On 27 October 2025 Amsterdam turns 750! We are going to celebrate this anniversary together with all the people of Amsterdam. Please join us here for the live broadcast of the kick-off event of Amsterdam 750 on October 27th 2020 at 8PM.
Amsterdam is set to celebrate its 750th anniversary in 2025. Back in 2017, the City Council called on the College to ‘celebrate this anniversary in grand style’. Of course, the world has undergone dramatic changes since then. Preparations for the jubilee are now being shaped with the recovery from the coronavirus very much at the forefront, thus a special budget of €12 million has been allocated for the years 2021-2024.
Today, 27 October, is Amsterdam’s official birthday – although celebrations this year are very different. The impact of the coronavirus has struck deep at the heart of a city that is driven by mutual encounters, economic activity and international relations. Everything that characterises Amsterdam – our rich cultural existence, the nightlife, our visitor economy, and our spirit of creativity and freedom – has been temporarily dampened.
That is why the College wants to use the 750th anniversary as a beacon of hope; a focal point for the recovery and reconstruction of the city in the years following on from the coronavirus crisis. Of course, investments, municipal activities and other business initiatives cannot wait until 2025. Nonetheless, the city needs a beacon to move towards; a moment when we are once again sure-footed, and when the restored and renewed city can proudly present itself once again.
Looking forward, the anniversary year in 2025 will include a special 10th edition of SAIL, and a special Amsterdam edition of Manifesta, the European Bienniel, may be on the cards too. On top of that, the foundations will be laid for new legacies thanks to the (re)opening of various Amsterdam institutions and buildings, such as the Amsterdam Museum and the construction of a new park. Sport is also an important part of the plans. For example, we are exploring the feasibility of hosting the European Short Course Swimming Championships and the World Urban Games in 2025.
As well as major events, the City will stimulate and fund special initiatives and projects at district and neighbourhood level. The organisation Mensen Maken Amsterdam (‘People Make Amsterdam’) is responsible for 7 neighbourhood funds, meaning all Amsterdammers will have the opportunity to launch positive projects in their own neighbourhood. And it is explicitly intended that this infrastructure for community good will continue long after 2025. A dedicated foundation will act as a point of contact to assess plans and ideas, match them with other initiatives, and on the basis of the criteria and an assessment, possibly co-finance them.
The amount made available by the City will also be used like a flywheel to build momentum for other investors. Examples envisaged include a special jubilee lottery and a private city fund to which small and large investors can contribute, drawing upon intensive cooperation with Amsterdam’s business community.