Page 152 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - The Netherlands

150  A MSTERD A M

ENTERTAINMENT IN
AMSTERDAM

Amsterdam offers a diverse array of world- performances are given by a multitude of
class entertainment. A wide variety of street performers and live bands in late-night
performances are staged in hundreds of bars and cafés. The city’s hottest annual events
venues throughout the city, ranging from include the Holland Festival and the Uitmarkt
the century-old Concertgebouw (see p124) (see p37). Club-goers are in their element in
to the sleek modern Muziekgebouw on the the canal city, which offers club nights to meet
IJ river. There is a huge choice of plays and most tastes in music and skilled DJs, such as
films throughout the year, and plenty of free Tiësto, who are renowned around the globe.

to look out for include
Introdans, which combines
jazz with flamenco and other
ethnic dance, and Conny
Jansen Danst, which combines
theatrical elements with strong
physical power. De Meervaart
is a venue that stages modern
dance, concerts and theatre.

Jazz, Pop and
World Music
The Dutch are avid jazz fans,
The colonnaded façade of the Concertgebouw theatre and big names such as Wayne
Shorter, Branford Marsalis and
Information The city’s musical centre piece is Nicholas Payton show up
Amsterdam’s various tourist the Concertgebouw (see p124), regularly on local stages. The
offices are a good starting point renowned for its acoustics and foremost jazz club is the
for what’s going on in the city. home to the celebrated Royal Bimhuis, housed in a purpose-
They can usually provide copies Concertgebouw Orchestra. built hall of the Muziek gebouw.
of free listings magazines, International orchestras and The Concertgebouw also hosts
including the AUB/Uitburo and soloists perform here regularly, regular jazz concerts. Keep an
the monthly Uitkrant, the and it hosts the Robeco Summer eye out for local talent such
definitive source of entertainment Concerts, a showcase of young as saxophonists Hans and
information. The latter is also talent. The Beurs van Berlage Candy Dulfer. Good jazz cafés
found in many bars and cafés. (see p95), originally the city’s can be found along Zeedijk
The city’s English website www. stock exchange, is now a and around Leidseplein,
iamsterdam.com has up-to- concert venue. namely Jazzcafé Alto and
date entertainment listings. The Netherlands Opera stages Bourbon Street.
The AUB/Uitburo has a last- performances in the 1,600-seat
minute window (open noon– Muziektheater (see p81), whose
7:30pm daily) selling tickets classical and modern repertoire
for same-day shows. is without parallel. The iconic
Muziek gebouw is the place to
go for anything from chamber
Classical Music, music to the avant-garde.
Opera and Dance
The Netherlands is home
Amsterdam is the country’s to two world-class ballet com-
touchstone for classical music panies. The Dutch National
and opera, and the principal Ballet, based in the Muziektheater,
venues host some of the world’s puts on classical ballet but also
finest events. The open-air daring works by contemporary
theatre in the Vondelpark (see Dutch choreographers, while
pp124–5) stages free concerts, and the Nederlands Dans Theater
in summer, the Grachtenfestival (NDT) specializes in works by
features mainly classical music its Czech artistic director, Jiri Bourbon Street, one of Amsterdam’s
on floating canal stages. Kylian. Modern companies popular jazz cafés

150-153_EW_Netherlands.indd 150 16/01/17 12:04 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Practical template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.7)
Date 5th March 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm