Amsterdam in summer is Amsterdam at its best! Explore Amsterdam’s streets, waters and squares and enjoy the many festivals during the summer months.
- Visit Gay Pride.
- Discover Amsterdam’s ‘best kept secrets’ during the Open Garden Days.
- Amsterdam is transformed into the world’s loveliest concert hall during the Canal Festival.
Amsterdam really comes to life when the sun is shining. The city is at its best when the terraces are full of people, little boats sail through the canals, and the parks are filled with flowers. This is also the season in which many cultural activities and festivals are held. In other words, Amsterdam in summer is something you should see!
Visit Gay Pride and the Canal Parade
With its tolerant climate, Amsterdam was known as the ‘gay capital of the world’ for a long time. Street parties mark the annual Gay Pride which is concluded with the famous Canal Parade on Saturday. Dozens of big decorated boats filled with party people drift through the canals and the entire city is a party zone.
Musical enjoyment at the Canal Festival
The annual Grachtenfestival or Canal Festival introduces a broad range of classical music, putting young talents in the spotlight in out-of-the-ordinary locations. From metro tunnels to style rooms and canal houses – the Canal Festival transforms all of Amsterdam into the world’s most wonderful concert hall. The final event is a true spectacle with world-famous classical musicians performing on a pontoon moored in the Prinsengracht. Thousands of people attend the concert both on shore and from their boats.
Visit the Open Garden Days
The stately facades of many canal houses hide the best kept secrets in Amsterdam: large, beautifully structured gardens. Some twenty-five extraordinary gardens are open to the public once every year in June, during the Open Tuinen Dagen. You will be stunned to see these unique oases in the busy city centre.