Amsterdam Weekend Guide (10-12 May)
Eurovision and food festivals sweep over the capital as the second weekend of May rolls in just in time for Mother's Day. Prepare to eat, sing and dance your way through the coming days, with a packed agenda that'll keep you fed, watered and adrenaline-fuelled.
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
Eurovision Watch Parties
Eurovision rears its head once more, and for Eurofans, it’s a blessed relief. As one of the most watched televised non-sporting events in the world, Eurovision’s heady brand of camp, pop, and continental charm is a concoction best served in groups. Luckily, Amsterdam has a range of venues screening Eurovision, so you can watch with fellow Eurofans or first-timers and revel in the campy chaos:
- Indoor-outdoor screening + afterparty at Prik | 21:00-03:00
- Multiple screens on Reguliersdwarsstraat at BLEND + BLENDXL | 21:00-03:00
- Snug viewing + afterparty at Brug34 | 20:00 onwards
- Streetside watch party at Exit Cafe | 20:00 onwards
- Rooftop watch at Zoku | 19:00-01:00
- Old-school camaraderie at The Queen’s Head | 20:00 onwards
- Eastside views at Cafe de Oude Werf | 20:00 onwards
Food & Drink Festivals
With the weather finally turning, the food and drink scene is making moves outside. This weekend, unbuckle your belt and get the sunscreen on, as a number of food festivals make eating (and drinking) in the sun the focal point.
- For beer lovers, TAPT in Oost’s Flevopark is two days of brews and bliss
- For every food imaginable, Rolling Kitchens rocks up in Westerpark for food truck galore Friday through Sunday
- For local eats, LeFoodWalk is a guided culinary tour around various Amsterdam neighbourhoods; this one’s in the Jordaan
ART & EXHIBITIONS
Van Gogh + Rembrandt at Noorderkerk
For lovers of the Dutch Masters, two of its biggest names take to a grander (and holier) stage with a special immersive art exhibition at the Noorderkerk. The works and stories of Van Gogh and Rembrandt – and their relationship to each other – are told through lights, sound and visuals on the walls of this storied church, a place both artists held dear in their own lives. Expect to be surrounded by sunflowers and blossoms in a 360-degree experience that’s one hundred per cent memorable and a great activity for Mother's Day for the art-inclined mums out there.
Van Gogh & Rembrandt in Amsterdam | Friday: 12.00 - 21.00, Saturday: 12.00 - 19.00 | Noorderkerk
Cultuurferry
Amsterdam is better from the water, and the same goes for its cultural institutions. Head out east on the CultuurFerry, which takes you along the city’s water belts through the city’s leafy Plantage district and Oosterdok and past over thirty of Amsterdam’s best (and oft-overlooked) cultural spots, from the WereldMuseum to Amsterdam’s animal kingdom ARTIS and lesser-known venues like KIT Theater and the new National Holocaust Museum.
Cultuurferry | Weekend-long, 09:30–17:30 | Centraal Station
CONCERTS & GIGS
Palestina Fundraiser Festival
Head to Cinetol for a night of humanitarian action and cultural reward, with musical shows, an open poetry stage, a fashion auction and a night program curated and hosted by Radio TNP, raising money for two charities: “Urgent Support for Medical Professionals in Gaza” and “Emergency Medical Relief for Gaza Refugees”.
Palestina Fundraiser Festival | Saturday 11 May, 17:00 onwards | Cinetol
Sunday Sounds
A favourite among locals in Noord, Tolhuistuin welcomes back Sunday Sounds sessions to its waterfront garden. Like Tiny Desk concerts gone alfresco, Sunday Sounds spotlights up-and-coming talent alongside well-known artists every Sunday, all free of charge. With a programme from May until September, this is your cue to grab a drink in the sun and enjoy one of Amsterdam’s best vistas backed by some of the capital’s most promising artists.
Sunday Sounds | Sunday, 15:00 onwards | Tolhuistuin
CINEMA & FILM
TranScreen
Amsterdam’s multi-day film festival, dedicated entirely to transgender rights and gender diversity, returns for its 15th iteration. Dubbed the “Rewind” edition, this retrospective will revisit some of the festival’s best programmes from years past, with shorts, talks, workshops, and debates that help provide visibility to transgender people. With events at Kriterion at JACO, get yourself seated for one of the many excellent films on show.
TranScreen | 10-12 May | Kriterion + JACO
CLUBBING & NIGHTLIFE
Party Roundup
It’s not just about Eurovision this weekend – though expect to find some Eurovision-inspired remixes and twists wherever you go – as a few other parties help bring some darker musical elements to the whimsy and confection of the weekend’s chief sonic agenda:
- Lofi opens its terrace with a Courtyard Opening Party | Friday-Sunday | Lofi
- Pop perfection takes earthly form in BOPS | Friday 10 May, 23:00-05:00 | The Other Side
- Late-night moods at Midnight | Friday 10 May, 22:00-05:00 | Levanslang
RESTAURANTS & BARS
De Zomer Bar Opening
Summer isn’t here just but that’s not stopping the De Zomer Bar (“The Summer Bar”) from flinging open its doors this weekend. Located around the corner from restaurant-favourite cornerstore and Cafe de Ceuvel, De Zomer Bar promises one of Noord’s most sunkissed and sunlit terraces. Welcome in some of that hopeful sunshine this weekend at their opening party, where there’ll be wine, charcuterie and live music to kick things off.
De Zomer Bar | 13:00 onwards | Papaverweg 15a
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