Amsterdam

Art Amsterdam, held at the Amsterdam RAI, celebrates its 25th anniversary by staging 120 solo shows. Leading national and international galleries exhibit paintings, photographs, sculptures and installations by exciting contemporary artists from around the world.

What's a city without its inhabitants? Artist Dana Lixenberg answers this question with Set Amsterdam at the Amsterdam Museum of Photography where staged images of the capital, with no traces of human interaction, are showcased to highlight the importance of context.

The best professional news photographers enter the World Press Photo competition each year. Photographs taken by the winners and runners-up form a large exhibition that tours internationally after opening here, at Amsterdam's Oude Kerk.

A highlight of the Dutch arts calendar, the Holland Festival presents opera, dance, music and theatre at the Muziektheater and other major venues in Amsterdam. Artists from around the world appear at the biggest performing-arts festival in the Netherlands.

Celebrating the diverse cultural landscape of Amsterdam, the annual Torentijd Festival is held on the open square between the Golden Lion and Groenhoven Tower. It features dance, music and theatre performances.

Amsterdam's International Theaterschool Festival welcomes scores of talented dancers, mime artists, opera singers and comedians to the city each summer. Indoor and outdoor spaces, including the Theater Bellevue and Compagnietheater, host performances.

Inspired by the annual fashion weeks in Milan, New York and Paris, Amsterdam International Fashion Week takes its turn. It hosts a packed programme of catwalk shows, trade fairs, presentations and parties at venues across the city.

The spectacular Canal Parade is the highlight of the Amsterdam Pride celebrations. Up to 100 boats carrying costumed party people are watched by around 350,000 people as they pass down the city's main canals each year.

The night of the Prinsengracht Concert is a magical time for Amsterdam. Renowned soloists perform classical music from a pontoon stage floating in front of the Pulitzer Hotel on the Prinsengracht Canal, with fairy lights adorning canal sides and buildings.

East meets West at the three-day multi-disciplinary Liteside Festival, held in three locations across Amsterdam, including the Westergasfabriek. The event highlights music, dance and other art forms that integrate both European and Eastern aesthetics and forms.

Amsterdam's Photography Museum celebrates artist Anton Corbijn with a collection of his latest black-and-white images. The series captures many of today's renowned artists at work to show the pain and isolation involved in the creative process.

Amsterdam's Uitmarkt heralds the opening of the new cultural season each August. The event features over 400 previews across 34 outdoor and indoor stages at Dam, Nieuwmarkt and Waterlooplein as well as other venues around the city.

The annual Gaudeamus Music Week is a competitive international music festival open to classical composers under 30 years old. Concerts are held at venues in Amsterdam, including the Bimhuis and Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ.

Curious sounds lure you to one corner and the smell of delicious food draws you to another, as Festival 5D tempts all five senses. Held annually at Amsterdam's NDSM shipyard, the multi-disciplinary festival brings together music, theatre, food and dance.

From design to music and business, the brightest minds from diverse fields converge at Amsterdam's Westergasfabriek for three days worth of symposiums, workshops, exhibitions, lectures and more. The festival also focuses on creating and fostering new business.

Even if you don't know the words to the songs, the reverie at the Jordaan Festival will have you humming along. The annual three-day festival in Amsterdam's arty Jordan area features a flea market, auctions and plenty of music performances.

Starting and finishing in the Olympic Stadium, the Amsterdam Marathon attracts up to 22,000 participants every year. The route is fast, free of traffic and - as you'd expect in the Netherlands - flat!

The Amsterdam Dance Event is the gateway to the international electronic music scene. By day, Europe's leading dance music conference, at night DJs and talent from across the dance music spectrum perform at club venues around the city.

Even the most die-hard horror fanatic might find their pulse racing in terror during Boom Chicago's annual Halloween bash. The themed event, at the Leidseplein Theater, features special effects, a killer DJ line-up and cash prizes for the best costumes.

Leather Pride is the biggest European leather-rubber-fetish party on the circuit. So in Amsterdam you can be sure of a weekend of wild abandon and kinky fun. The main event, Playgrounds, takes place on Saturday night.

Every year, Holland's version of Santa Claus - Sinterklaas - arrives in Amsterdam on a steamer from his residence in Madrid. After a welcome reception, he parades through the city accompanied by festive floats, bands and hundreds of helpers.

The leading national art and antiques fair in the Low Countries, pAn Amsterdam proffers valuable art and antiques for inspection and purchase at the Amsterdam RAI. Dealers present an impressive variety of objects ranging from classical antiquity to modern art.

Join the wealthy and the successful at the Millionaire Fair Amsterdam held at the Amsterdam RAI. Sip champagne and enjoy exquisite nibbles as you browse the most luxurious products available, from hand-made shoes and jewellery to cars and swimming pools.

The Royal Concertgebouw performs a Christmas matinée concert in the famous hall in Amsterdam after which it is named. Chief conductor Mariss Jansons invites world-famous soloists to attend each year and direct the orchestra.

Prepare for a glamorous New Year's Eve at the Supperclub in Amsterdam. World-renowned DJs spin tunes, hostesses make sure your champagne glass is never empty and dazzling performers keep you entertained well into the New Year.

Moving to Paris at 17 introduced Picasso to the works of Gauguin and Van Gogh. This exhibition, at the Van Gogh Museum, showcases Picasso's early paintings to trace his artistic development from his arrival in Paris until 1907.

From bustling nightlife to hordes of quaint cafés, in the 1900 Paris that Van Gogh made home, Montmartre was the neighbourhood for artists. This exhibition at the Van Gogh Museum showcases posters by avant-garde artists inspired by this area.

Discover hidden beauty along Amsterdam's canals as gardens of private houses usually closed to the public are open. Around 25 gardens between Brouwersgracht and the Amstel River open for the weekend during the annual Open Garden Days.

The free Amsterdam Roots Festival is a celebration of the full diversity of the global musical community. Musicians from around the world play at the city's Oosterpark, a large-scale outdoor show, with around 25 bands performing across five stages.

From French to traditional Dutch cuisine, Amsterdam's best restaurants showcase their signature dishes at Taste of Amsterdam in Amstelpark. The open air event is held over four days each year and includes lunch and dinner offers, cooking demonstrations and more.

Amsterdam's contemporary dance festival, Julidans, presents a cross section of dance theatre, with performances at the Stadsschouwburg and other venues around town. Firmly rooted in Dutch dance, the programme also presents the latest developments in African and Asian dance.

Dance Valley is the biggest open-air dance music festival in Holland. Each year 50,000 clubbers descend on the rolling countryside of an idyllic nature reserve outside Amsterdam, the Spaarnwoude Recreation Ground, for a party to remember.

Amsterdam Pride is one of the biggest gay and lesbian festivals in Europe. The weekend of fun includes the world-famous Canal Parade, a fantastic floating display of around 80 garishly decorated boats bursting with music and colour.

The Amsterdam Canal Festival, the Grachtenfestival, offers classical music concerts along two of the city's main canals. Ten days of indoor and outdoor performances culminate with the Prinsengracht concert, held on a floating stage in front of Hotel Pulitzer.

Amsterdam's Photography Museum celebrates artist Anton Corbijn with a collection of his latest black-and-white images. The series captures many of today's renowned artists at work to show the pain and isolation involved in the creative process.

Amsterdam's Uitmarkt heralds the opening of the new cultural season each August. The event features over 400 previews across 34 outdoor and indoor stages at Dam, Nieuwmarkt and Waterlooplein as well as other venues around the city.

During National Heritage Days, Amsterdam's major monuments open to the public free of charge. The buildings often provide guided tours, and some that are normally closed can be visited. Entry into the capital's major museums is also free.

The Amsterdam Fringe Festival showcases creative and innovative Dutch theatre productions at the Theater Bellevue and 15 other venues across the city. Performances on streets, squares and at bus stops enhance the engaging atmosphere and many shows are in English.

The IBC electronic media conference and exhibition is one of the world's leading broadcast technology events, welcoming over 800 companies to demonstrate their products and services at the Amsterdam RAI. The annual exhibition covers technologies ranging from audio to webcasting.

The Dam tot Damloop (DTD) is the most popular running event in the Netherlands. Thirty-five thousand runners, including top athletes, follow a 16km course from Prins Hendrikkade to the centre of Zaandam, passing through the IJ-tunnel en route.

The isolated industrial warehouse of Amsterdam's former NDSM shipyard serves as a stomping ground for the annual Robodock Festival. For two days revellers dance the night away stopping only to take in art installatiions and theater productions, cutting-edge technological exhibits.

The Cinekid Festival of film and television is aimed at children aged between four and 16. Based in the heart of Amsterdam, there are screenings of new children's feature films, animation and television programmes at de Balie and Patha City.

PINT represents Dutch brewers and beer enthusiasts. The PINT Bokbierfestival at Amsterdam's Beurs van Berlage showcases the fine Dutch art of beer-making with tastings of a wide variety of premium local and pan-European brews as well as live musical entertainment.

Every Sunday local artists display their work at Amsterdam's Modern Art Market Thorbeckeplein. Several portrait painters are also present, so you could grab the chance to be immortalised on canvas yourself.

Cinemaztlán is a biennial festival celebrating Mexican films and providing a solid platform for emergent Mexican artists and culture in Europe. Screenings take place at De Balie cinema in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam is famous for its canals, its red light district and its coffeeshops, where one can buy and smoke cannabis! During The Cannabis Cup, which takes place annually in the city, all things marijuana-related are celebrated.

The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam annually screens 250 documentaries from around the world at Pathé de Munt and Pathé Tuschinski, making it the largest documentary festival in the world. Outdoor screenings take place in the Rembrandtplein.

Every Sunday from February to December, local artists set their stalls out on the Spui in Amsterdam. Buyers browse contemporary works at affordable prices by around 25 artists from a collective of 60, who show their work in rotation.

Feel the heat at Tangomagia, Amsterdam's annual international tango festival. Held at venues in the city including the Kompaszaal and De Duif, the event features salons, workshops and tango "café" afternoons.

Jumping Amsterdam is the city's annual international horse show and the highlight of the Dutch equestrian calendar. An enormous and varied programme features high-level show jumping and dressage competitions at the Amsterdam RAI.

Moving to Paris at 17 introduced Picasso to the works of Gauguin and Van Gogh. This exhibition, at the Van Gogh Museum, showcases Picasso's early paintings to trace his artistic development from his arrival in Paris until 1907.

From bustling nightlife to hordes of quaint cafés, in the 1900 Paris that Van Gogh made home, Montmartre was the neighbourhood for artists. This exhibition at the Van Gogh Museum showcases posters by avant-garde artists inspired by this area.

Discover hidden beauty along Amsterdam's canals as gardens of private houses usually closed to the public are open. Around 25 gardens between Brouwersgracht and the Amstel River open for the weekend during the annual Open Garden Days.

The free Amsterdam Roots Festival is a celebration of the full diversity of the global musical community. Musicians from around the world play at the city's Oosterpark, a large-scale outdoor show, with around 25 bands performing across five stages.

From French to traditional Dutch cuisine, Amsterdam's best restaurants showcase their signature dishes at Taste of Amsterdam in Amstelpark. The open air event is held over four days each year and includes lunch and dinner offers, cooking demonstrations and more.

Amsterdam's contemporary dance festival, Julidans, presents a cross section of dance theatre, with performances at the Stadsschouwburg and other venues around town. Firmly rooted in Dutch dance, the programme also presents the latest developments in African and Asian dance.

Dance Valley is the biggest open-air dance music festival in Holland. Each year 50,000 clubbers descend on the rolling countryside of an idyllic nature reserve outside Amsterdam, the Spaarnwoude Recreation Ground, for a party to remember.

Amsterdam Pride is one of the biggest gay and lesbian festivals in Europe. The weekend of fun includes the world-famous Canal Parade, a fantastic floating display of around 80 garishly decorated boats bursting with music and colour.

The Amsterdam Canal Festival, the Grachtenfestival, offers classical music concerts along two of the city's main canals. Ten days of indoor and outdoor performances culminate with the Prinsengracht concert, held on a floating stage in front of Hotel Pulitzer.

Amsterdam's Photography Museum celebrates artist Anton Corbijn with a collection of his latest black-and-white images. The series captures many of today's renowned artists at work to show the pain and isolation involved in the creative process.

Amsterdam's Uitmarkt heralds the opening of the new cultural season each August. The event features over 400 previews across 34 outdoor and indoor stages at Dam, Nieuwmarkt and Waterlooplein as well as other venues around the city.

During National Heritage Days, Amsterdam's major monuments open to the public free of charge. The buildings often provide guided tours, and some that are normally closed can be visited. Entry into the capital's major museums is also free.

The Amsterdam Fringe Festival showcases creative and innovative Dutch theatre productions at the Theater Bellevue and 15 other venues across the city. Performances on streets, squares and at bus stops enhance the engaging atmosphere and many shows are in English.

The IBC electronic media conference and exhibition is one of the world's leading broadcast technology events, welcoming over 800 companies to demonstrate their products and services at the Amsterdam RAI. The annual exhibition covers technologies ranging from audio to webcasting.

The Dam tot Damloop (DTD) is the most popular running event in the Netherlands. Thirty-five thousand runners, including top athletes, follow a 16km course from Prins Hendrikkade to the centre of Zaandam, passing through the IJ-tunnel en route.

The isolated industrial warehouse of Amsterdam's former NDSM shipyard serves as a stomping ground for the annual Robodock Festival. For two days revellers dance the night away stopping only to take in art installatiions and theater productions, cutting-edge technological exhibits.

The Cinekid Festival of film and television is aimed at children aged between four and 16. Based in the heart of Amsterdam, there are screenings of new children's feature films, animation and television programmes at de Balie and Patha City.

PINT represents Dutch brewers and beer enthusiasts. The PINT Bokbierfestival at Amsterdam's Beurs van Berlage showcases the fine Dutch art of beer-making with tastings of a wide variety of premium local and pan-European brews as well as live musical entertainment.

Every Sunday local artists display their work at Amsterdam's Modern Art Market Thorbeckeplein. Several portrait painters are also present, so you could grab the chance to be immortalised on canvas yourself.

Cinemaztlán is a biennial festival celebrating Mexican films and providing a solid platform for emergent Mexican artists and culture in Europe. Screenings take place at De Balie cinema in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam is famous for its canals, its red light district and its coffeeshops, where one can buy and smoke cannabis! During The Cannabis Cup, which takes place annually in the city, all things marijuana-related are celebrated.

The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam annually screens 250 documentaries from around the world at Pathé de Munt and Pathé Tuschinski, making it the largest documentary festival in the world. Outdoor screenings take place in the Rembrandtplein.

Every Sunday from February to December, local artists set their stalls out on the Spui in Amsterdam. Buyers browse contemporary works at affordable prices by around 25 artists from a collective of 60, who show their work in rotation.

Feel the heat at Tangomagia, Amsterdam's annual international tango festival. Held at venues in the city including the Kompaszaal and De Duif, the event features salons, workshops and tango "café" afternoons.

Jumping Amsterdam is the city's annual international horse show and the highlight of the Dutch equestrian calendar. An enormous and varied programme features high-level show jumping and dressage competitions at the Amsterdam RAI.

Moving to Paris at 17 introduced Picasso to the works of Gauguin and Van Gogh. This exhibition, at the Van Gogh Museum, showcases Picasso's early paintings to trace his artistic development from his arrival in Paris until 1907.

From bustling nightlife to hordes of quaint cafés, in the 1900 Paris that Van Gogh made home, Montmartre was the neighbourhood for artists. This exhibition at the Van Gogh Museum showcases posters by avant-garde artists inspired by this area.

Discover hidden beauty along Amsterdam's canals as gardens of private houses usually closed to the public are open. Around 25 gardens between Brouwersgracht and the Amstel River open for the weekend during the annual Open Garden Days.

The free Amsterdam Roots Festival is a celebration of the full diversity of the global musical community. Musicians from around the world play at the city's Oosterpark, a large-scale outdoor show, with around 25 bands performing across five stages.

From French to traditional Dutch cuisine, Amsterdam's best restaurants showcase their signature dishes at Taste of Amsterdam in Amstelpark. The open air event is held over four days each year and includes lunch and dinner offers, cooking demonstrations and more.

Amsterdam's contemporary dance festival, Julidans, presents a cross section of dance theatre, with performances at the Stadsschouwburg and other venues around town. Firmly rooted in Dutch dance, the programme also presents the latest developments in African and Asian dance.

Dance Valley is the biggest open-air dance music festival in Holland. Each year 50,000 clubbers descend on the rolling countryside of an idyllic nature reserve outside Amsterdam, the Spaarnwoude Recreation Ground, for a party to remember.

Amsterdam Pride is one of the biggest gay and lesbian festivals in Europe. The weekend of fun includes the world-famous Canal Parade, a fantastic floating display of around 80 garishly decorated boats bursting with music and colour.

The Amsterdam Canal Festival, the Grachtenfestival, offers classical music concerts along two of the city's main canals. Ten days of indoor and outdoor performances culminate with the Prinsengracht concert, held on a floating stage in front of Hotel Pulitzer.

Amsterdam's Photography Museum celebrates artist Anton Corbijn with a collection of his latest black-and-white images. The series captures many of today's renowned artists at work to show the pain and isolation involved in the creative process.

Amsterdam's Uitmarkt heralds the opening of the new cultural season each August. The event features over 400 previews across 34 outdoor and indoor stages at Dam, Nieuwmarkt and Waterlooplein as well as other venues around the city.

During National Heritage Days, Amsterdam's major monuments open to the public free of charge. The buildings often provide guided tours, and some that are normally closed can be visited. Entry into the capital's major museums is also free.

The Amsterdam Fringe Festival showcases creative and innovative Dutch theatre productions at the Theater Bellevue and 15 other venues across the city. Performances on streets, squares and at bus stops enhance the engaging atmosphere and many shows are in English.

The IBC electronic media conference and exhibition is one of the world's leading broadcast technology events, welcoming over 800 companies to demonstrate their products and services at the Amsterdam RAI. The annual exhibition covers technologies ranging from audio to webcasting.

The Dam tot Damloop (DTD) is the most popular running event in the Netherlands. Thirty-five thousand runners, including top athletes, follow a 16km course from Prins Hendrikkade to the centre of Zaandam, passing through the IJ-tunnel en route.

The isolated industrial warehouse of Amsterdam's former NDSM shipyard serves as a stomping ground for the annual Robodock Festival. For two days revellers dance the night away stopping only to take in art installatiions and theater productions, cutting-edge technological exhibits.

The Cinekid Festival of film and television is aimed at children aged between four and 16. Based in the heart of Amsterdam, there are screenings of new children's feature films, animation and television programmes at de Balie and Patha City.

PINT represents Dutch brewers and beer enthusiasts. The PINT Bokbierfestival at Amsterdam's Beurs van Berlage showcases the fine Dutch art of beer-making with tastings of a wide variety of premium local and pan-European brews as well as live musical entertainment.

Every Sunday local artists display their work at Amsterdam's Modern Art Market Thorbeckeplein. Several portrait painters are also present, so you could grab the chance to be immortalised on canvas yourself.

Cinemaztlán is a biennial festival celebrating Mexican films and providing a solid platform for emergent Mexican artists and culture in Europe. Screenings take place at De Balie cinema in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam is famous for its canals, its red light district and its coffeeshops, where one can buy and smoke cannabis! During The Cannabis Cup, which takes place annually in the city, all things marijuana-related are celebrated.

The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam annually screens 250 documentaries from around the world at Pathé de Munt and Pathé Tuschinski, making it the largest documentary festival in the world. Outdoor screenings take place in the Rembrandtplein.

Every Sunday from February to December, local artists set their stalls out on the Spui in Amsterdam. Buyers browse contemporary works at affordable prices by around 25 artists from a collective of 60, who show their work in rotation.

Feel the heat at Tangomagia, Amsterdam's annual international tango festival. Held at venues in the city including the Kompaszaal and De Duif, the event features salons, workshops and tango "café" afternoons.

Jumping Amsterdam is the city's annual international horse show and the highlight of the Dutch equestrian calendar. An enormous and varied programme features high-level show jumping and dressage competitions at the Amsterdam RAI.

The Amsterdam Boat Show annually attracts thousands of boating enthusiasts to Amsterdam RAI where they can view the latest navigation equipment and sailing attire. There are also hundreds of new boats and countless nautical accessories on display from 350 exhibitors.

Documentaries, features, shorts and plenty more diverse movies narrating the LGBT experience are screened at the annual Pink Film Days. The 11-day festival at the Cinema Ketelhuis also sees lively interactive debates following many viewings.

The Imagine: Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival specialises in fantasy, horror and science-fiction, annually screening new feature films, retrospectives, a European fantastic shorts section and a children's programme. The schedule features more than 70 films in all.

Held every year as part of the Queen's Day celebrations, Vrijmarkt (which means free market) is a sprawling open-air flea market spread across Amsterdam's city centre. It allows everyone to sell their junk without a permit.

The Pinkster Tournament is a hot date on the Gay and Lesbian Tennis Alliance's summer circuit and the biggest gay and lesbian tennis tournament in the world. It attracts hundreds of competitors to the courts of Amsterdam's Sportcentrum Amstelpark.

The Tribe at the Amsterdam Photography Museum is photographer Pavel Prokopchik's look at Russian youths who reject a materialistic and policitally driven society for an alternative lifestyle. The collection of images is a raw exploration of a new generation.

Artists like Bonnard and many of his 19th-century French contemporaries popularised lithography, etching and woodcuts as an artfrom. Beauty in abundance, at Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum, brings together 100 prints that illustrate the colourful prints made between 1890 and 1905.