Friday August 14, 2026
Good morning, Amsterdam. Today: water boards deploy emergency pumps, a neighborhood summer party comes to Cremerplein, and Pitou performs an open-air concert in the Amsterdamse Bos.
At a glance
☀️ Weather: Hi 36°C / 97°F (4° warmer than yesterday) · Lo 23°C / 73°F · 0% chance of rain · wind NW 14 km/h (8 knots)
🚲 Cycling: Great cycling weather all day.
🌙 Sun & moon: Sunrise 06:20 · Sunset 21:09 · New Moon · Moonrise 07:02 · Golden hour 20:39–21:09
🌊 Outdoors: Water 23°C / 73°F (swimmable) · Air quality: fair (AQI 38) · grass pollen moderate · Swimming discouraged at Amsterdamse Bos and Spaarnwoude; warnings at Het Twiske and Strand De Hoge Dijk. The other 6 Amsterdam spots are clear.
💶 Markets: AEX 1,120 (+0.7%) · S&P 500 7,799 (+1.2%) · €1 = $1.15 · $1 = €0.87
🏆 Dutch sport: In swimming, Caspar Corbeau earned silver in the men's 200-meter breaststroke at the European Championships, while Marrit Steenbergen took silver in the women's 200-meter freestyle.
Water board installs emergency pumps around Amsterdam: The local water board has deployed extra pumps across waterways in Amsterdam to fight salinization. The emergency measures aim to keep incoming saltwater from damaging local freshwater ecosystems and city parks.
Symbolic wedding venue in Oost opens new season: Trouwen voor 1 Dag on Tweede Oosterparkstraat in Oost has refreshed its space for the season. The concept lets couples, friends, or strangers exchange fun, symbolic vows without any legal paperwork.
New digital entry system doubles Schiphol passport waits: Non-EU passport holders traveling through Schiphol Airport face wait times up to two hours due to the EU's new digital Entry/Exit System. The biometric logging process is causing significant bottlenecks at border control.
Solar eclipse glasses sparked resale prices up to €150: A shortage of solar eclipse viewing glasses left local stores in Amsterdam sold out ahead of Wednesday night's event. On Marktplaats, pairs were reselling for up to €150 as people searched for safe viewing options.
Scammers target Museum Night with fake TikTok sales: Scammers are using AI deepfake videos of Dutch celebrities on TikTok to sell fake tickets for Amsterdam's Museum Night in November. The links direct buyers to fraudulent €65 ticket sites before official sales have even opened.
Rain and storms target North Holland this weekend: After a dry period, North Holland is expected to see rain and thunderstorms this Saturday. Meteorologists forecast a mostly dry Sunday, though more persistent wet weather is likely to follow next week.
Van Gogh Museum hosts summer family activities: The Van Gogh Museum is running a lineup of creative and interactive activities tailored for kids and families during the summer break. August 14, Van Gogh Museum. 📅 Museum / Educational
DOCK hosts neighborhood party at Cremerplein to close summer break: Celebrate the final days of the summer school holidays at this neighborhood block party featuring family activities, games, and live music. August 14, 14:00 - 18:00, Cremerplein. 📅 Festival / Fair
Daniel Lozakovich plays Sibelius at Het Concertgebouw: Violinist Daniel Lozakovich takes the stage to perform Sibelius' Violin Concerto, followed by Tchaikovsky's Pathétique Symphony. August 14, 2026, 20:00, Concertgebouw (Main Hall). 📅
The Heart Shaped Aces play Paradiso upstairs: Indie group The Heart Shaped Aces performs an intimate live set in the upstairs room at Paradiso. August 14, Doors: 19:00, Main program: 19:30, Paradiso.
Spoegwolf and Jack Parow perform in Amsterdam: South African rock group Spoegwolf shares the stage with rapper Jack Parow for an evening of live music. August 14, 19:00, Melkweg. 📅
Pitou plays open-air show at Amsterdamse Bos: Dutch singer-songwriter Pitou brings her folk-pop melodies and soaring vocal harmonies to the outdoor stage in the forest. August 14, 20:00, Het Amsterdamse Bostheater. 📅
Tiny House Sessions highlights Moluccan musical legacy: This evening celebrates iconic Moluccan artists like Johnny Manuhutu, members of Massada, Richard Loupatty, and Di-Amo Manuhutu. The session pairs live music with specialty food offerings. August 14, 19:00, Pakhuis de Zwijger. 📅
Vinyl sets and Southern biscuits come to Tolhuistuin: Rob Manga and friends spin an all-vinyl set while Stacks pops up in the garden serving Southern classics like fried chicken and biscuits. August 14, 19:00, Tolhuistuin. 📅 Food / Markets
Lab111 screens Pedro Almodóvar's Volver: Revisit Almodóvar's funny and emotional drama starring Penélope Cruz, presented in Spanish with English subtitles. August 14, 20:30, Lab111, Arie Biemondstraat 111. 📅 Film
Documentary highlights local characters at Theater Mascini: Watch Het Hart van Amsterdam, a documentary celebrating the neighborhood stories and distinct personalities of the city. August 14, 20:00, Theater Mascini. 📅 Film
Eye Filmmuseum screens restored classic Jour de fête: Jacques Tati's classic comedy debut about an efficiency-obsessed French postman returns in a new 4K restoration. August 14, 12:00, Eye Filmmuseum. 📅 Film
Eye Filmmuseum shows classic farce La cage aux folles: Catch the legendary French comedy about a Saint-Tropez nightclub owner trying to hide his lifestyle from conservative in-laws. August 14, 18:45, Eye Filmmuseum. 📅 Film
Community BBQ and DJ set at Monk Amsterdam: Head to Monk's terrace by the IJ for a Friday hangout. You can bring food for the open grill, listen to local DJs, and watch climbers on the outdoor board. August 14, 18:30, Monk Amsterdam. 📅 Tasting
Young Wine Society hosts garden gathering: Spend an evening trying a selection of wines in a garden setting during this casual social gathering. August 14, 18:00, Wijnhuis.Amsterdam. 📅 Tasting
Guided walking tour explores Amsterdam cinema spots: Walk through the city to visit filming locations from local productions like Baantjer to major international releases. August 14, Prins Hendrikkade 52. 📅 Tour
Wine and Conversation Night comes to Zeeburgerpad: This social meetup includes a glass of wine from Rebel Wines, background music, and conversation prompts to help start discussions. August 14, 19:00–22:00, Join The Wave, Zeeburgerpad 8. 📅 Tasting
Oche pairs social darts with DJ beats: Mingle and play at a social evening featuring house beats from a live DJ alongside food, drinks, and competitive interactive darts. August 14, 20:00, Oche, Utrechtsestraat 11. 📅 Games / Hobbies
Dutch pension funds gain ground on AI investments: Major Dutch pension funds operating under the updated system recorded positive second-quarter returns, largely driven by AI holdings. The gains offer early hopes of modest payout increases for future retirees. Business News
IND doubles job search window for work permit holders: The Immigration and Naturalisation Service has extended the job search period for work permit holders in the Netherlands who lose their jobs. International professionals now have twice as much time to secure new employment and maintain residency. Business News
ABN Amro mandates office presence and cuts jobs: ABN Amro is requiring employees in Amsterdam to spend at least 50% of their workweek in the office. The bank also confirmed 2,750 planned redundancies as part of a broader company reorganization. Business News
Adyen plans major data infrastructure expansion worldwide: Amsterdam-based payment company Adyen announced plans to invest €3 billion in proprietary data infrastructure over the next decade. The investment will build out new facilities across three continents to support its global network from Amsterdam. Business News
VU researchers design compact AI for offline robots: Researchers at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam have created 'TeNet', a framework that translates spoken instructions into compact neural networks. The system allows robots to process verbal commands instantly without needing a constant internet connection. Business News
Third of Dutch builders report staff shortages: A third of construction firms in the Netherlands are dealing with worker shortages, according to new industry data. The lack of qualified personnel threatens to delay major homebuilding projects and infrastructure work nationwide. Business News
Eetcafé Edita: Eetcafé Edita Amsterdam was meant to be a place where you’re reminded of wonderful moments with friends, preferably during a summer vacation in a Mediterranean region. Take the South of France, for example, a place where summer evenings seem to last forever. Restaurant
Restaurante Dona: "A gastronomic tribute to grandmothers," the Parool newspaper called Restaurante Dona. And that’s no lie, because at Restaurante Dona, the dishes are inspired by classic Portuguese cuisine and the grandmothers of Sjors Nouwens and Diogo Campaniço. And so, Amsterdam-West has gained a culinary hotspot. Restaurant
Vanoost: The view of the stately building alone is stunning, and we haven’t even mentioned the interior of the Pillows Hotel on Mauritskade. VanOost Amsterdam is part of it, and it takes things even further. Not only thanks to the stunning setting, but also thanks to the unique creations of chef Floris van Straalen. Restaurant
sushi ikigai: You’ve probably come across the term "ikigai" before. In Japanese, it means something like "reason for being" or "purpose in life." It’s about finding happiness, fulfillment, and purpose in life. The concept assumes that everyone has their own unique ikigai in their life. Restaurant
Good to know
New on Dutch streaming: Higher Learning (Netflix), A Shop for Killers S2 (Disney+), Sugar S2 (Apple TV+), The Act S1 (SkyShowtime) 🎬
New on the big screen: Het Geheim van de Wondere Wereldboom opens Wednesday at Cinema De Vlugt and Vue Amsterdam, Bixa Travesty returns Wednesday to Kriterion, and Tootsie returns Wednesday to Filmhallen. Showtimes here.
Overheard on Reddit: A post asking where to catch crayfish from Amsterdam's drying waterways drew debate over whether it's legal, with commenters split on fishing permits, the risk of harvesting native species by mistake, and whether the Netherlands should just let people eat an invasive species.
Today's supermarket deals: Hertog three chocolates ice cream (2 for €5.99) from Albert Heijn, Pampers diapers (2+2 free) from Jumbo.
Did you know? Claude Monet painted Amsterdam's De Groenburgwal and Zuiderkerk in the late 19th century while visiting the city.
126 years ago today: On August 14th, 1900, Amsterdam's first electric tram, also the first in the Netherlands, ran from Leidseplein to Haarlemmerplein.
Adoptable pet of the day: Meet Lola, a 7-year-old Labrador Retriever at Dierenopvang Amsterdam. Take a look →In tomorrow's edition: the Children's Summer Festival continues at Krugerplein, free youth activities with MidzomerMokum across the city, and the Erasmus Culinair food and music festival at Terrasmus.
Have a great Friday, and enjoy your weekend.
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