On October 27, 2025, Amsterdam will blow out no fewer than 750 candles, exactly one year after the opening of its jubilee year. The final 75 hours of this special year will be entirely dedicated to this milestone and will conclude festively with a musical tribute by well-known Dutch artists to the birthday city. The concert is titled National Celebration of Amsterdam 750 Years and will be broadcast live on Monday evening, October 27, from 8:30 PM via NOS on NPO 1. The event will be hosted by actress and presenter Holly Mae Brood and Daan Schuurmans, actor and narrator of Het Verhaal van Nederland- Amsterdam.
On Friday, October 24, we will kick off the final 75 hours of the jubilee year with the Story Festival, in collaboration with the OBA (Public Library of Amsterdam). During this festival, Amsterdam stories will be celebrated—stories collected throughout the jubilee year, often highlighting lesser-known narratives. The mayor will open the festival, which will take place at the OBA on Oosterdok.
The artists’ society De Kring will also open its doors to the public. In honor of Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary, Anne Stooker will present a special tribute to the city and its residents with 750 Amsterdammertjes (the iconic anti-parking posts). Visitors can admire (and purchase) the 750 unique watercolors, each linked to one of the 750 stories.
In collaboration with ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event), a special program will be developed to mark the jubilee year. More details will follow later.
From October 24 to 27, meals will be shared at 75 locations across the city. From breakfast to dinner, Amsterdammers can join in for an affordable meal. Restaurants, community centers, cafés, and unique venues will set up long tables where everyone is welcome. For example, The Food Line-up will organize an impressive, meters-long table at a special location in the city. Entrepreneurs, cultural institutions, and neighborhood organizations are invited to host a breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, or other activity during this period.
The Freethinkers Festival focuses on freedom and the importance of fundamental rights and will take place from October 22 to 25 at the debate center De Balie on Leidseplein.
This year, a junior edition of the Freethinkers Festival will also be organized by the Amsterdam Theatre School (DAT!School) in Noord. Every young Amsterdammer aged 7 to 17 can register with DAT!School to creatively explore children’s rights, such as the right to education and protection, on Sunday, October 26.
The jubilee year will also leave lasting legacies. For example, the Great Amsterdam Quiz, which combines knowledge of the city with an enjoyable evening out, will continue in the future. The final of this year’s edition will take place on Saturday, October 25, at the Beurs van Berlage.
Additionally, on October 27, the official opening of Amsterdam in Motion will take place in the Zuiveringshal at the Westergasterrein—a permanent cultural experience. The highlight of this lasting gift to the city is the enormous multimedia model of Amsterdam. Through immersive projections on this model, visitors can experience the city’s development: from a village on the Amstel in 1275 to the metropolis of tomorrow.
Amsterdam’s anniversary falls on a Monday, right after the autumn break. Since this is a regular work and school day for many, the program consists of accessible and festive activities spread throughout the city. The day begins with a 75-meter-long cake on Dam Square, yielding 7,500 slices, which will be cut at 7:50 AM by Mayor Halsema and distributed to passersby and local residents. Portions of the cake will also be sent to other districts so that celebrations can take place citywide.
The anniversary will conclude with the festive *National Celebration*, broadcast live on Monday, October 27, at 8:30 PM via NOS on NPO1. Renowned Dutch artists, including Yves Berendse, Karsu, Kris Kross Amsterdam, Maan, and Wibi Soerjadi, will deliver a diverse program ranging from classical to pop, Dutch-language music to dance. They will perform in surprising duos, with one artist on the stage of a dome tent at Museumplein and the other performing from an iconic location in the city. Dione de Graaff and Matthijs Weststrate will provide live coverage of the concert on behalf of NOS. The broadcast will air from 8:30 PM to 10:00 PM on NPO1.
The audience at Museumplein will attend by invitation and will largely consist of Amsterdammers who actively contributed to the jubilee year’s activities. The concert serves as the festive finale to a year filled with hundreds of initiatives across the city, large and small, for all ages, focusing on the city’s past, present, and future.
