Holland has a diverse, and innovative, arts and culture community. While the country is known mostly for an impressive array of museums, the Netherland also hosts internationally reknown dance companies, award winning music venues, and legendary performances.
- Enjoy the opera at the Muziektheater.
- Visit the Stadsschouwburg.
- Read more about dance and theater in Holland.
Notable Venues
Het Muziektheater
The Muziektheater is home to the Dutch National Ballet and the Nederlandse Opera.
Address: Amstel 3, Amsterdam
Carre
The Royal Theatre Carre is Amsterdam’s best-known theatre poised romantically on the Amstel River. The theater hosts plays, musicals, and cabaret.
Address: Amstel 115-125, Amsterdam
Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam
The Stadsschouwburg features classical and experimental theater and dance productions and is the premier venue for theater performances in Amsterdam's Leidseplein.
Address: Leidseplein 26, Amsterdam
Vondelpark open air theatre (Openluchttheater)
The Amsterdam equivalent of Central park's summer stage, the Vondelpark Open Lucht theater is a series of free performances running June through August.
Address: Vondelpark 5a, Amsterdam
Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ
Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ is a contemporary classical music concert hall above the IJtunnel. It is about a 10 minute walk from central amsterdam. The building has won numerous architectural awars.
Address: Piet Hein Kade 1, Amsterdam
Theater and Opera
Netherlands Opera
Established shortly after WWII, the Netherlands Opera has been performing around Holland for over 50 years. De Nederlandse Opera produces about 11 productions per year, plus a number of lunch performances and appearances at the Holland Festival.
Amsterdam Marionette Theatre
The Amsterdam Marionette Theatre presents a unique form of music theatre: the European tradition of the classical marionette theatre. Wooden actors, in their silk and velvet costumes, present opera's and music theatre by various composers. Six puppeteers manipulate the large marionettes.
Dance
The Dutch National Ballet (Het National Ballet) is an internationally acclaimed touring company that is the largest dance company in the Netherlands. They are based with De Nederlandse Opera in Het Muziektheater in Amsterdam.
The Hague is also an acclaimed destination for dance. It is home to the Nederlands Dans Theater, one of the top dance companies in the world. The Hague also hosts large dance production house Korzo. In the autumn, the city is taken over by the Holland Dance Festival and the CaDance Festival.
Scapino Ballet in Rotterdam is the oldest ballet company with a long history of innovation and a reputation for producing dance groups. Each year Scapino also has performances in Amsterdam, such as the like Open Lucht Theater in Vondelpark.
Editor's pick
Would you like to know what's on stage the coming season? Then you should visit the Uitmarkt. Traditionally, the cultural season is opened towards the end of August with this grand festival that is accessible free of charge.