There's always something fun to do in Amsterdam, but what about October 2025? Check out our latest cultural tips here. My name is Annabelle Hinam. I am 28 years old, born and raised in Amsterdam. I graduated from the theater academy in Utrecht in July 2021 and currently work as an actor, writer, voice-over artist, and cook. Besides working in the cultural sector (and not just in the theater world), I also enjoy visiting other forms of art. Museums, films, exhibitions, local neighborhood initiatives, and more. I write a series of tips every month that I think are worth visiting. Questions or tips? Email me! You can do so via: hinamannabelle@gmail.com. At the bottom of my tip is always the website and/or Instagram of the place for more information.
Museums and exhibitions
Unique screening Occupied City – Rijksmuseum (October 11 and 12)
Steve McQueen's monumental film Occupied City will be screened continuously at the Rijksmuseum on October 11 and 12. Over the course of 34 hours, a poignant portrait of Amsterdam during the occupation will be shown: more than 2,000 locations in the city will be featured, with stories of resistance, loss, and remembrance. A rare opportunity to experience the city as a living memory.
Website & tickets:Â www.rijksmuseum.nl
Kusukazu Uraguchi, Shima no Ama – Huis Marseille (October 18 to February 8)
In serene black and white images, Kusukazu Uraguchi brings the ama to life: Japanese female divers who have made their living from the sea for generations. Their rhythm, strength, and connection to the water are palpable in every photograph. An intimate portrait of tradition and transience, beautifully displayed in the rooms of Huis Marseille.
Website & tickets:Â www.huismarseille.nl
And don't be late for these current exhibitions!
IN SITU #1, Nora Turato: I HEAR YOU, I HEAR YOU – Stedelijk Museum (ongoing)
The mezzanine of the Stedelijk's New build features a massive 'in-between space.' The Stedelijk has commissioned a group of young artists to experiment in this space. Nora Turato is the first artist to kick off IN SITU. Her work includes video and sound installations that explore our relationship with language.
Website & tickets:Â www,stedelijk.nl
Refresh Amsterdam #3 – Amsterdam Museum (t/m 30 november)
Refresh Amsterdam #3 – Imagine the Future in the Amsterdam Museum invites reflection: what does the future look like, and what role can artists and the public play in it? What is special is that not only fifteen contemporary artists — including Raquel van Haver, Minne Kersten, Brigitte Louter, Fiona Lutjenhuis and Frank Ammerlaan — present new work, but the public is also actively involved. In a spacious wing of the Amsterdam Museum, the permanent collection is replaced by experimentation, imagination and collective exploration.
Website & tickets:Â Tickets
Crossings – The Rijksmuseum (July 4 to October 12)
Crossings unites colonial and contemporary perspectives through photography from the Indian subcontinent. The exhibition explores the intersection of past and present, juxtaposing 19th-century British colonial photography with contemporary works by French-Sri Lankan artist Vasantha Yogananthan. The Rijksmuseum's collection includes over twelve hundred 19th-century photographs from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet. While these photographs were often commissioned, Yogananthan sought his own background in these regions.
Website & tickets:Â www.rijksmuseum.nl
Memento, fotografie, onderbroken – Huis Marseille (t/m 12 oktober)
Not only does the city of Amsterdam have a birthday to celebrate this year, but Huis Marseille is also celebrating a birthday in 2025, its 25th. From June 28 to October 12, the exhibition Memento. Photography interrupted will therefore be on display, which can be admired in both buildings of the museum. Huis Marseille is exhibiting more than a hundred contemporary photographic masterpieces, taking you on a wonderful journey through time. Huis Marseille was the first photography museum in Amsterdam and therefore owns a number of leading works by, among others, Thomas Struth, Andres Serrano, Viviane Sassen and many more. Worth a visit!
Website & tickets:Â www.huismarseille.nl
Theater, dance, opera
Villa Europa, De Warme Winkel – Frascati (October 1)
After 16 years, Villa Europa returns, a performance that questions what Europe really means today: its ideals, its stories, its broken promises. The performance is now relevant again, which is why theater group De Warme Winkel decided to revive it . Based on Stefan Zweig's The World of Yesterday – a writer who witnessed a Europe that was changing and fading away – De Warme Winkel presents a performance full of humor and melancholy in their own style. Two nerds grapple with the legacy of humanism in times of populism, defense debates, and growing intolerance. A performance that lingers long after the curtain falls, both in the foyer and in real life.
Website & tickets:Â Tickets
Katwijk, Compagnie Red Yellow & Blue – Theater Bellevue (October 24-26)
In a holiday park in Katwijk, a mother and her adult lesbian daughter find themselves unexpectedly growing closer. A canceled girls' weekend evolves into a drama filled with generational differences, secrets, and the sudden appearance of manuscripts. Compagnie Red Yellow & Blue blends humor and pain through sharp dialogues and relatable misunderstandings. Katwijk centers on challenging parent-child relationships, queer identity, and the quest for connection. While they embrace humor, they also know when to be intimate.
Website & tickets:Â Tickets
De Wetten, ITA Ensemble – Internationaal Theater Amsterdam (October 9 through November 23)
Based on Connie Palmen's debut novel, De wetten follows young philosophy student Marie in 1980s Amsterdam. She encounters seven men who shape her life and writing as she searches for identity, love, and autonomy. Director Eline Arbo universalizes the story by detaching it from gender and origin, making Marie's quest timeless. Ilke Paddenburg shines as Connie in this theatrical adaptation of her debut novel.
Website & tickets:Â Tickets
Loes Luca & Teleruptor: Onderweg van hier naar daar – De Kleine Komedie (3 oktober)
In Onderweg van hier naar daar, Loes Luca takes you into the eventful life of Marie Galante, the main character from Jacques Deval's novel. Together with the musicians of Teleruptor, she tells and sings the story, accompanied by music that Kurt Weill composed for the film adaptation of the book in 1934. Expect an evening full of surprising musical detours, with adaptations by David Bowie, Willem Breuker and Archie Shepp, among others. A special route with a special destination, created by the amazing Loes Luca.
Website & tickets:Â Tickets
Romeo en Julia, Nationale Ballet – Nationale Opera en Ballet (14 oktober t/m 11 november)
The Dutch National Ballet is bringing Rudi van Dantzig’s iconic Romeo en Julia back to life. The tragic love of the young lovers unfolds against the backdrop of the bitter family feud between Montague and Capulet, where every dance movement is charged with passion and tension. Prokofiev's dramatic music enhances the intensity, while the expressive choreography makes the emotions of the characters clearly palpable. A classic that remains timeless, moves and keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.
Website & tickets:Â Tickets
Leyla – Ik ben verlangen, curated by Dilan Yurdakul: een zoektocht naar de vrouwelijke stem – Nationale Opera en Ballet (8 oktober)
Dilan Yurdakul gives Leyla, from the ancient legend of Leyla and Majnun (the Romeo and Juliet of the Middle East to Bollywood), a voice at last. In Ik ben verlangen, she explores identity, desire, and femininity through music and poetic scenes. A powerful performance that questions the absence of the female voice in classical stories and allows it to be heard again. Yurdakul also talks to Kristine Johanson, associate professor of English Literature at the University of Amsterdam. She previously researched the voice of Juliet in Romeo en Julia and in this program she delves deeper into (the absence of) female voices in classical literature.
Website & tickets:Â Tickets
Wittgenstein 2. It's not the language, Bo Tarenskeen – Theater Bellevue (September 17 through October 12)
In this performance, Bo Tarenskeen explores in a humorous and incisive way how difficult language can be. Against the backdrop of rising Nazism in Munich, philosophers from the Vienna Circle attempt to clarify everything in words. With four actors, including Tarenskeen himself, you see how the search for truth often clashes with reality. In addition, this performance also shows interesting historical events, which in turn provide new perspectives on the present.
Website & tickets:Â Tickets
Music
Santrofi – Tolhuistuin (2 oktober)
Santrofi, a young highlife supergroup from Ghana, brings their music full of rhythm, energy and soul to the Tolhuistuin. Led by Emmanuel Kwadwo Ofori, highlife, afrobeat, funk and Afro-Cuban influences blend together into a fantastic live experience. It is an evening that takes you on a musical journey, where it is impossible to stand still. In Ghanaian Akan mythology, Santrofi means a rare brightly colored bird with four wings that symbolizes prosperity, beauty and the power of song, and I can imagine that everyone in the room will feel like a brightly colored bird during this evening. Website & tickets:Â Tickets
Café Madrid led by Antionio Moreno Glazkov – Flamenco Biënnale Nederland, Bimhuis (October 15)
Antonio Moreno Glazkov and his ensemble bring the magic of flamenco to life at the Bimhuis. Passion, rhythm, and virtuosity converge in song, dance, and guitar, with each moment narrating a distinct story. During the Biënnale, you have the opportunity to experience the essence of flamenco up close, live, and unforgettably. Website & tickets: Free tickets!Â
Festivals
4 Bells For Freedom – Nieuwmarkt (October 4)
On the Nieuwmarkt sounds 4 Bells For Freedom, an art Project by Marion Vontilzer. In this ceremony of sound and remembrance, freedom and resistance are celebrated. Each bell carries an echo of the past and invites reflection. A short, but intense experience that silences and at the same time connects with the collective memory of the city. The performance takes place on October 4 in the Zuiderkerk, and Rob van den Broek has designed a special light sculpture for this occasion. There is also much more to see at the Nieuwmarkt. Music, artworks, stories and spoken word will fill the square.
Website & tickets: Â Tickets
Films in various arthouse cinemas
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
The beloved series reaches its final act on the big screen. Relive the drama, romance, and intrigue of the Downton Abbey estate, its residents, and its staff. All the drama and intrigue culminate in this sublime grand finale, which also illustrates how some things inevitably change and how Downton Abbey must evolve with the times. For devoted fans of the series, this is a wonderful opportunity to once again enjoy all the characters on the big screen.
Heroine
Heroine follows nurse Floria during her night shifts in a busy Swiss hospital. Amidst handling crisis situations and personal struggles, a story of resilience, responsibility, and compassion unfolds. This film prompts reflection on the meaning of caregiving and will resonate long after viewing. The director successfully conveys the stress and expertise inherent in a nurse's life.
The Roses
Ivy (Olivia Colman) and Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch) seem to have a perfect marriage, until unexpected changes put their relationship to the test. Colman and Cumberbatch deliver fantastic, subtle, layered performances, supported by great supporting roles from Kate McKinnon, Andy Samberg and Ncuti Gatwa. A film about ambition, love, marriage, emancipation and much more. Thanks to the sometimes slightly absurdist touch, it's not difficult to oscillate between laughter and tears.
One Battle After Another
In One Battle After Another zet Leonardo DiCaprio een indrukwekkende rol neer in een politieke thriller die nu al wordt getipt voor een Oscar. Onder regie van Sean Penn ontvouwt zich een meeslepend en rauw portret van macht, morele grenzen en persoonlijke strijd – tegen de achtergrond van een wereld in crisis. Een film die de tijdgeest vangt en niet onberoerd laat.
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