Where the concierge points people first
- Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam — One of the great concert halls for acoustics, home of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. The hall has a long tradition of free lunchtime concerts in season; check the program before paying for an evening. (52.3561, 4.8789)
- Paradiso — A nineteenth-century church building turned rock venue in the 1960s, just off Leidseplein. Gigs in the main hall under stained glass, then a separate club night afterwards. (52.3622, 4.8838)
- Melkweg Amsterdam — A former dairy behind Leidseplein, now several halls of different sizes. Pop, hip hop, electronic and whatever is touring. (52.3648, 4.8812)
- Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ — On the water east of Centraal Station, for contemporary and new classical music, with a glass foyer that is worth the ticket on its own. (52.3781, 4.9134)
- OT301 — A former film academy on the Overtoom, squatted and then kept as a cultural center. Small, cheap, experimental, with a vegan kitchen downstairs. (52.3601, 4.8657)
- Mezrab — A cultural house in the Eastern Docklands known for storytelling nights and Persian and world music. A night of listening rather than dancing. (52.3602, 4.9281)
The rest of the music venues in Amsterdam — every one we hold
- Bourbon Street (52.3639, 4.8854)
- Cinetol (52.3528, 4.9066)
- Club Antre (52.3760, 4.9276)
- Club Mystique (52.3887, 4.8798)
- European Events Venue (52.3406, 4.8428)
- Friggi Early Music International Center (52.3398, 4.9671)
- H7 (52.3907, 4.8309)
- Heniken Arena (52.3610, 4.8783)
- INN Amsterdam (52.3648, 4.8818)
- ISound Studio Amsterdam (52.3650, 4.8593)
- Ivo Janssen VOID Classics (52.3694, 4.9195)
- Loods (52.3916, 4.8998)
- M-Lab Explosie (52.3844, 4.9238)
- Moves! Dance Warehouse (52.3939, 4.8508)
- Music Mentor (52.3780, 4.8574)
- Musical Banquet (52.3701, 4.8967)
- Muziekvereniging Amsterdam (52.3489, 4.8392)
- NedPhO-Koepel (52.3599, 4.9385)
- Noordwaards (52.3842, 4.9209)
- NTR ZaterdagMatinee (52.3562, 4.8793)
- Olaf Meijer - Contrabassist, basgitarist, basles (52.3396, 4.9457)
- Opus Amsterdam (52.3857, 4.8918)
- Paradiso Amsterdam (52.3623, 4.8839)
- POPschool Amsterdam (52.3536, 4.9316)
- Prinsengrachtconcert (52.3731, 4.8830)
- Scheepsbouwloods (52.4011, 4.8952)
- πππππππ (52.3528, 4.9066)
- Soundscape Music (52.3677, 4.9365)
- STEIM Concert Space (52.3618, 4.9011)
- Stichting Huygens-Fokker (52.3781, 4.9129)
- TCA amsterdam (52.3865, 4.8855)
- Tones.ams (52.3621, 4.8839)
- Tros Muziekcafe (52.3668, 4.9125)
- Villa Friekens Amsterdam Noord (52.4115, 4.9078)
- Vondelconcerten Amsterdam (52.3613, 4.8738)
- Vriendenconcerten (52.3517, 4.9245)
- Westergas (52.3865, 4.8698)
- Ziggo Dome Netherlands (52.3517, 4.9102)
Concerts start early and club nights start very late
Amsterdam's big pop venues often run two separate events on one night: a concert with doors in the early evening, finished around eleven, and then a club night afterwards with its own ticket. Buying one does not get you into the other. The clubs themselves rarely feel busy before one in the morning. If you want the classical side, the Concertgebouw and Muziekgebouw publish full seasons months ahead, and good seats for major orchestras go well before the day.
Questions people ask
How many music venues are there in Amsterdam?
Num's directory maps 44 music venues in Amsterdam, from the Concertgebouw and Ziggo Dome to small experimental spaces.
What time do concerts start at Paradiso and Melkweg?
Usually early evening, with the concert over around eleven. Late club nights are a separate ticket.
Where can I hear classical music in Amsterdam?
The Concertgebouw for orchestras and chamber music, and the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ for contemporary work.
Ask Num what is on tonight at Amsterdam's music venues
Everything Num knows in Amsterdam →
Also in Amsterdam