Amsterdam Events

So central are windmills to the nation's heritage that a special day is devoted to their vital role in draining the lowlands. Many of the molens (windmills) are decked out in flowers, garlands, figures of angels or the Dutch flag and opened to the public, with exhibitions and demonstrations of the miller's art. Eight windmills remain in, or near Amsterdam, including the Molen van Sloten, at Akersluis 10 in the southwest suburbs, and the Riekermolen, at De Borcht 10 on the banks of the Amstel.

This festival seeks out and presents new forms from the world music scene. Concerts take place at several venues leading up to the finale on Sunday of the festival week, an outdoor event held at Oosterpark. Five different stages are set up in the park to deliver a vibrant and varied musical mix, one especially for children

The principal festival of the performing arts in the Netherlands features classical music, opera, theatre, dance, pop, world music and cinema, plus art and literature events. Both internationally recognized artists and buzz-worthy newcomers perform in some 40 productions around town.

The 11-day festival of experimental theatre takes place on the NDSM wharf in north Amsterdam. Some two dozen on-the-edge performances are enacted in abandoned warehouses and a set of old railroad cars in this semi-remote location, a 15-minute ferry ride (free) from behind Centraal Station. Most shows are in Dutch but non-speakers can enjoy the dance and mime programs, live music and generally conspiratorial atmosphere.

Kwakoe is Amsterdam's biggest multicultural festival and the main event of the Surinamese and African communities. Nominally a commemoration of the abolition of slavery in the former Dutch colony of Surinam in 1863, the fest goes on over six summer weekends in southeast Amsterdam. Thousands flock to Bijlmerpark for live music, dancing, film screenings, discussions and many varieties of ethnic food, plus a football tournament for the Kwakoe Trophy.

As many as half a million culture vultures join in the weekend of Uitmarkt, a free festival offering snippets and samplers of the upcoming theatre season in a range of indoor and outdoor venues. Plays, film screenings, concerts of all kinds, dance performances, cabaret, street theatre, mime and children's shows all find a place on this exciting programme of events.

A sort of cultural travelling carnival, De Parade is an event on the move, hitting Rotterdam, the Hague and Utrecht before settling into Amsterdam for most of August. The festival features a cavalcade of theatre, film and music in a series of circus-like tents, along with rides for the kids. Most of the edgy theatre and cabaret works, averaging 30 minutes apiece, stage multiple performances throughout the evening.

One of the largest gay and lesbian events in Europe is held in mid-summer. The highlight is a Canal Parade on Saturday afternoon, when dozens of fancifully decorated barges packed with wackily garbed revellers navigate their way through the Prinsengracht and Amstel River. Street parties catering to different sub-groups go on all over town, while club nights, sport and films also feature in the festival.

Over one September weekend each year, the streets of Amsterdam's trendiest district are transformed into an open-air party venue. A flea market and auction by day, the festival features music performances on stage by drum bands and local groups. Meanwhile, an enthusiastic following of Dutch partygoers sing along to their favourite troubadours at such atmospheric brown cafes as De Twee Zwaantjes.

Nearly 200,000 spectators crowd the streets and canals of Amsterdam to watch an international contingent of athletes compete in the city's annual marathon, with a further 10,000 inside the Olympic Stadium to witness the start and the finish of the race. The 42km course usually includes the nature reserves on both sides of the Amstel River, the Maritime Museum, the historic canals lined with gabled houses and the leafy acres of the Vondelpark.

This is amongst the world's leading electronic music conferences and showcase festivals. The perfect way to round off the festival year, the ADE is regarded as one of the highlights of the annual international dance and electronic music calendar.

The annual International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) screens a programme of documentaries that rise above the ordinary. Dedicated to innovative documentaries that challenge and inspire, the IDFA seeks out some of the very best films of the genre that address social problems or raise important issues. This is a great event at which to watch films that don't conform to the conventional mainstream output framing documentary as art rather than simply a journalist tool.

In November, a major parade marks the arrival of Saint Nicholas, aka Sinterklaas, from Spain, along with hundreds of his sooty-faced helpers known as Zwarte Pieten (Black Peters). The white-bearded character and his entourage sail up the Amstel into central Amsterdam, then ride horses down to Dam Square as the Peters hurl ginger biscuits to the thousands of children in attendance. The spectacle is a prelude to the Dec 5 gift-giving ritual.

This celebration of Amsterdam's cultural bounty turns into a big bash. Pass holders are entitled access to more than 45 museums between 1900 and 0200, many of which stage special exhibits and concert performances for the occasion. Pre-sale starts four weeks before the event.

Thrillers, science fiction, horror and cult movies are the mainstay of the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival, which has been terrifying audiences since 1984. The programme includes features, retrospectives, a Fantastic Shorts section, a children's day and an all-night horror film marathon. There are more than 70 screenings overall. Winners of the Black Tulip, the festival's jury award, and the Silver Scream Award, for the film most popular with the audience, are announced on the final evening.

Up to a million people take to the streets of Amsterdam for the annual Koninginnedag celebrations, when the Dutch celebrate the birthday of their Queen Mother, Princess Juliana. Carnival floats, parades, street theatre, fireworks and decorated canal boats are among the treats on offer and everyone dons wacky orange costumes and wigs in token of the royal house. The night preceding the big day is marked by ecstatic parties with top DJs working the crowds.