Friday September 11, 2026
Good morning, Amsterdam. Today: the Concertgebouworkest opens its season in Oosterpark, North Holland scales back hornet nest removals, and Mozart meets hip hop at Theater De Krakeling.
The full What’s On calendar is now live
What you see below is a small, hand-picked sample of today’s events. Our complete What’s On calendar now lists hundreds of things happening across Amsterdam: music, art, comedy, theatre, family days, food, tech and much more. Filter it by exactly what you want, updated every day.
Browse everything on now →At a glance
🌦️ Weather: Hi 19°C / 66°F (about the same as yesterday) · Lo 14°C / 58°F · 42% chance of rain · wind SW 17 km/h (9 knots)
🚲 Cycling: Dry until about 08:00, wet after that.
🌙 Sun & moon: Sunrise 07:07 · Sunset 20:05 · New Moon · Moonrise 07:26 · Golden hour 19:35 to 20:05
🌊 Outdoors: Air quality fair (AQI 31) · grass pollen low
💶 Markets: AEX 1,102 (-1.3%) · S&P 500 7,592 (-0.6%) · €1 = $1.16 · $1 = €0.86
Historic sites open doors across Amsterdam West: Open Monumentendag returns this weekend with free public access to dozens of historic buildings. Locations include a 1631 windmill, a food market hall, and an unfinished nuclear bunker.
Amsterdam school lottery encourages strategic lying by parents: A university researcher found that the capital's secondary school allocation system unfairly rewards families who manipulate their preference lists. Those who fill out forms honestly often end up with worse outcomes.
Province scales back removal of hornet nests: Noord-Holland will now remove yellow-legged hornet nests only when they pose an immediate threat. Local beekeepers warn that leaving colonies in place threatens both residents and insect biodiversity.
Where to forage in Amsterdam this September: Professional forager Edwin Florès has mapped urban locations for nuts, berries, and mushrooms across the city. Late September offers peak picking before winter sets in.
Noisy integration exam rooms draw growing criticism: Immigrants and teachers say crowded speaking tests make it almost impossible to concentrate. The setup requires dozens of candidates to talk to computers at the same time in one room.
Dutch founders launch AI tool to simplify travel booking: The creators of Experiencegift have introduced Away.ai to replace endless web searches with a conversational booking service. The platform recommends curated flights and hotels and offers travel credit on reservations.
Bamboo craft sessions for children at Wereldmuseum: Children build and experiment using natural bamboo stalks during this hands-on museum workshop for families. 4 July, 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM, Wereldmuseum Amsterdam. 📅 KIDS WORKSHOP
Puppet adventures in Het elfen- en kabouterbos: Small children sit up close for an intimate morning puppet performance about fairies and woodland gnomes. 1 March, 10:30, 12:15, 14:00, De Toverknol. 📅 FAMILY SHOW
Story reading and craft session with Mohana: Children build cardboard houses alongside author Mohana van den Kroonenberg following a Dutch reading about her character Peer. 11 September, 15:30 - 16:30, De Kinderboekwinkel. 📅 STORY / READING
Mozart meets hip-hop in DONNIE at Theater De Krakeling: A live band, hip-hop and opera collide to reframe Don Giovanni through the eyes of those around him. 11 September, 19:30, Theater De Krakeling. 📅 FAMILY SHOW
English Storytelling and Songtime for babies and toddlers: Under-fours sit in for screen-free picture books read in English, followed by simple music, movement, and crafts. 11 September, 10:00 - 11:00, OBA Olympisch Kwartier Jeugdzaal. 📅 STORY / READING
LEGO stop-motion animation at Maakplaats Club Westwijk: Children recreate favourite book scenes with tablets and plastic bricks across a six-part craft course. 11 September, 16:00 - 17:15, Bibliotheek Amstelveen Westwijk. 📅 KIDS WORKSHOP
Shared picture books for toddlers at Boek op schoot: Parents and two-to-four-year-olds gather for simple, visually engaging picture books in an informal, drop-in setting. 11 September, 10:00, OBA Oosterdok, OBA Juniortheater. 📅 STORY / READING
Spanish organist Jaime González-Sierra plays Mozes en Aäronkerk: A half hour of Vierne, Franck, and Rheinberger on the historic organ, free to drop into at midday. 11 September, 12:00, Mozes en Aäronkerk. 📅 CLASSICAL
Concertgebouworkest opens the classical season in Oosterpark: Settle onto the grass for the orchestra's annual open-air evening, free and unseated in the park. 11 September, 18:00 - 23:00, Oosterpark. 📅 CLASSICAL
Hiromi and the Metropole Orkest share the Concertgebouw stage: Expect continuous symphonic power as pianist Hiromi joins the Metropole Orkest for an amplified, uninterrupted set. 11 September, 20:15, The Concertgebouw. 📅 JAZZ / BLUES
Live bluegrass and an open jam in West: A neighbourhood piano bar turns over the floor to acoustic strings, starting with a set and opening up. 11 September, 20:30, Café de Pianist. 📅 WORLD / FOLK
Nieuw Vocaal Amsterdam choir winter concert under the dome: Singers aged twelve to eighteen from Nieuw Vocaal Amsterdam perform seasonal pieces spanning different cultures and eras. 11 September, 20:15, NedPhO-Koepel. 📅 CLASSICAL
Ecca Vandal headlines the Melkweg OZ room: Fast drums and loud guitars meet hip hop and electronic sounds, touring off her latest record with Freddy Forbidden opening. 11 September, 19:30, Melkweg (OZ). 📅 POP / ROCK
Jaleo Sound Festival fills Posthoornkerk with Spanish music: Live sets spotlight female Latin and Spanish artists alongside tapas, paella, DJ sessions, and Colombian visual art. 11 September, 14:00 - 23:00, Posthoornkerk. 📅 WORLD / FOLK
Mexican and Dutch metal bills up at The Cave: A heavy triple bill of touring Mexican acts Svmerion and How To Disappear alongside local outfit Nebelstørm in the rock bar. 11 September, 21:00, The Cave. 📅 POP / ROCK
Sold-out contemporary R&B from Khamari at Melkweg: The Boston singer-songwriter plays his cinematic mix of soul and alternative rock in the MAX room, with Ambré supporting. 11 September, 19:00, Melkweg. 📅 HIP-HOP / R&B
Katseye brings The Wildworld Tour to Ziggo Dome: The global pop group plays an arena show on their international tour stop in the southeast. 11 September, Ziggo Dome. 📅 POP / ROCK
Acoustic songcraft with Nick Barbachano at De Duif: The British songwriter plays the historic church accompanied by double bass and percussion, opened by local musician Miyuki. 11 September, 19:30, De Duif. 📅 WORLD / FOLK
Iman Spaargaren plays live over dinner at Pompstation: Live jazz, soul, and dinner in a converted pumping station on Zeeburgerdijk, running across the weekend. 11 September, 20:00, Restaurant Pompstation. 📅 JAZZ / BLUES
Queen and Beatles arrangements by Mystery Ensemble: Seventy-five minutes of classic pop and rock anthems rearranged for acoustic ensemble inside the historic seventeenth-century Zuiderkerk. 11 September, 20:00 - 21:15, Zuiderkerk. 📅 CLASSICAL
Maarten van Rossem delivers his dry Dutch theatre college: The dry-witted historian spends two uninterrupted hours analysing politics, culture and society from a lectern. 11 September, 20:00 - 22:00, Griffioen. 📅 TALKS / IDEAS
Fast English improv at The Famous Boom Chicago Comedy Show: The resident ensemble mixes quick audience suggestions with scripted sketches and live music from the main stage. 11 September, Boom Chicago. 📅 THEATER
English stand-up comedy with Will-E, Kojo Anim, and Kyrah Gray: Three touring international comics deliver two hours of English-language stand-up routines to the room. 11 September, 20:30 - 22:30, Southend Comedy Club. 📅 COMEDY
Oasis reunion documentary screening at Melkweg Cinema: Two hours of rehearsal, backstage footage, and joint interviews tracking the Gallagher brothers on their 2025 reunion tour. 11 September, 21:15, Melkweg Cinema. 📅 FILM
Improvised dance with flexible bamboo structures at Salon de IJzerstaven: Dancers manipulate Maria Blaisse's sculptural bamboo forms accompanied by live music in an intimate room setting. 11 September, 20:00, Salon de IJzerstaven. 📅 DANCE / PERFORMANCE
Informal open chat on astrobiology and exoplanet habitability: Non-scientists and astronomy fans vote on topics covering space exploration, planetary science and alien life. 18 September, 19:00 - 21:30, Main Entrance of the Vrije Universiteit, Main building (HG). 📅 TALKS / IDEAS
Improv musical Written in the Stars at CREA: Beginners open the evening before experienced performers build an entire musical comedy around one audience member's alternate life. 11 September, 20:00, CREA Muziekzaal. 📅 COMEDY
Amsterdam Museum Festival marks one hundred city years: Tours, workshops, and exhibitions spread across the city to celebrate a century, featuring portraits of one hundred residents by Robin de Puy. 11 September, Amsterdam Museum. 📅 ART / MUSEUMS
Balkan recipes meet Sicilian flavours with chef Tamara Ivanovic: A standing dinner for forty guests featuring appetizers, a main course, and dessert drawn from the chef's cookbook. 11 September, 19:00, La Bottega by Chiara's Food. 📅 TASTING
Join the Friday community garden at Het Groene Veld: Hands-on outdoor sessions tending geodesic greenhouses, hugel beds, and edible mushrooms grown for the nearby communal kitchen. 11 September, 13:00 - 17:00, Buitenterrein Het Groene Veld. 📅 VOLUNTEERING
Expressive Still Lifes painting workshop inside the museum: Study brushwork on a guided gallery walk before heading to the easel to paint sunflowers or worn leather shoes. 11 September, 14:00 - 16:00, Van Gogh Museum. 📅 WORKSHOP
Meet-a-Maker studio consultations at Mediamatic: Thirty minutes of dedicated feedback covering product innovation, edible landscapes, and territorial ecology with an in-house resident designer. 11 September, 16:00, Mediamatic Biotoop. 📅 WORKSHOP
Fix your own bicycle at De Ceuvel's DIY bike kitchen: A covered outdoor workshop provides shared tools, spare salvaged parts, and mechanic guidance for fixing up your bike. 11 September, 12:00, De Ceuvel, Maakbar. 📅 WORKSHOP
Practice conversational Dutch at the OBA Oosterdok Taalcafé: Learners at A1 to B1 levels drop in to practice spoken Dutch and chat with others, no booking needed. 11 September, 10:00 - 11:30, OBA Oosterdok, OBA helpt plein. 📅 CLASS
Latte art basics and coffee spill painting at Canvas Ateliers: A coffee tasting and latte art demo, followed by painting on paper using coffee instead of paint. 11 September, 18:00 - 20:30, Canvas Ateliers. 📅 WORKSHOP
Colouring wooden figures outdoors on Krugerplein: Moving Arts Projects lays out wooden shapes on the square for an open-air community art afternoon. 11 September, 14:00, Krugerplein. 📅 WORKSHOP
Digital sovereignty masterclass with Bert Hubert and Marleen Stikker: Three specialists lead an afternoon exploring practical steps for regaining control over institutional data from big tech. 11 September, Zalen van Zeven. 📅 SEMINAR / TALK
Media and tech industry convention at RAI Amsterdam: IBC 2026: Thousands of media creators, broadcasters, and technology suppliers gather for product showcases and four days of panel discussions. 11 September, 10:30 - 18:00, RAI Amsterdam. 📅 CONFERENCE
PyData Amsterdam 2026 brings open-source talks to NDSM Loods: Two days of technical keynotes and presentations covering machine learning, data engineering and Python development across industry and research. 11 September, 08:00 - 18:00, NDSM Loods. 📅 CONFERENCE
Butterfly: Located on Papaverweg, this all-day spot features an on-site coffee bar. Guests can order from a Mediterranean menu and sit outside on the large terrace.
Café Garçon: This small French bistro features a chic, traditional interior. Guests can enjoy classic French dishes like salad Niçoise, escargots, and ratatouille in a charming setting.
Vermeer's Wine Room: Situated near Central Station with its own entrance next to Restaurant Vermeer, this wine bar welcomes guests for evening drinks from a wide selection of wines.
Good to know
New on Dutch streaming: Say Yes To The Dress Benelux (HBO Max), Gone Girl (Prime Video), Man of the Year (Netflix), Dark Matter (Apple TV)
New on the big screen: Home is now showing at 4 cinemas, and The Incomer at 13 cinemas. Showtimes here.
Overheard on Reddit: A thread about drug use in the Vondelpark underpass prompted residents to note that the issue extends across the city, with commenters debating whether the surge stems from social service budget cuts, Schengen-area migration, or an overly permissive enforcement policy that merely disperses users instead of stopping them.
Today's supermarket deals: Snickers White ice cream bar (2 for €6.49) from Albert Heijn, All Knorr Cup-a-Soup or Good Snacking (1+1 free) from Jumbo.
Did you know? The Jordaan's name likely derives from the French word "jardin" (garden), possibly referring to initial green spaces or the influence of French Huguenot settlers.
96 years ago today: On September 11th, 1930, the Montessori Lyceum Amsterdam held its first school day with just 15 students, two executives and eight teachers.
Adoptable pet of the day: Meet Mercedes, a 5-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier at Dierenopvang Amsterdam. Take a look →In case you missed it
Our three most clicked-on items from yesterday’s newsletter.
In tomorrow’s edition: A Cold War nuclear bunker opens for Open Monumentendag, a guided cycling tour traces the lost Bijlmermeerpolder, and John Katokye performs traditional Ugandan throat singing at OCCII.
Have a great Friday.
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Early autumn sunshine makes for easy riding across the bridges this morning.
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