Amsterdam is world-famous for its vibrant nightlife, and there is no better time to experience it than New Year’s Eve (Oud en Nieuw). Whether you are looking for a romantic canal dinner, a massive warehouse rave, or a family-friendly firework show, the Dutch capital has it all.

If you are planning to ring in 2026 in Amsterdam, here is your ultimate guide to the best activities and local tips.

1. Watch the Official National Countdown

Every year, Amsterdam hosts a massive official celebration. In recent years, the focus has shifted toward Museumpleinor the Museum Quarter.

• What to expect: A spectacular countdown, live music from top Dutch DJs, and a coordinated fireworks and light show.

• Pro Tip: This area gets crowded early. Arrive by 9:00 PM to secure a good spot.

2. Experience a New Year’s Eve Canal Cruise

For a more sophisticated evening, book a New Year’s Eve Dinner Cruise.

• The Experience: Sail through the historic canals while they are illuminated by the Amsterdam Light Festival. At midnight, many boats stop in the middle of the Amstel River to give passengers a 360-degree view of the fireworks reflecting on the water.

• SEO Note: These sell out months in advance. Book your “NYE Canal Cruise Amsterdam” by October.

3. Dance the Night Away at World-Class Clubs

Amsterdam is the techno and electronic music capital of the world. On December 31st, iconic venues host legendary parties.

• Top Venues: Look for lineups at Gashouder (Awakenings), Shelter, De School (if open), or NDSM Wharf for industrial warehouse vibes.

• Music Styles: From Hardstyle and Techno to Chic Masquerade balls at luxury hotels like the W Amsterdam.

4. Join the Street Parties at Dam Square & Nieuwmarkt

If you prefer a spontaneous atmosphere, head to the historic squares.

• Dam Square: Usually features large screens and a mix of tourists and locals.

• Nieuwmarkt: Located in the heart of Chinatown, this square is famous for its “wild” atmosphere and traditional firecracker displays.

Dutch New Year Traditions You Must Try

Eat Oliebollen and Appelflappen

On New Year’s Eve, the Dutch eat Oliebollen (deep-fried dough balls). You will see pop-up stands (Oliebollenkramen) all over the city. It’s believed that eating these will keep you lucky in the coming year!

The New Year’s Dip (Nieuwjaarsduik)

If you are brave enough, join thousands of people on January 1st for a swim in the freezing North Sea at Zandvoort Beach (just a short train ride from Amsterdam). It is the ultimate Dutch way to cure a hangover!

Practical Information for NYE 2025/2026

Is Amsterdam Good for New Year’s Eve?

Absolutely. While it can be loud and hectic, the energy is unmatched. The combination of the Amsterdam Light Festivaland the city’s festive “Gezelligheid” (coziness) makes it a top-tier European destination for the holidays.

Stay informed and safe during emergencies with NL-Alert, the Dutch government’s official notification service.

What is NL-Alert?

NL-Alert is the national emergency alert system of the Netherlands, designed to inform the public promptly during life-threatening situations. By sending critical messages directly to mobile phones in affected areas, NL-Alert ensures you receive timely instructions to protect yourself and others.

How Does NL-Alert Work?

• Location-Based Messaging: Utilizes cell broadcast technology to send alerts to all capable mobile devices within a specific geographic area.
• No Subscription Needed: Automatically reaches all compatible phones without the need for registration or personal data.
• Multilingual Support: Primarily in Dutch, but may include English instructions, especially in tourist regions.

Why NL-Alert is Important

• Immediate Notifications: Provides real-time alerts for emergencies like major fires, hazardous material incidents, terrorist threats, and extreme weather conditions.
• Trusted Information: Messages are sent by authorized government agencies, ensuring reliability.
• Privacy Protected: Does not collect or store personal information, maintaining user anonymity.

How to Receive NL-Alerts

1. Check Device Compatibility: Most modern smartphones support NL-Alert. Verify your device here.
2. Enable Notifications:
   • For Android:
     • Go to Settings > Wireless & Networks > Cell Broadcasts.
     • Ensure Extreme threats and Severe threats are enabled.
   • For iOS (iPhone):
     • Navigate to Settings > Notifications.
     • Scroll to Government Alerts and activate Emergency Alerts.
3. Update Your Software: Keep your phone’s operating system updated to ensure compatibility.

NL-Alert Test Messages

• When: Sent on the first Monday of June and December at 12:00 PM.
• Purpose: To test the system’s functionality and familiarize the public with the alert format.
• What to Expect: A message stating it’s a test, allowing you to recognize real alerts in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an internet connection? No, NL-Alert uses cell broadcast technology, so no internet or mobile data is required.

Will visitors to the Netherlands receive NL-Alerts? Yes, if their mobile devices are compatible and have cell broadcast settings enabled.

Can I opt out of NL-Alert messages? While it’s possible to disable emergency alerts in your phone settings, it’s not recommended for your safety.

Is there a cost to receive NL-Alerts? No, the service is entirely free of charge.

Stay Prepared

• Spread the Word: Inform friends and family about NL-Alert to enhance community safety.
• Stay Informed: Follow local news and official channels for additional information during emergencies.
• Emergency Kit: Keep a basic emergency kit at home, including essentials like water, food, and a flashlight.

It was stated that there will be delays and disruptions in train services between Rotterdam, Delft and Den Haag for the next few weeks.

Dutch Railways (NS) stated that as of today, train services will be disrupted due to maintenance and repair works on train tracks and platforms between Rotterdam, Delft and Den Haag, and train services will be temporarily stopped on some lines.

Maintenance and repair works to be carried out by Prorail will continue until December 3. Rails and platforms will be renewed, and work will be carried out to increase train safety.

In the NS statement, it was warned that train services may depart from other platforms and services may occur at different hours than usual and journey times may vary accordingly.

Lines outside the Rotterdam-Den Haag line (such as the line between Amsterdam Centraal and Vlissingen) will also be affected by the large-scale maintenance and repair work carried out by Prorail. For this reason, train passengers are advised to check the NS website before setting off.

NS; He states that the number of passengers will increase and more train services will be made in the coming years, and that the work carried out by Prorail is necessary.

More than eight hundred well-known names from the cinema world in the Netherlands called on the interim government to impose economic and political sanctions on Israel.

More than eight hundred Dutch filmmakers and actors called on the interim government to “impose sanctions on Israel within the European framework.” The letter distributed on the social media platform Instagram also includes the signatures of players such as Carice van Houten, Sanne Vogel and Georgina Verbaan.

“We condemn Hamas’ attack, the constant hostage-taking that caused the loss of life of many Israeli civilians,” the letter said, adding: “We are deeply concerned about the humanitarian disaster currently taking place in Gaza. “More than 6,000 bombs dropped by Israel on Gaza since October 7 have killed thousands of Palestinians and threatened to displace more than a million people,” the letter said. “Meanwhile, the Israeli media is calling for the “destruction” of Gaza. “Israel is threatening to bomb even more heavily, and a ground attack seems imminent.” It emphasizes that concerns about the situation in Gaza are increasing.

In the letter, the signatories emphasized that unconditional support from the Netherlands and a call for a “break in war” were not enough and asked: “What will the government do while the international law of war is being violated and Israel is intensifying its military campaign?” he asks the question.

The letter concludes as follows: We, the undersigned filmmakers, actors and film professionals, reject violence against all civilians, regardless of their identity. “Therefore, we request the government to put pressure on the European Commission to impose economic and political sanctions on Israel within the European framework, if Israel does not immediately declare a ceasefire and guarantee humanitarian aid to Gaza.”

Next year, the consumption tax on soft drinks will be increased. As of January 1, prices will increase by an average of 26 cents.

The government aims to increase the excise tax on soft drinks as of January 1, 2024, and to eliminate the excise tax on mineral water from 2024. Therefore, not only the price of beverages such as cola and fruit juice, but also the prices of plant-based beverages such as oat milk and almond milk, which are used as alternatives to milk, will increase by an average of 26 cents per liter.

According to the information on the Rijksoverheid website, starting from next year, lemonade (including syrup), fruit juices, vegetable juices, mineral water, non-alcoholic beer, low-alcohol beer containing 0.5% or less alcohol, and other beverages containing a maximum of 1.2% alcohol will be limited to 100% alcohol. The price of a liter will increase from 17.30 euros to 26.13 euros.

The purpose of the consumption tax that the government will impose on soft drinks, popularly known as the “lemonade tax”, is to direct people to make healthier choices. In addition, to increase the income from taxes to the state coffers. It is stated that with the new consumption tax, 300 million euros will be generated for the state coffers.

There are also those who oppose the “lemonade tax”
The price hike for plant-based products, which are used by vegetarians and vegans because they think they are better for their health, has been criticized by some circles. The petition launched by a university student opposing this tax has already been signed by 40 thousand people.

College student Misty Mason thinks this isn’t fair. Stating that it is unfair to impose higher taxes on milk alternatives, Mason points out that cow’s milk and chocolate milk are exempt from this tax.

Oatly, the maker of oat milk, supports the petition and even started a campaign. In many places in Amsterdam, there is a photo of a packet of oat milk with a QR code leading to the petition and the words: “This is not lemonade, the government says so.” He had written billboards put up.

The petition is also supported by associations and institutions that promote plant-based nutrition.

Van Ooijen: “It is not possible to exempt these products”
State Secretary for Health Maarten van Ooijen acknowledged in a statement to Trouw that the increase in the price of oat milk had an ‘inadvertent, undesirable and even unreasonable effect’, but said he wanted to continue implementing the tax increase for now. According to Van Ooijen, it is technically not possible to put milk drinks in a separate category and therefore exempt them from tax increases.

The notorious murderer suspect, 24-year-old Bretly Dorder, who was wanted since last Saturday, was caught in Amsterdam.

Suspect Bretly Dorder, who was wanted for allegedly killing a psychiatrist and causing injury to a person in a fight in Zutphen, was caught in Amsterdam.

According to Het Parool newspaper, at around 08:00 this morning, the police received a report that the suspect was seen getting on the subway. Thereupon, police teams took action and arrived in the area.

It was stated in the news that the suspect, who saw the police officers, fled to a hotel in Prins Hendrikkade. Police teams entered the hotel and eventually caught the suspect, who came out of the hotel toilet with his hands up.

The police had recently raided several houses in Amsterdam-Oost and Arnhem, considering the reports received in the past few days.

New images have been published
In the information given in the Opsporing Verzoek television program broadcast on Tuesday evening, it was stated that it is not known whether Dorder is still in Amsterdam, but he was seen at the Amsterdam Centraal Train station at the end of last week. He shared new images of Dorder. Pointing out that Dorder did not act very carefully despite the suspicion of murder against him and all the public statements about him, the police spokesman said, “He does not hide himself.” He stated:

In the published photos, Dorder can be seen wearing a dark blue hooded jacket and smoking a cigarette at the entrance of the station. In the second photo, he can be seen wearing sunglasses.

The police stated that the suspect usually travels by public transportation and especially by train, and warned: “We ask people traveling by public transportation to take a good look around them.”

Anyone who sees the murder suspect or knows his whereabouts is advised not to contact him and to call the emergency number 112 immediately.

What is known so far about fugitive Bretty Dorder
Bretly Dorder (24) is suspected of being involved in the shooting incident that took place on Rotterdam Handelsplein on 13 October, leading to the death of Rotterdam psychiatrist Jean van Griensven (60). What is known about Dorder, who has been missing since Saturday and is also wanted in Germany and Belgium, is as follows:

Dorder is described as a “large” man, aged 24, approximately 1.83 meters tall. He does not have a fixed residence address.
Dorder was released in July. The court in Rotterdam ordered him to remain free in his trial, where he is expected to be convicted on three separate charges of threats, attempted (serious) assault and theft of a driver’s licence.
Police released two photos of Dorder and emphasized that he was considered armed and dangerous.
A week after the fatal shooting, Dorder was reportedly involved in a stabbing in Zutphen.
Dorder is frequently active on online platforms and communicates with men through chat rooms such as Bullchat.
It was stated that the Dutch police received many reports about the fugitive and based on these reports, it was determined that Dorder frequently traveled by train.
On Sunday, police in Wesel, Germany, carried out an operation following a tip from a truck driver. However, the suspect was not found.
In the police statements, it was emphasized that anyone who sees Dorder should definitely not contact him and should immediately call the emergency number 112.

A municipality in the Netherlands is establishing a DNA database to combat dog feces.

Home ownership rates are decreasing in European Union countries. 69.9 percent of the population living in the EU lives in their own homes. 

The home ownership rate is 49.1 percent in Germany, 54.2 percent in Austria and 59.2 percent in Denmark. The home ownership rate is at high levels in countries such as Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania. In EU countries, 43.8 percent of the population lives in a debt-free owner-occupied residence. The rate of people living in rented houses is 30.1 percent. The housing crisis is deepening in developed European countries, and housing costs may cause other expenses to be postponed.