Searching for events and things to do in Amsterdam in May 2026?
Our hand-picked, curated guide for both visitors and locals lists dozens of ideas – from museum exhibitions to sport and concerts.
Key events in Amsterdam in May 2026
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Museums & Exhibitions in Amsterdam (May 2026)
STRAAT – A unique experience. The world’s biggest street art and graffiti museum in a 8,000m² warehouse at NDSM wharf and showcasing some 180 artworks, all made on-site. Book your STRAAT tickets here
MOCO Museum – The acclaimed modern and contemporary art museum on Museumplein. Banksy: Laugh Now has a diverse selection of works from the anonymous British street artist. Reserve MOCO Museum ticket timeslots here or see our MOCO Museum guide here
Fabrique des Lumières – Beautiful immersive exhibitions of classical, modern and contemporary artists using cutting-edge technology with light projections and music.
- Main exhibition Monet Master of Impressionism Check availability here
- Dutch art exhibition From Vermeer to Van Gogh Check availability here
- Prehistoric Planet: Dinosaurs Book here
Banksy Museum Amsterdam – Museum dedicated to the anonymous British street artist. Featuring 160 artworks including paintings and mural recreations set-in-scene. Worth a trip out to Amsterdam’s Westerpark area. Book Banksy Museum tickets here
Rijksmuseum – The Rijksmuseum’s extensive collection (including Rembrandt’s iconic Night Watch) is a must-see in Amsterdam. Metamorphoses, exhibition shows how artists across the centuries have given themselves over to the famous stories of the Roman poet Ovid. FAKE! – photo exhibition about fake images from the early years of photography. Both run 6 Feb to 25 May 2026. See Rijksmuseum timeslots here
Van Gogh Museum – Iconic museum with the world’s largest collection of Vincent van Gogh paintings. Check Van Gogh Museum timeslots here and see our Van Gogh Museum Guide here
Anne Frank House – The canal house on Amsterdam’s Prinsengracht canal where Anne Frank wrote her famous teenage wartime diary whilst hiding from German occupation.
May timeslots are already sold out for the Anne Frank house – why not instead book the Anne Frank & Jewish Quarter walking tour (2 hours) here
Stedelijk – Amsterdam’s main modern and contemporary art museum. Dahn Vo, solo exhibition from the critically acclaimed Vietnamese born artist. Runs 14 Feb to 2 Aug 2026. Kho Liang Ie, first extensive museum retrospective from the functionalist furniture designer. Runs 14 May to 18 Oct 2026. Book Stedelijk tickets here
Amsterdam in Motion – An audio-visual mapping exhibition on Amsterdam marking the city’s 750th birthday. The 200m² model is the world’s largest multimedia ‘maquette’ of a city. Book Amsterdam in Motion tickets here
Art Zoo Museum – A museum combining breathtaking taxidermy (animal) art from Dutch duo Darwin, Sinke & van Tongeren with a 17th century Amsterdam canal house. Relics, exhibition of gigantic fossils transformed into contemporary art. Runs 17 Apr to 30 Nov 2026. Book Art Zoo Museum tickets here
H’ART Museum – American Identities are exhibitions in collaboration with the Smithsonian American Art Museum. American Myth & Memory: David Levinthal Photographs explores the myths in American visual culture from Wild West to Barbie. Runs 13 Feb to 6 Sep 2026.
Radical Histories: Chicano Prints, exhibition of artists with Mexican heritage about American identity. Runs 19 Mar to 6 Sep 2026. Book H’ART Museum tickets here
Rembrandt House – Visit the house where Rembrandt lived and worked. Rembrandt’s Masterclass, an interactive exhibition about Rembrandt’s craftsmanship, his technique and his tactics. Runs 30 Jan to 25 May 2026. Book Rembrandt House tickets here
Rembrandt’s Amsterdam Experience – A video art experience about the life of the famous painter and reconstruction of Rembrandt’s studio on Rozengracht. Book Rembrandt’s Amsterdam Experience tickets here
Royal Palace – Visit the grand Royal Palace on Dam Square including the impressive Citizen’s Hall. Book Royal Palace tickets here
Allard Pierson – Not My Soul, exhibition on stories of slavery, law and freedom in antiquity and a focus on Suriname. Runs 21 Nov 2025 to 24 May 2026. Book Allard Pierson tickets here
De Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) – World Press Photo Exhibition 2026, annual exhibition of the current affairs photography contest. Runs 24 Apr to 27 Sep 2026. Book Nieuwe Kerk tickets here
Oude Kerk – Jesse Darling: Godsworth, exhibition from the British artist transforming the church into a landscape of construction debris, old furniture and discarded electronics from Amsterdam. Runs 24 Apr to 27 Sep 2026. Book Oude Kerk tickets here
FOAM Photography Museum – Julia Kochetova, War is Personal, solo exhibition from the Ukrainian photographer. Verena Blok, Love Sh*t, exhibition on womanhood and reproductive justice. Both run 6 Mar to 25 May 2026. Martin Parr, Very Modern and Rather Ugly, tribute to the British photographer. Runs 3 Apr to 12 Aug 2026. Book FOAM tickets here
Huis Marseille – Yumna Al-Arashi, Body as Resistance, first solo museum exhibition of work by the Yemeni-Egyptian-American artist. Designed World, Through the Eyes of Tata Ronkholz (1940–1997), exhibition of the German photographer featuring urban scenes such as snack kiosks and industrial gates. Both run 14 Feb to 21 Jun 2026.
Wereldmuseum Amsterdam – Made in China, exhibition about China’s rich and diverse manufacturing culture, from thousands of years of craftsmanship to contemporary art and design. Runs from 17 Oct 2025 to 31 Aug 2026. Book Wereldmuseum tickets here
Stadsarchief – Jazz Years: People, Migration and Music in Amsterdam, 1930-1939, multimedia exhibition about the early years of jazz in Amsterdam. Runs 3 Apr to 13 Sep 2026.
Jewish Museum – Judy Chicago: Revelations, first major retrospective exhibition of the American artist. Runs 6 Feb to 23 Aug 2026. Book Jewish Cultural Quarter Amsterdam tickets here
Grachtenmuseum (Museum of The Canals) – Mirror floor, the beautiful Andriessen Room at the Grachtenmuseum covered entirely by mirrors giving an immersive and reflective experience. Runs 1 Nov 2025 to 28 Jun 2026. Book Museum of the Canals tickets here
EYE Filmmuseum – Eye(s) Open: New Perspectives on Colonial Film Heritage, eleven artists respond to Eye’s collection of some 2,000 colonial-era films from Indonesia, Suriname and the Antilles. Runs 3 Apr to 6 Sep 2026. Book EYE Film exhibition tickets here
Frida Amsterdam – Photographic and immersive VR exhibition about life and work of the pioneering Mexican artist Frida Kahlo which includes over 100 digital artworks. Running at Vincent Hall in Amsterdam from 18 Apr 2025 to 10 Jan 2027. Book Frida exhibition tickets here
Tot Zover – Aat Veldhoen, A realist to the grave, exhibition at the Dutch funeral museum from the local artist and how he relates to death in his works. Runs 26 Sep 2025 to 28 Jun 2026. Book Tot Zover tickets here
Embassy of the Free Mind – The House with the Heads – A Monument to Free Thinking, exhibition on the history of free thought in Amsterdam. Runs 21 Mar to 30 Aug 2026. Book Embassy of the Free Mind tickets
Luther Museum – Beneath the Swan, exhibition showcasing living Lutheran heritage from across the Netherlands. Runs 19 Mar to 14 Jun 2026.
Nxt Museum – The first “new media art” museum in the Netherlands. Still Processing, exhibition examining the evolution of image processing – both through machine algorithms and human perception. Runs 7 Feb 2025 to 30 Jun 2026. Book Nxt Museum tickets here
Van Eesteren Museum – Unruly Process. Future. Present. Past. First retrospective exhibition by architect, designer and researcher Afaina de Jong. Runs 29 May to 5 Jul 2026.
ARCAM – Looking over the Fence: Void is Not Empty, travelling exhibition about urban voids from Amsterdam to Berlin’s Tempelhofer Feld. Runs 10 Apr to 23 May 2026.
Gallery WM – INT / EXT Amsterdam, exhibition from photographer Boris Suyderhoud of illuminated discarded furniture on the streets of Amsterdam. Runs 10 Apr to 30 May 2026. Gallery open Wed-Sat afternoons.
Cobra Museum (Amstelveen) – Andy Warhol, The Textiles, exhibition featuring Warhol’s lesser-known experimental textiles from the 1950s and early 1960s. Runs 24 Apr to 6 Sep 2026.
Rijksmuseum Schiphol – Amsterdam airport hosts a small selection of works from the Rijksmuseum collection. The museum is located on Holland Boulevard (between Lounges 2 and 3 in non-Schengen departures) and is open 24 hours a day to passengers. Free entry
Attractions in Amsterdam
Amaze Amsterdam – An immersive 1 hour audio-visual experience spanning 3,000m² with 8 separate stages. Guaranteed to stimulates the senses – from intense, interactive to relaxing and chilled. Located in an old industrial nightclub in Amsterdam’s West Port district. Book Amaze Amsterdam tickets here
Body Worlds – Fascinating display of 200 human body ‘plastinate’ specimens at the venue on Damrak in central Amsterdam. The permanent exhibition is The Happiness Project and also includes an InBody scan. Book Body Worlds tickets here
House of Bols – Stimulate your senses at the Cocktail & Genever Experience – featuring the Lucas Bols brand, which has been making liqueurs in Amsterdam since 1575. Book House of Bols tickets here
Madame Tussauds Amsterdam – Get your celebrity fill by visiting the ever-popular wax work museum on Dam Square. Book Madame Tussauds Amsterdam tickets here
Amsterdam Dungeon – Interactive show featuring excellent actors and audience participation. Takes you through dark dungeon-themed rooms from Amsterdam’s murky past – scary but with a comic element. Book Amsterdam Dungeon tickets here
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Amsterdam – Eclectic collection of curiosities and oddities, located on Dam Square. Book Ripley’s tickets here
Heineken Experience – Take a guided tour around the historic Heineken brewery, one of Amsterdam’s most popular attractions. Book Heineken Experience tickets here
The Upside Down Museum Amsterdam – Large interactive museum and Instagram/TikTok experience which includes optical illusions, upside-down rooms and super photogenic spaces. Book Upside Down Museum tickets here
I Amsterdam City Card
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Sport in Amsterdam / Netherlands (May 2026)
Explore more in our complete Amsterdam sports calendar
Football
Ajax vs PSV
2 May 2026 (20:00) – Johan Cruyff Arena Amsterdam
Ajax vs FC Utrecht
10 May 2026 (16:45) – Johan Cruyff Arena Amsterdam
It is possible to take a classic stadium tour of the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam. Book Johan Cruijff Arena Tour tickets here or book a VIP 2 hour guided tour here
Other sports
Friday Night Skate
20km organised skate around the streets of Amsterdam held every Friday night (20:30, weather permitting) from Vondelpark Pavilion.
Festivals in Amsterdam (May 2026)
Rolling Kitchens
The Rollende Keukens food festival features dozens of mobile kitchens and food trucks offering appetising dishes plus live music. 18th edition runs 13-17 May 2026 at Westerpark in Amsterdam. Free entry
Music On Festival
2 day electronic dance music festival featuring an international line-up of DJs. Runs 10-11 May 2026 in Meerpark Amsterdam.
Upclose Awakenings Festival
The largest outdoor techno festival in the world with focus on pure dance floor culture. The 3rd edition in 2026 brings a global and local artist line-up. Runs 16-17 May 2026 at Houtrak (Spaarnwoude Park) in Haarlem.
Fête du Champagne Festival
Wine and champagne-themed event in Rembrandtpark Amsterdam with French food and live music, expected 21-25 May 2026.
DiscoDip Festival
Festival featuring food trucks, workshops, wine tasting and live music. At Amsterdamse Bos over 22-24 May 2026.
Explore all events in our guide to festivals in Amsterdam
Comedy & Shows in Amsterdam
VEGAS @Harbour Club
Treat yourself to a spectacular dinner show featuring illusionists, dance acts and live musicians. Includes a 3 course shared dining menu with 12 dishes. Runs on 23/29 May 2026 at the Harbour Club (eastern Docklands) in Amsterdam. Book Amsterdam VEGAS show tickets here
Boom Chicago
Great night out at the popular comedy and improv theatre show in English – with bar and table service. At the Rozentheater in Amsterdam. Book Boom Chicago tickets here
Amsterdam Magic Show
Monthly magic and comedy show with international performers. At Boom Chicago’s Rozentheater, Rozengracht in Amsterdam. Runs 5 May 2026 (19:30).
Laura Ramoso
The German-Italian comedian comes to RAI Amsterdam with a new sketch show, part of her Calm Down Tour. Runs 10 May 2026 (19:00).
Classical Concerts & Theatre in Amsterdam
Internationaal Theater Amsterdam (ITA) – Amsterdam’s renowned theatre company performs shows in Dutch at the Stadsschouwburg theatre. Live English surtitles appear above the stage – generally on Thursday and Saturday night shows. Other English events include a public theatre tour on 2 May 2026 (15:00) and a City Talk for creatives on 21 May 2026 (18:00).
National Opera Ballet – Shows at the renowned venue in May 2026 are GRIMM (ballet) and Le Nozze Di Figaro (opera).
Concertgebouw – Highlights in May include the Antwerp Philharmonic Orchestra playing The Focus Symphony on 25 May 2026; an Aretha Franklin tribute on 14 May 2026 and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons on 21/23 May 2026.
Other Events in Amsterdam
Amsterdam Dinner Cruise – An atmospheric 120 minute evening cruise around Amsterdam’s canals with a 4 course meal and drinks included. Runs every Wed to Sat (19:30) in May. Check Dinner Cruise availability here
National Remembrance Day – Ceremony commemorating the war dead, held in Dam Square on 4 May 2026. A 2 minute silence is held nationwide at 20:00.
De Balie – The multimedia venue near Leidseplein in Amsterdam hosts regular events about current affairs, politics and culture.
Market Events in Amsterdam
Pure Markt – Regular market event with high quality produce, music, food stalls and other activities. Runs 10 May 2026 (11:00-18:00) at Amstelpark, 17 May 2026 (11:00-18:00) at Amsterdamse Bos and 31 May 2026 (11:00-18:00) at Park Frankendael. Free entry
Sunday Market – Market events with a mix of fashion, design, arts, food and kids stuff at Westergas. Runs 3 May 2026 (12:00-18:00). Free entry
Museum Market – Museumplein hosts this Sunday market with arts and crafts, food and music. Runs 17 May 2026 (10:00-18:00). Free entry
IJ-Hallen – Large weekend flea market event held at NDSM-wharf in north Amsterdam with 750 outdoor stands. Run 2-3 May 2026 (09:00-16:30) and 30-31 May 2026 (09:00-16:30).
The Maker Market – Weekend market features creative handmade products including jewelry, art and live music. Runs in the covered passage of De Hallen Amsterdam. 30-31 May 2026 (11:00-17:00). Free entry
Rock & Pop Concerts in Amsterdam (May 2026)
Harry Styles – 16/17/20/22/23/26/29/30 May, Johan Cruijff Arena – Check Harry Styles tickets here
Gipsy Kings – 23 May, AFAS Live
Nick Mulvey – 23 May, Carré
Dermot Kennedy – 27 May, Ziggo Dome – Check Dermot Kennedy tickets here
Zucchero – 29 May, Ziggo Dome – Check Zucchero tickets here
Twice – 30/31 May, Ziggo Dome – Check Twice tickets here
Explore all live music in our Amsterdam concerts guide
Amsterdam Info/Resources
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The AmsterdamTips.com What’s On in Amsterdam has been running monthly since 2008. Last updated 27 March 2026.
Disclaimer: While we make every effort to keep this listing up-to-date, events can always be cancelled or re-scheduled at short notice. Please double-check with the event organisers.
Links on AmsterdamTips.com may pay us an affiliate commission.
Continue planning with Amsterdam in June 2026 or see what happened earlier in Amsterdam in April 2026
