Amsterdam Festival Guide: The Ones My Friends Actually Go To

Amsterdam has more festivals than any city has a right to. Electronic, food, art, theater, beer — if you can put it in a field or a warehouse, Amsterdam has a festival for it. The problem is that most tourist guides list the same five events and ignore the ones that locals actually mark in their calendars.

My friend Leonie works in events and goes to approximately one million festivals per year. I asked her to help me make this list, and her only condition was "do not include the ones that are already ruined by tourism." So here are the festivals that the people who live here actually go to.

Electronic and Dance

Thuishaven

The Sunday session that has become a lifestyle. Thuishaven runs weekly parties (mostly Sundays) in a warehouse complex in Westpoort, starting in the afternoon and going until... late. The vibe is marathon dancing, the crowd is local, and the music leans towards house and techno. Leonie says if you can only do one electronic event, make it a Thuishaven Sunday. "Bring comfortable shoes and no plans for Monday."

Dekmantel

Held in the Amsterdamse Bos (Amsterdam's huge forest park), Dekmantel is the festival that electronic music nerds travel from across Europe to attend. The lineups are eclectic and world-class — not just four-to-the-floor techno but experimental, ambient, dub, and everything in between. Leonie calls it "the smart one." Three days in August. Tickets sell out. Buy early.

DGTL

Sustainability-focused electronic festival at the NDSM wharf in Noord. Cutting-edge stage design, great sound systems, and a genuine commitment to being green (they are one of the first circular festivals in the world). Easter weekend. Leonie has gone every year for five years.

Loveland

Classic Amsterdam house and techno festival in Sloterpark. Been around since the 90s and still going strong. August. More accessible than Dekmantel, more polished than Strafwerk. The "all-rounder" of Amsterdam electronic festivals according to Leonie.

Awakenings

The big one. Hardcore techno in the Gashouder at Westergasfabriek. Industrial setting, serious sound, serious crowd. This is not for casual electronic music fans — this is for people who know what they want and want it loud. Multiple events throughout the year, with the New Year's event being legendary.

Strafwerk

Underground, raw, no-frills techno. Leonie describes it as "Awakenings' angry younger sibling." If you want the most authentic Amsterdam underground electronic experience, this is it. Smaller crowds, better atmosphere.

Lentekabinet

The most beautiful festival on this list. An intimate garden festival with dreamy electronic music in a gorgeous estate setting. Think fairy lights, old trees, and a crowd that actually listens to the music. Late spring. Leonie says it is "the festival you take a date to."

Open Air and Chill

Amsterdam Open Air

Relaxed, diverse music festival in Gaasperpark. Less intense than the pure electronic festivals — you will hear everything from indie to hip-hop to electronic. Great for groups where not everyone is into techno. June. Good food stalls. Leonie says "bring a blanket and actually relax for once."

Food

Rollende Keukens

"Rolling Kitchens" — a food truck festival at Westergasfabriek. Over 100 food trucks from across the Netherlands and beyond. This is where Amsterdam's food scene shows off. May. Leonie and I go every year and always eat too much. Entry is free. Bring cash and an empty stomach.

TAPT

Craft beer festival with two editions — Oost and West. Local and international breweries pouring everything from IPAs to sours. If you are into craft beer, this is your event. Leonie is not a beer person but her boyfriend drags her to this every time and she "always ends up having fun."

Culture

De Parade

A traveling theater and performance festival that sets up in Martin Luther Kingpark every August. Small tents with short performances — theater, dance, comedy, music, circus. You buy a strip of tickets and wander between shows. The evenings are magical, with the tents lit up and food stalls and a bar in the middle. Leonie says De Parade is "the most Amsterdam thing that happens all year." She is probably right.

Practical Festival Tips

• Tickets: Most festivals sell out. Buy early, especially for Dekmantel, DGTL, and Awakenings
• Transport: Most festival sites are reachable by public transit. Take the tram or metro. Do not drive — parking is a nightmare
• Cash: Some festivals are cashless (you load a wristband). Others take cash and cards. Check before you go
• Weather: This is Amsterdam. It might rain during an outdoor festival. Bring a light rain jacket. Leonie keeps a foldable one in her bag at all times
• Earplugs: Bring them. Seriously. The electronic festivals are loud and your ears will thank you. Leonie uses Loop earplugs and will not shut up about them

This is Leonie's curated list. She wanted me to add that she does not go to Mysteryland ("too commercial"), Sensation ("that ended"), or any of the Leidseplein bar crawl things that market themselves as "festival experiences." She also wanted me to add that festival season in Amsterdam runs roughly from April through October, with the peak being June through September. Plan accordingly.