, a large group of people will put on their skates and ride the city streets, clogging up traffic.
National memorial day, Dam Square 8 in the evening (4)
Liberation day (WW2) (5)
World Press Photo display in the Oude Kerk (from somewhere in April to somewhere in June)
June
Amsterdam Roots Festival
Concerts at the Vondelpark open-air theatre
Friday Night Skate, a large group of people will put on their skates and ride the city streets, clogging up traffic.
Open garden days, the third weekend
Roots Festival
World Press Photo display in the Oude Kerk (from somewhere in April to somewhere in June)
July
AFC Ajax open day
Amsterdam Football Tournament
Concerts at the Vondelpark open-air theatre
Friday Night Skate, a large group of people will put on their skates and ride the city streets, clogging up traffic.
July Dance
Kwakoe Festival Over the IJ Festival
August
Canal Parade Gay pride, the first weekend
Concerts in the Vondelpark open-air theatre
Friday Night Skate, a large group of people will put on their skates and ride the city streets, clogging up traffic.
Hearts days, the third weekend
Kwakoe Festival
Left-handed day (13)
Parade, itinerant theatre
Prinsengracht concert, the third weekend
Sail Amsterdam, once every 5 years, next in 2015
Uitmarkt, (outmarket) last weekend
University entry weeks (may occur in July or August.)
September
Dam to Dam run, third or fourth Sunday
Barrel organ festival
Friday Night Skate, a large group of people will put on their skates and ride the city streets, clogging up traffic.
Jordaan Festival second or third weekend
Noorderpark festival
Open monuments days, the second weekend
University entry weeks (may occur in July or August.)
October
Bijlmer disaster remembrance day (4)
Bok beer Festival
Friday Night Skate, a large group of people will put on their skates and ride the city streets, clogging up traffic.
Canal run
Marathon of Amsterdam, third Sunday
November
All Saints day(1)
All Souls day (2)
Friday Night Skate, a large group of people will put on their skates and ride the city streets, clogging up traffic.
IDFA International Documentary Film festival Amsterdam
Entry parade of Sinterklaas,(saint Nicholas) (Santa) third Sunday
British veterans day WWI
Museum night
No shopping day (28)
Defriend, clean up all your social web accounts. Hyves, Facebook and so on (17)
PAN art- and antique fair
Ice skating on the Jaap Eden track
Saint Maarten (11)
Sunday Market Westergasfabrieksterrein
Suriname independence day (25)
Theo van Gogh, remembering his untimely violent death. (2)
December
Friday Night Skate, a large group of people will put on their skates and ride the city streets, clogging up traffic.
No large Christmas markets
Saint Nicholas night (5) Christmas eve, 24-12 a lot of shops close at five; there are English services available. On the 25th a lot of shops and restaurants will be closed. On the 26-12, they will open up again.
Around Saint Nicholas day and Christmas, many shops will be open at night to encourage spending.
New years eve, most shops will close early, and so will restaurants.
Ice skating on the Jaap Eden track
Sinterklaasfeest
World AIDS day (1)