Amsterdam
The Concert Hall was built in 1888 by AL van Gendt, who managed to engineer its near-perfect acoustics. Bernard Haitink, former conductor of the Royal…
Must-see entertainment in The Netherlands
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Rotterdam
Named after American jazz saxophonist Charlie 'Bird' Parker, Bird is the city's temple to jazz but also programs soul, hip-hop, funk and electronica…
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Den Haag
Call it a club, a temple to live music or just a great place to hang out, Paard is a Den Haag institution. The program of live music is eclectic –…
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Maastricht
Great for offbeat and classic films but also worth visiting for its former powerstation setting, tempting waterside bar-terrace and quirky, post …
Den Haag
This world-famous dance company has two main components: NDT1, the main company, and NDT2, a junior training division. The main company performs regularly…
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Amsterdam
A dramatic glass-and-steel box on the IJ waterfront, this multidisciplinary performing-arts venue has a state-of-the-art main hall with flexible stage…
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Amsterdam
The Muziektheater is home to the Netherlands Opera and the National Ballet, with some spectacular performances. Big-name performers and international…
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Medieval Centre & Red Light District
Always full, always changing, this venue with a capacity of just 350 people is one of the friendliest places in town, with a diverse crowd. Music …
Amsterdam
Street art–slathered ex-squat OT301, in the former Netherlands Film Academy, hosts an eclectic roster of bands, DJs and theatre performances.
Rotterdam
Since the ribbon was cut in 1909, this legendary Rotterdam cinema has had bit-part roles as a music venue, a theatre and even as a hospital. Renovated in…
Amsterdam
Once a squat, OCCII maintains its alternative credentials, and this is a spot to get into the local scene and see underground Amsterdam bands.
De Pijp
Opened in 1920, this art deco cinema near Sarphatipark shows eclectic art-house fare from around the world (foreign films have Dutch subtitles). Tickets…
Amsterdam
Art-house films and new mainstream releases run in both Dutch and English at this cinema inside De Hallen; look for the vintage filmmaking equipment out…
Rotterdam
Hosting bands from all genres, Annabel is a choice midsized live-music venue that also hosts regular dance nights. Acts range from hip-hop to pop to…
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Eindhoven
Long topping the Dutch football scene, this club's famous initials PSV stand for Philips Sport Vereniging: yes THAT Philips again. There's a fan museum…
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Amsterdam Noord
In what was the Shell workers' canteen for 70 years from 1941, the nifty Tolhuistuin arts centre hosts African dance troupes, spoken word, visual art and…
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Eindhoven
Named for its numberless Philipspilih clock, the starkly unbeautified Klokgebouw is the entertainment nerve-centre of Strijp-S (www.strijp-s.nl),…
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Utrecht
Ensconced in a former police station in Amsterdamse School style, this is an art-film centre where local cinephiles present each movie (in Dutch) in the…
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Amsterdam
Kriterion was originally a student organisation involved in hiding and protecting Jews from the Nazis during WWII. In 1945 the group opened this cinema to…
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Medieval Centre & Red Light District
A 1900-built tobacco auction house now contains this architecturally designed theatre, which stages dinner-and-cabaret shows in English, Dutch and German,…
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Medieval Centre & Red Light District
This experimental theatre is a draw for young Dutch directors, choreographers and producers. Expect multicultural dance and music performances, as well as…
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Amsterdam
Not sure how to spend the evening? The Last Minute Ticket Shop sells same-day, half-price tickets for performances, including comedy, dance, concerts and…
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Amsterdam Noord
Join Amsterdam's hip crowd sipping natural wine on the waterfront terrace and dining on sophisticated snacks cooked in the wood-fired oven, before…
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Amsterdam
This hip Oost arts centre always has something going on, with a cinema, a nightclub, a stage for bands and a theatre. There's also an eclectic restaurant,…
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Amsterdam
An alternative surprise lying beneath the 1e Constantjin Huygensstraat bridge: the Vondelbunker. This hidden-away space is a fallout shelter dating from…
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Amsterdams Marionetten Theater
Amsterdam
An enchanting enterprise that seems to exist in another era, this marionette theatre presents fairy tales and Mozart operas, such as The Magic Flute, in a…
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Maastricht
The city's main central theatre offers a wide range of shows and concerts in a building whose 1805 facade was built as the house of General Dibbets, the…
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Utrecht
Wrapped around Utrecht's original 1970s symphony hall, this 45m-tall, five-venue entertainment centre caters for virtually any musical taste from…
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Amsterdam Noord
This arts centre and cafe hosts a changing roster of events from jazz and poetry to experimental electronica. Friday nights usually offer live music you…
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Haarlem
Opened in 1918, Haarlem's Stadsschouwburg stages ballet and modern dance, cabaret, comedy and theatre (including some productions in English). The…
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Delft
Live jazz plays every Sunday at this bruin café (traditional Dutch pub), which has a dark indoor space and a summer-only beer garden. There are jam…
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Groningen
To see the next big rock act, head to this club where four concerts and a movie night are held every week. U2 played to 30-odd people in the early 1980s,…
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Amsterdam
On the IJ riverbank, Bimhuis is the Netherlands' most important jazz venue. Its stylish digs are at the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ and it draws international…
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Rotterdam
Named after a louche pre-WW2 dance hall that once entertained sailors in this area, this pocket-sized theatre stages cabaret, music and theatre acts. On…
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Rotterdam
Music here has a try-anything, do-anything vibe. Media mash-ups, queer nights, film screenings, performance art and experimental music are some of the…
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Haarlem
Fronted by a striking glass facade, Haarlem's premier concert venue presents a diverse program of classical music (such as the Netherlands' chamber…
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Leiden
On Fridays and Saturdays, live rock in this bar can expand to an impromptu stage in the alley, with crowds trailing up to the main street. On other nights…
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Amsterdam
This wonderfully eclectic harbourside cultural centre hosts storytelling sessions in English and Dutch, Iranian rock bands, hip-swinging Latin American…
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Medieval Centre & Red Light District
De Brakke Grond sponsors a fantastic array of music, experimental video, modern dance and exciting young theatre at its nifty performance hall in the…
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Rotterdam
A smooth bar, a dependable live-rock venue, an agreeable restaurant and a popular meeting place. The musical program features new local talent,…
