Amsterdam entertainment guide for expats
Amsterdam entertainment guide for visitors to usually return home wishing they had more time in this wonderful city. Regardless of your interests or hobbies there is a very good chance that someone in Amsterdam has an event or group that will cater to it. Indeed you could easily spend all of your time in Amsterdam: sipping coffee; sitting in parks or by canals; listening to eclectic high culture music; watching ballet; shouting with the rest of the city during an Ajax match; or dining in some of the city’s most stylish restaurants.
What makes today’s Amsterdam so special is that it has managed to adapt to the luxuries of modern global living without losing its original unique flavours. Society here is quite unpretentious. Many people will happily spend over €80 on tickets for the opera and then take the tram (or bike) home. It’s this refusal to wear labels that makes Amsterdam so entertaining.
The city is dotted with scores of small restaurants and cafes and, especially during good weather, grabbing a coffee and shooting the breeze will provide endless entertainment in itself.
With over 40 museums in the city, culture vultures will have no cause to complain. Most of the bigger museums have ample activities to keep kids entertained making the cultural outing viable for even young families.
Sports fans may not fare quite as well. The Dutch approach soccer like a religion but unless you are familiar with the local teams you may find half of what’s out there less than appealing. Rugby, cricket, and American sports can usually be found in expat bars but finding interesting games played live is not that common.
The night life in Amsterdam is difficult to beat. Music of all genres plays in various parts of the city for your listening and/or dancing pleasure.
If you’re looking for truly Dutch activities though we have three suggestions and all of them involve patience:
- Go somewhere else in the Netherlands as Dutch people from Amsterdam and elsewhere will agree that Amsterdam is fairly atypical.
- Wait for the Joordan festival to roll around in the Fall for some good old crooning and dance hall tunes.
- Wait even longer for the very rare times when the canals freeze and get your ice skates on!
