There’s always something fun to do in Amsterdam, but what should we do in April 2026? Check out our latest cultural tips here. My name is Annabelle Hinam. I’m 28 years old, born and raised in Amsterdam. I graduated from the theater academy in Utrecht in July 2021 and am currently working as an actor, writer, voice-over artist, and cook. In addition to working in the cultural sector (and not just in the theater world), I also enjoy experiencing other forms of art. Museums, films, exhibitions, local neighborhood initiatives, and more. Every month, I write a series of tips on places I think are worth visiting. Questions or tips? Email me! You can reach me at: hinamannabelle@gmail.com. At the bottom of each tip, I always include the website and/or Instagram of the venue for more information.
Museums and exhibitions
OSCAM x ARTNOIR: Watering a Black Garden – OSCAM (through May 6)
An accessible group exhibition featuring work by eight artists from the African diaspora. Watering a Black Garden explores themes such as care, identity, and connection through photography, film Services and installations feel both personal and collective. The exhibition is on view at OSCAM, an interdisciplinary museum in Amsterdam-Zuidoost focused on art, fashion, and design, with a strong emphasis on emerging talent and underrepresented perspectives. A quiet, layered exhibition that invites you to take a moment to reflect.
Website & tickets:Tickets
Between Fires – Irradiated Imaginations & Anti-Nuclear Solidarities – Framer Framed (through May 17)
A substantive yet clearly structured exhibition exploring the relationship between nuclear technology, colonial history, and resistance. Between Fires takes its starting point in the Kazakh steppe—where nuclear tests took place for decades—and connects that history with contemporary art and research. Through film, sound, Services and installations a layered yet serene whole Services and installations , in which personal stories and broader geopolitical narratives coexist.
Framer Framed is known for these kinds of context-driven exhibitions, where art and social themes converge.
Website & tickets:Tickets
And don't be late for these current exhibitions!
Yellow. More than Van Gogh's favorite color – Van Gogh Museum (until May 17)
For many people, the color yellow symbolizes cheerfulness, warmth, and exuberance. But for Van Gogh, yellow also represented courage, innovation, and much more. In this exhibition, which is entirely devoted to Van Gogh's favorite color yellow, we see what the color meant and why it was innovative in the 19th century. In addition, there is also a special installation by Olafur Eliasson, which allows the public to experience the color yellow in a unique way.
Website & tickets:Tickets
20th century: Srefidensi: fifty years of Surinamese independence – The Rijksmuseum (until May)
Every six months, the Rijksmuseum presents new topics about the 20th century. Suriname has now been independent for fifty years, which is reason enough for an extensive exhibition. There are photos of demonstrations in 1944 at the monument to dockworker Willem Diepraam, the significance of Srefidensi Day is explained in detail, and there are traditional angisas and other historical monuments. An important exhibition that every Amsterdam resident should see.
Website & tickets: Tickets
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: www,stedelijk.nl
Theater, dance, opera
Woyzeck: Research Presentation, Theater Utrecht – Frascati (April 14)
An open and still-evolving presentation centered on Woyzeck, in which director Casper Vandeputte collaborates with performers from the Van der Hoeven Clinic. The starting point is Büchner’s unfinished classic about a man who loses his grip on reality and what that says about empathy and responsibility. This evening, therefore, does not feature a finished performance, but rather a glimpse into the creative process, in which the audience can contribute their thoughts and get a behind-the-scenes look.
Website & tickets:Tickets
Aletta the Musical – DeLaMar Theater (April 29 and 30)
A new Dutch musical about Aletta Jacobs, directed by Daria Bukvić. Aletta tells the story of a doctor, feminist, and one of the first advocates for women’s rights in the Netherlands. Bukvić usually directs plays, but is now venturing into the world of musicals, resulting in a lighthearted, energetic production full of humor and music. Don’t expect a heavy biography, but rather a smoothly told portrait that shows just how independent-minded and progressive Jacobs was.
Website & tickets:Tickets
The World of Ali and Nino,by Abdelkader Benali and Daria van den Bercken – Podium Mozaïek (April 10)
The World of Aliand Ninois a musical narrative by writer Abdelkader Benali and pianist Daria van den Bercken, based on the international bestseller of the same name.The audience follows the beloved story of the Muslim Ali and the Christian Nino, two lovers in multicultural Baku (Azerbaijan), as their relationship unfolds against the backdrop of the turbulent history of World War I and the rise of communism. The performance features live piano music, and together with Benali’s beautiful text, the classic love story takes on a warm, accessible tone.
Website & tickets:Tickets
La Bayadère – Dutch National Ballet (through April 19)
One of the great classics of the ballet repertoire receives a contemporary reinterpretation. This latest production of La Bayadère preserves Petipa’s famous dance gems while rewriting the narrative with an eye for historical context and a contemporary perspective on culture, thereby eliminating the colonialist undertones that the piece previously carried. The story of love, loyalty, and loss is set in Southeast India and balances classical choreography with emerging diverse voices within the cast and creative team.
Website & tickets:Tickets
Die Passagierin, Mieczysław Weinberg – Dutch National Opera (April 17–May 2)
An intense new production of Mieczysław Weinberg’s opera about memory, guilt, and confronting the past. On an ocean liner in 1960, the protagonist is confronted with her past when a familiar passenger appears on board, leaving no one unmoved. Director Tobias Kratzer brings Weinberg’s hidden masterpiece—full of musical highlights and dramatic depth—to Amsterdam, sung in multiple languages and featuring a superb cast. It is an opera that not only engages with history but also asks what memory still means today.
Website & tickets:Tickets
Music
Paradiso presents: Dr. John Cooper Clarke + Mike Garry – Het Zonnehuis (April 17)
An evening with British punk poet Dr. John Cooper Clarke, known for works such as the poem “Evidently Chicken Town,” who always delivers his work in a razor-sharp, rhythmic, and satirical manner, is coming to Het Zonnehuis. He is one of the pioneers of punk culture in the late 1970s. Together with special guest Mike Garry, these men are sure to deliver an unforgettable, energetic, original spoken-word-style evening—I’m certain of it.
Website & tickets:Tickets
An evening of shimmering strings, Julija Hartig, Floor le Coultre & Francien Schatborn: Two violins & a viola – Splendor (April 9)
An intimate evening of chamber music at the atmospheric Splendor, where violinist Julija Hartig joins colleagues to perform classical masterpieces for two violins and a viola. Because Splendor is a venue where musicians and audience are close together, the evenings are always more experimental and authentic. This often creates a natural and inspiring interaction between artists and audience.
Website & tickets:Tickets
Festivals / Trade Shows
April Festivities – Nieuwmarkt (April 21–27)
It’s almost April again, which means the city’s most fun neighborhood festival is just around the corner: the April Festivities. They’ve become a regular fixture in my cultural calendar because they’re so diverse and enjoyable every year. No two days or evenings at the April Festivities are the same, and that’s what makes them so great. From April 21 through 27, locals and visitors celebrate spring with music, fairground attractions, food, and social traditions like the festive Neighborhood Breakfast. An informal celebration of community, local culture, and people from all over the city.
Website & tickets:Tickets
Films
Whispers in the Woods
A poetic nature film by Vincent Munier that focuses on intergenerational friendship and the silence of the forest. Fog among the trees, animal sightings, birdsong, and a slow, almost meditative pace make this film a beautiful ode to nature and family.
Amrum
A small, intimate coming-of-age film set on the German Wadden Sea island of Amrum, in which a boy learns to cope with responsibility and loss during the final days of World War II. It is a refined and personal story that combines historical context with youthful discovery. At the same time, the film is whimsical while also showcasing stunning cinematography.
H is for Hawk
This film is based on Helen MacDonald’s bestselling book of the same name. The film follows a woman who, after the loss of her father, trains a hawk and in doing so discovers the fine line between loss and obsession. It is a subtle and moving drama about grief, which beautifully illustrates the many forms grief can take. Unparalleled performance by Claire Foy, with a wonderful role for Glen McNeeson as her father.
