I want to send a special shout out to the many new students in Amsterdam. I hope you are enjoying your first days in our little city, and have yet to get into a bike accident! I am sure by now you have numerous little guide books and pamphlets helping you to get to know Amsterdam, but this is the place where you can start by planning your weekend escapades from a bunch of hand-picked suggestions. For some more suggestions about what to do check out this previous post about what do to when you are bored and a list of wifi spots in the City. I would love to hear from you as I am curious about what you want to see on this agenda- are you lost?, where are you spending you time?, what are you finding difficult? Email me at busyinamsterdam[at]gmail.
As always if you find this agenda useful please "buy me a beer"/click on my ads, as I put this agenda together for you every week for free!
Enjoy and stay busy in Amsterdam.
Entire weekend
Why go? Have you seen the Nachtwacht / Night watch yet? If not go!
Part of the Filmmuseum’s Sunsets (summer outdoor films), Overhoeks presents current, and classic films with world famous stars. This week:
Wednesday – The musical based on the Wizard of Oz, “The Wiz” (Sidney Lumet, US 1978).
Thursday French film: “Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot “(Jacques Tati, FR 1953). Friday: “Taking Woodstock” (Ang Lee, US 2009), this film starts at 22.00.
Saturday: “U2 Rattle and Hum” (Phil Joanou, US 1988).
Sunday: “The Red Shoes” (Michael Powell, Eric Pressburger, VS 1948).
Why go? Check out Amsterdam Noord and enjoy an outdoor film over the IJ.
A four weekend long open air film festival in Sloterparkbad. This week Thursday showing the musical “West Side Story”, Friday “The Blair Witch Project” and Saturday “de Brief voor de Koning”.
Why go? check out the lovely Sloterpark, enjoy a free film and run around in the dark woods like the Blair witches.
“The festival with the most varied contacts is spreading over the city with politically kinetic theatre, sweet-voiced punk, poetic rock violence, self-torturing quests for honesty, inside-out migration theatre, international gems and an uninhibited love. Featuring this year, not only performances from the Netherlands and Flanders but also from Japan, Germany, America, Spain, Croatia & England.” – from amsterdamfringefestival.nl
Why go? Something for everyone
This festival aims to change Amsterdam's Zuidas district into a free open-air museum. There is a varied program with over two hundred entries from more than thirty-one countries, but also many Dutch artists. Everything is presented at the public space Zuidplein in Zuidas, Amsterdam. With the event culminating in a competition on Saturday with 30 works on the urban screen.
Why go? Let yourself be visually stimulated and be part of something complete new
Thursday
Women against Mafia gathers three courageous and passionate women who each in their unique ways have contributed to the struggle against organized crime, in the impoverished land of Sicily as well as in the Europarliament and rich Western Europe. Alter/Native with the collaboration of the art gallery Metis_NL present this unique occasion to get the broad perspective and the peculiar view of three extraordinary women who like David risk their lives to stop the Goliath of the criminal dominion. – from alternativeamsterdam.org
Why go? get a first-hand perspective of what three women are doing in protest to the Mafia
Why go? All the songs you have been singing shower, live on stage!
Friday
Fazal Sheikh is known for his monumental and tranquil black/white portraits, which gives names and faces to the people in refugee camps in Kenya, Tanzania and Pakistan. He also records their stories in extensive statements. This opening includes a conversation with Huis Marseille’s curator and Sheikh, and questions from the audience staring at 17.30.
Why go? Not only check out a new photo exhibition but a live interview
The Rathenau Instituut and NEMO present an evening for robots, with a live fight. But also a presentation and discussion, demonstrations and other activities
Why go? See robots fight live!
DJ Dirkson starts spinning electric tunes and vj-ing at 18.30.
At 20.00 check out Sabine de Lat, an acoustic singer with a seven piece band and video. Her music is inspired by the poems of Charles Baudelaire with topics like losing your self in art, dreaming, love, etc…
Why go? Check out a new band and some good ol’ Van Gogh
Senegalese pop sensation Youssou NDour has for the past 20 years been well known in world music. At the height of his fame Youssou become frustrated with the negative perspective of Islam and made a cd about the topic. This award winning film follows him on his music making journey.
Why go? enjoy a film in the heart of the City
Skate together with a big group every Friday on a different route.
Why go? Get of the bike and work those muscles, then go out for a beer
Dutch rock 'n roll band.
Why go? chilling late in the center? check out these tunes on the Zeedijk
With live tunes from the French rock ‘n roll bands: Les Hulks, and the Motored, followed by the infamous DJ Bone.
Why go? A themed night not to miss
Saturday
Antique book market that travels throughout the Netherlands.
Why go? Find that book you have been searching for and enjoy the romantic Don Bosco neighborhood
The 12th annual New Food Fair takes over the Haarlemmerstraat with restaurants, cafes, snack bars and stores serving specialties, drinks and meer.
Why go? Enjoy the gezelligheid of the Haarlemmerstraat with a walking food tour
A production with the Nationale Stichting ter Bevordering van Vrolijkheid is a special interactive exhibition for kids to experience what the life of a child asylum seeker is like in Holland. First see projects that the kids made in the asylum seeker centers, but also see what they brought with them and what this means about their memories and where they came from. Then make your own bag of memories.
Why go? Let your kids step into someone else shoes for a few hours
The end celebration to the Caribbean carnival with the de Bijlmer Steel band Kids (the youngest children steel band of the Netherlands). Lots of activities for kids, music and fun.
Why go? Enjoy the last days of summer with a big party
Why go? The greatest flashback evening with everything “spon” off tapes.
Vic Ruggiero, the front man for the ska band the Slackers plays a solo show.
Why go? Check out this NY guy in live action, with 50s, 60s and 70s music after the show
Sunday
The festive opening of the book season, presenting the 100 Dutch printers and new titles that will be coming out this season. With book presentations, interviews, discussions, signing sessions and exclusive previews.
Why go? Check out how you are going to be spending your winter (with a book in front of your nose under a blanket looking out on to rainy weather).
Liquid Lefty plays groovy modern tunes that are a bit jazzy, break beat and funky-esque.
Why go? Suck the last beach days out of summer and get some sand between your toes
Outside Amsterdam:
Friday is the final day of sculpture competitions. This year’s theme is Disney princesses
Why go? Go check out the amazing sand creations of the pros.