There’s always something fun to do in Amsterdam, but what should we do in June 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 exploring 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
In Situ 2 Farida Sedoc, Social Capital – The Stedelijk Museum (through July 2)
Farida Sedoc transforms the Stedelijk’s monumental staircase hall into a space that feels both playful and politically charged. In Social Capital, she explores who can move freely through the city and who is constantly being watched, directed, or excluded. Using bright colors, street culture, and references to protest and community, Sedoc creates an installation that doesn’t simply hang on museum walls, but instead seems to stand right in the middle of the museum—and thus, in the middle of life.
Website & tickets:Tickets
Larissa Sansour: Rogue Agents of History – Wereldmuseum Amsterdam (through September 27)
In Larissa Sansour’s futuristic worlds, science fiction and political reality are constantly intertwined. The Palestinian artist uses film, photography, and speculative narratives to explore questions of memory, identity, and power. Rogue Agents of History feels at times like a dream, at times like a warning, and marks this renowned artist’s first solo exhibition in the Netherlands.
Website & tickets:Tickets
And don't be late for these current exhibitions!
Here I Can Breathe – Glazen Huis, Plein 40-45 (through June 21)
Nine artists turn their gaze toward Nieuw-West: the parks, skate parks, squares, and courtyards that make the district what it is. Through photography, video, text, and music, they show how public space isn’t just space, but a place we inhabit and shape together. Beautiful, accessible, diverse, and free to view on the windows of the Glazen Huis and the Tuinstadhuis. Real art by real creators, with our city at the center.
Website & tickets:Tickets
In Situ 1, Nora Turato: I HEAR YOU, I HEAR YOU – Stedelijk Museum (ongoing)
The mezzanine level of the New build features a massive “interstitial space.” The Stedelijk has now commissioned a group of young artists to experiment in this space.Nora Turato is the first artist to kick off IN SITU . Her work features video and sound installations that explore our relationship with language.
Website & tickets:www.stedelijk.nl
Theater, dance, opera
Journalistic Theater: From the Classroom to Students Who Stay Home, DeBalie, AT5, PS Vertelt – DeBalie (June 8)
What happens to young people who gradually drop out of the school system? In this evening event presented by De Balie, AT5, and PS Vertelt, journalism and theater are interwoven to bring the stories of students who stay home to life. Not a dry panel discussion, but a format in which research and personal experience constantly influence and inspire one another. Topical, human, and uncomfortably relatable.
Website & tickets:Tickets
Metamorphosis: From Myth to Dance, PACT + Dans – Podium Mozaïek (June 18)
Ancient myths take on a new form in this dance performance by PACT + Dans. Metamorphosis moves through stories of change, loss, and longing, but does not translate them literally: it is primarily the bodies that speak. A performance that touches you on a deeper level, as if classic stories still resonate somewhere beneath the surface.
Website & tickets:Tickets
No Men Beyond This Point, Blond & Cynisch – Theaterbroedplaats De Sloot (June 4, 5, 6)
What if men were slowly becoming obsolete? No Men Beyond This Point starts from an absurd premise, but uses that dystopian premise to take a sharp look at power, gender, and social relationships. This performance fits within the genre of science fiction feminism; if such a genre even existed, Blond & Cynisch has taken it to a whole new level. The young theater collective delivers it with just the right dose of humor and discomfort: funny, until you realize you’re laughing a little too hard—a must-see.
Website & tickets:Tickets
Micha Wertheim: Voor Iedereen – Theater de Meervaart (June 13)
Micha Wertheim remains in a league of his own. In For Everyone, he once again plays with expectations, the audience, and the very form of cabaret itself. What begins as a performance slowly derails into something philosophical, alienating, or, conversely, Immediately . In fact, it’s usually all of these at once. You never quite know what you’re watching, but that’s exactly the point. Wertheim always manages to strike a chord and leave you feeling richer as you walk out of the theater than when you walked in.
Website & tickets:Tickets
Opera in the Park: Simon Boccanegra (Holland Festival) – Frankendael Park (June 19)
Opera under the evening sky automatically feels more accessible and magical. During the Holland Festival, Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra will be performed for free in Frankendael Park: a political family drama full of power, betrayal, and melancholy. Bring a blanket, something to drink, a well-stocked picnic basket, and let yourself be swept away in the middle of the park by grand emotions that work surprisingly well among the trees.
Website & tickets: Free admission,Website
GRIMM, Marco Gerris and Ernst Meisner, Dutch National Ballet – Dutch National Opera & Ballet (through June 24)
Fairy tales are rarely treated gently in GRIMM. Marco Gerris and Ernst Meisner take the well-known stories of the Brothers Grimm apart and build them into an energetic mix of dance, urban movement, and theater. It may sound chaotic to combine all these fairy tales, but it is precisely this chaos that makes GRIMM a unique performance, in which you seem to step into a children’s book that slowly and excitingly goes off the rails.
Website & tickets:Tickets
Music
Old Roots New Routes: Hamid Reza Behzadian – Het Zonnehuis (June 6)
Hamid Reza Behzadian moves effortlessly between tradition and experimentation. In Old Roots New Routes, he weaves Persian musical influences with jazz and improvisation, creating something that sounds both old and completely new (a perfect fit for the title of this delightful program at Het Zonnehuis). An evening that takes you on a journey to other parts of the world while simultaneously feeling like home.
Website & tickets:Tickets
Seasick Steve – Tolhuistuin (June 5)
Seasick Steve plays the blues as if it were something you pick up along the way, not something you perfect. With his raw voice, homemade instruments, and laid-back energy, every performance feels like you’ve stumbled into a brilliant improvisational show. Seasick Steve is an incredible original and is perfectly suited for live performances where he truly shines.
Website & tickets:Tickets
Festivals / Events
Amsterdam Roots Festival – Oosterpark (June 28)
Every year, the Amsterdam Roots Festival transforms Oosterpark into a place where music, dance, and performance from all corners of the world come together. Big names share the stage with unexpected discoveries and local talent, while the park fills with rhythms you simply can’t help but dance to. A festival that invites you to talk to people you didn’t know before, and to try foods and music styles you’ve never heard of before.
Website & tickets:https://www.amsterdamroots.nl/
Films
The President’s Cake
In the sanctions-ravaged Iraq of the 1990s, a young girl tries to arrange a birthday cake for Saddam Hussein. The film is a tragicomic quest in which childlike logic clashes with an absurd political reality. The President’s Cake balances between satire and melancholy, showing how even the grandest regimes ultimately intrude upon the smallest daily actions. A clever, beautiful film that comes highly recommended for everyone.
The Devil Wears Prada 2
Miranda Priestly is back, and to be honest, the fashion world might need her more than ever. In The Devil Wears Prada 2, the focus shifts to an industry now driven by algorithms, personal branding, and endless online trends, while old-school power slowly begins to falter. Just like the first film, this one is packed with sharp one-liners, perfectly tailored jackets, and unforgettable characters, and once again, the central question is: how much of yourself do you actually give up to fit in?
The Choral-
During World War I, a small English village loses its men to the front lines; they are searching for a new conductor when a mysterious man with a German past arrives. The villagers are initially skeptical, but once they hear his music, they are won over. The role is beautifully portrayed by Ralph Fiennes, and the entire film is a stunning period piece in which music brings people closer together.
