Offbeat guide to Amsterdam's cultural scene
A growing guide to almost 60 venues in Amsterdam focused on the underground and the non-mainstream. Everything from political cafés, community spaces, bookstores, and exhibition venues to music spots, cultural hubs, hybrid spaces, bars, and clubs. Some are legendary, others barely signposted. All are worth knowing.
Community spaces
De Sering
A welcoming spot near Sloterdijk. "People's kitchen, public space, and whatever you want to make of it." Since 2019, they serve affordable plant-based meals through their Volkskeuken and host fundraisers, workshops, techno nights, and more.
Joe's Garage
Autonomous squat-turned-social center in Amsterdam-Oost. Open since 2005 and run entirely by volunteers. Hosts free giveaway shops, movie nights, support sessions and more. Everything is non-profit, collective-run, and subsidy-free.
Molli Chaoot
Living room for the resistance in De Pijp. Hub for activists, artists, and anyone craving good vibes. Radical, volunteer-run, donation-based.
NieuwLand
DIY social-political hub in East Amsterdam's Dapperbuurt. Communal living, open workshops, bike repair nights, vegan dinners, feminist meetups, martial arts, film screenings, radical choirs -- and more. A living experiment in solidarity and creativity.
Vrankrijk
Political café on Spuistraat. Punk, queer, hip-hop, voku, concerts, performances. Volunteer-run, non-commercial, raw. Sometimes anti-social, always anti-fascist.
Cultural spaces
De Balie
Cultural center near Leidseplein housed in an old courthouse since 1982 after a campaign saved it from demolition. Programming mixes debate, politics, art, and live journalism -- stripped of pretension and focused on civic conversation.
de Tanker in Noord
Creative hub in Noorderpark, repurposed from an '80s gas station into a volunteer-driven event venue since around 2010. Hosts a mix of concerts, workshops, exhibitions, debates, and community gatherings. Expect DIY energy, diverse programming, outdoor bustle, and a distinctly local feel.
Der Hintergarten
Semi-permanent cultural hub in Amsterdam Nieuw‑West, "nestled between a warehouse and train tracks." Mostly known for dance events -- from vinyl-fueled daytime raves to late-night parties. Some nights feel intimate, others pack the place to the brim and get overheated.
Felix Meritis
Landmark cultural house on Keizersgracht in Amsterdam Centrum. Built in 1788 for arts, science & commerce, renovated in 2021 and run as a public culture hub. Hosts talks, debates, film, music, exhibitions, and festivals focused on culture, tech, and critical ideas. Expect polished venues with deep roots and a mission to question the mainstream.
Grond
A fairly new art space at the Nieuwe Bajesdorp in Amsterdam-Oost, "centered around collectivity, sustainability, cross-pollination and process-based work." Expect everything from concerts to game nights. Low-key, process-driven, and genuinely collaborative.
Mezrab
Storytelling and cultural nights in a former warehouse on the Eastern Docklands. Started in a living room, and it still feels like that -- just bigger. Expect stories, music, comedy, and open mics. Warm, international, genuinely welcoming and comes with a bowl of Iranian soup. Additional location in West since 2025.
OT301
Cultural center at Overtoom in Amsterdam-West -- a former squatted film academy taken over in 1999 and bought by the artist collective EHBK in 2006. Non-profit, collectively run, with programming across art, film, music, workshops, and politics.
Plantage Dok
Cultural collective and art space close to Artis. Squatted in 1998, later legalized and run by a team of artists and activists. The building hosts studio flats, artist residencies, a cafe with a small stage, and Dokhuis Gallery. Thursday evenings are "Dok Nights" -- vegan dinner, exhibitions, performances, and film screenings.
SPUI25
Amsterdam's academic-cultural crossroad near Spui square. Debate nights, deep-dive lectures, and interdisciplinary talks. Philosophy panels, writers-on-stage, AI-and-democracy meetups -- often free or donation-based. Smart and curious.
Tolhuistuin
Cultural complex across the ferry in Noord, right behind the IJ promenade. Big and busy, with a garden, exhibition rooms, and multiple venues under one roof. It hosts everything from concerts and installations to activist talks and kids' workshops. Feels polished, but the programming is broad and often sharp.
VOX-POP
Public space run by the University of Amsterdam hosting talks, performances, screenings and exhibitions. Free and open to all. Started as a pop-up in 2015 and stuck around. Often more interesting than one could expect from academia.
Vondelbunker
Former Cold War bomb shelter under Vondelpark, volunteer-run since 2011. Non-hierarchical, donation-based, no entry fees. Underground events from punk to electronic music, 16mm film nights, performance art, activist gatherings, and ping-pong socials. May feel Moldy, crowded, and hot -- but if it clicks, it really does.
Waag Futurelab
Built in 1425 and still standing on Nieuwmarkt, Waag is Amsterdam's medieval weigh house turned experimental tech & art hub. It's part museum, part bio-lab, part hackerspace -- home to a dozen research groups. Every first Thursday, it welcomes everyone to dive into public research: from 3D‑printing and textiles to DNA art and AI discussions.
Zaal 100
Independent cultural venue in Amsterdam-West, born from a 1984 squat and still run by a cooperative. It's not for parties, politics, or religion, but for the unheard: amateur theater, jazz jams, poetry, dance, exhibitions, and vegan dinners.
Bookstores
Het Fort van Sjakoo
Volunteer-run, left-wing bookstore near Waterlooplein. Independent since 1988 after a squatting phase. Literature in many languages, book launches, readings, workshops, and events focused on critical thought and social justice.
Perdu
Literary foundation, bookstore, and theater space located in central Amsterdam. Hosts writing workshops and experimental readings where language and politics blur. Thoughtful, intimate, and dedicated.
San Serriffe
Small independent bookstore and exhibition space tucked in the Red Light District. Known for its carefully curated selection of art, design, and experimental writing. Events tend to pop up on short notice, so keep your eyes peeled.
Theaters
AstaroTheatro
Bold theater in Amsterdam Centrum that's unafraid to make you uncomfortable. International by definition, digging deep into social issues. Raw stories, close-up performances, and a crowd looking for more than just a good time.
Teatro Munganga
A cozy stage near Vondelpark run by a Brazil-rooted theater group with a thing for movement, music, and puppets. Mixing cultures, genres, and realities, Munganga brings intimate shows with a social edge and an open heart.
Plein Theater
Small, intimate theater and cultural hub at Sajetplein in Amsterdam‑Oost. Welcomes performance artists, activists, and locals with programming from chamber music and modern dance to puppet shows, youth theater, and artist‑led workshops. It sees itself as a "meemaak‑podium" -- open to community input via talks, artist‑in‑residence projects, and a monthly ideecafé where locals pitch ideas.
Theater de Richel
Intimate city-center theater at Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, next to Dam and Spui. Since mid‑2024, it's run by the De Theatertroep collective, presenting satirical vaudeville, emerging talent, political cabaret, music and poetry in an unpolished, personal style.
Exhibition spaces
Arti et Amicitiae
Historic artists' society and exhibition space right off Rokin. Despite the grand interior and royal-sounding name, the program often leans experimental -- group shows, installations, lectures, and events that blend contemporary art with a sense of legacy.
Beautiful Distress
Unique art space in NDSM exploring mental health through creativity. Honest, imperfect stories only. The agenda might be empty now, but they'll be back.
Framer Framed
Contemporary art hub in Amsterdam Oost where exhibitions challenge the status quo and push you to rethink what art can be. Bold, thought-provoking, and sometimes uncomfortable.
Huis Marseille
Amsterdam's first photography museum, located on Keizersgracht in a 17th-century canal house. Not radical, but consistently offers thoughtful and engaging exhibitions.
No Limits! Art Castle
Art space in the Red Light District, focusing on breaking boundaries. Exhibitions include work by neurodivergent creators, sex-workers, queer artists, and more. Community events, talks, and performances run alongside purchasable art -- welcoming, experimental, and unapologetically non-hierarchical.
Rozenstraat
Independent project space in the Jordaan. Focused on performance and video art, often by mid-career or overlooked artists. Artist-driven, independent, critical, and refreshingly low on noise.
W139
Artist-run space in the old theater on Warmoesstraat. Focused on raw, experimental contemporary art -- installations, performances, and exhibitions that push boundaries. Provocative oeuvres in a space as unpolished as it is inspiring.
Cinemas
De Uitkijk
Art house cinema on Prinsengracht, the first avant-garde film theater in the Netherlands. Student-run, programmed with care, and just the right amount of (cinematic) dust.
Filmhuis Cavia
Volunteer-run microcinema with a punk soul in Amsterdam West, screening underground and experimental films you won't find elsewhere. The kind of place where someone might ask if you're a friend of the director.
Het Motorblok Cine-Club
Not in Amsterdam, but just across the water in Zaandam. Bi-monthly secret cinema night with handpicked hidden gems and matching vegan food in an old factory building. Low-key, no-fuss, quietly brilliant.
LAB111
Independent cinema housed in a former pathological anatomy lab in Oud-West. Known for smart programming and films you didn't know you needed. Perfect for cinephiles, first dates, or lonely Tuesdays.
MACA
The Moving Arts Centre Amsterdam (MACA) based at NDSM was not just a cinema but a creative workspace for filmmakers and a platform for audiovisual artists, with experimental screenings, festivals, and residencies. Declared bankrupt in April 2025 -- but its spirit still echoes around the docks.
Studio/K
Student-run cinema, bar, and restaurant in Amsterdam Oost. Shows films with heart and hosts events with edge. Affordable, a bit chaotic, and full of life.
Hybrids
Bar Dancing Multipla
Bar-meets-dancefloor in a converted garage on the Schinkelterrein in Amsterdam Zuid. Named after the Fiat Multipla, with a raw interior and nods to Italian retro culture. Serves food, plays records, doesn't quite fit in a box.
De Ceuvel
Eco-friendly creative hub on the former shipyard in Amsterdam-Noord. Studios on recycled houseboats, a plant-based café, and a wild mix of green tech experiments. Events lean sustainable, artsy, and slightly quirky.
Skatecafe
Half skatepark, half restaurant, half rave. Okay, that's three halves. Casual during the day, wild after dark, with a ramp in the middle of it all. Located in Amsterdam-Noord, unsurprisingly.
Mediamatic
Creative hub located on the Amsterdam waterfront not far from the Central Station, blending art, technology, and sustainability. Exhibitions, workshops, and events explore innovation in unexpected ways. Also: yes, that place with the outdoor urinals.
murmur
Hidden listening bar and restaurant in Amsterdam Noord. Features a hand-built speaker system and a resident cat. A place where musicians, artists, and curious souls often bump into each other. Cozy, raw, and quietly surprising.
Music venues
Cinetol
Creative incubator and small venue in De Pijp. Part of a non-commercial foundation, Cinetol hosts rehearsal spaces, artist studios, and a café bar (Tolbar). The music program spans indie, soul, punk, jazz, hip-hop, experimental -- a solid spot to catch emerging acts before they outgrow it.
De Nieuwe Anita
A cozy dive into Amsterdam's DIY scene, located in Amsterdam-Oost. Acoustic nights, indie gigs, comedy, poetry, and movies. Feels like your grandma's living room -- kitsch and truly beloved. Honest 3-course vegetarian meals every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
Helicopter
Rehearsal and event space on Helicopterstraat in Oud-Zuid. Thirteen rooms, a shared lounge, and the occasional off-grid show. DIY, music-focused, and low-key essential for local artists.
Melkweg
One of Amsterdam's default music venues near Leidseplein. Mostly commercial but worth a glance now and then.
OCCII
Independent music venue and cultural space at Amstelveenseweg, across from Vondelpark. Started as a squat in the '80s, now legal and volunteer-run. The program is collective-curated and leans into punk, noise, avant-garde, rave, and experimental. DIY, warm, and a bit chaotic -- in the best way.
Paradiso
Another classic near Leidseplein. Still holds some underground cred, especially in the small room where one can catch emerging bands and weird shows. The church of pop that may remember its roots -- but don't expect miracles.
Splendor
Musician-run concert space in a former bathhouse on Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat. Founded in 2013 as a lab for new sounds -- from jazz and classical to experimental sessions and kids' workshops. Member-funded, democratic, and refreshingly non-commercial.
Bars
Bar San Francisco
Late-night bar on Zeedijk, recently refurbished. Around for decades, with new ownership bringing a clean look, better sound, and tighter music lineup.
Maloe Melo
Legendary blues bar on Lijnbaansgracht. Expect raw, intimate gigs from local talents and occasional legends. No frills, just music and a crowd that knows its stuff.
The Cave
Rock‑and‑metal bar near Leidseplein, Amsterdam's one‑and‑only. Live bands (blues, classic rock, thrash, death metal) fill the small, gargoyle‑decorated bar most weekends. Packed, smoky, safe, with cheap drinks. Expect headbanging and a crowd that knows what they came for.
Clubs
Doka
Subterranean sound bar in the Volkshotel basement at Wibautstraat. Small, dark, and built for listening. DJ nights, live sets, and the occasional life-drawing session. Feels more like a living room than a club.
Garage Noord
Former car repair shop turned club and restaurant in Amsterdam-Noord. By day, it's a Sichuan eatery. By night, a venue with a diverse and progressive programming, inclusive and always evolving.
Levenslang
Industrial rave spot in the former Bijlmerbajes prison. Gritty, loud, beer-fueled nights with techno, tokens, and long toilet lines. For those who like it rough.
Lofi
Former GVB bus garage near Sloterdijk, now a large warehouse venue since 2019. Electronic music club hosting underground techno, vinyl sessions, art screenings, listening parties, and community events.
Tilla Tec
Nightclub and cultural space in Amsterdam-West housed in the old De School building. Refurbished and reopened in 2024, now more queer than ever.
Radion
Club and cultural space in Amsterdam Nieuw-West, set in the old ACTA dental school. Techno with a 24-hour license.
Parallel
Opened in 2022 inside the old Paradiso Noord at Tolhuistuin. Hosts club nights, concerts, exhibitions, and spoken word. Fridays sometimes include free garden parties in summer. It draws a mixed crowd, so some nights feel special, others don't -- depends a lot on the event.
Radio Radio
Intimate club and community radio at Westerpark, open since 2018. Hosts DJ nights across electronic, hip-hop, jazz, with daytime vinyl and pizza sessions. Runs RRFM radio streams.
This guide is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license (CC BY 4.0).
Last updated: 06-07-2025