When they're not busy trying to keep up with Brussels in being a business metropolis, Amsterdam City Council love to promote the Dutch capital as a cultural mecca. And it really is. Amsterdam has a truly thriving cultural scene; any night of the week, culture vultures have plenty to dig into it. Just a shame that they tend to ignore – and fail to support – arts initiatives by its international inhabitants who have helped immensely in this endeavour. Dig over. You can now read on...
Located within the Stadsschouwburg, this is the number one spot in town to find out information on – and buy tickets to – the city's staggering number of cultural events. It's also home to the Last-Minute Ticket Shop where you can buy half-priced, unsold tickets to events that night (from 12.00 on the day of the event). Additionally, the AUB produce De Uitkrant, a monthly newspaper crammed with events: although it's in Dutch, the listings are easy enough to follow.
DE BALIE | Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 10 | (020) 553 5100 | www.debalie.nl
This hi-brow cultural centre on the Leidseplein has a intense programme of film, debates, theatre, new media and literary events – more often than not with a political edge. Additionally, they also have a café-restaurant on the premises, popular with artists, politicos, writers and film directors.
NDSM-WERF | tt Neveritaweg 15 | (020) 330 5480 | www.ndsm.nl
This vast former shipyard across the River IJ is the city's largest underground cultural centre and operated by Stichting Kinetisch Noord. Spread across an area bigger than ten football fields, it makes use of a number of industrial buildings on the site. The NDSM-loods (NDSM-warehouse), is home to artists' studios, travelling theatre groups, workshops, performances and exhibitions, a hip-hop school, internet café and a 2,000m2 skate park. It's also on this site that the cutting-edge Over Het IJ Festival is held and where the IJ-Hallen Flea Market takes place. Café-restaurants Noorderlicht and IJ-Kantine are also both here. Part of the enormous grounds is home to MediaWharf where MTV have moved in: the commercial and subcultural tenants should create an interesting dynamic... To reach it, take the free ferry from behind Centraal Station and you'll be there in around 10 minutes.