What are the best places to go out in Amsterdam?
Anyone who has been studying in Amsterdam for a while now will know: the city really wakes up at night. Amsterdam has a lot to offer for people who want to explore nightlife. Here are seven club tips from Folia.
Lofi
From indoor raves to intimate community gatherings, Club Lofi is everything you would expect from a new underground club on the outskirts of Amsterdam. Raw, unpolished and a touch intense. Because of its location in an old garage in the Westelijk Havengebied, the music is allowed to be louder than in the city centre. And it shows: the music thumps in your chest and thunders into your ear. You can get free earplugs at the bar: no luxury. Love a (loud) party? Go to Lofi.
Club RAUM
Also in the Westelijk Havengebied is the newly opened Club RAUM. This Berlin-style queer club is home to the lhbtqi+ community. You can rave there until dawn. Because there are hardly any windows, you are not confronted by people going to work or college: ideal for those who want to escape reality for a while. Nevertheless, strict rules apply inside. RAUM puts mutual consent, inclusion and fairness at its core. An awareness team oversees safety. You can speak to them if someone makes you feel uncomfortable, but also if, for instance, you want to ‘get away from the party scene’ - which is nice.
Volkshotel (Canvas and Doka)
The Volkshotel in Oost offers panoramic views of the city. At rooftop bar Canvas, but also - secret tip - at the toilets. Down in the basement is yet another hip club: Doka. Those familiar with the Boiler Room concept will be in for a treat here. Many international students know how to find the Volkshotel, but according to the site, the same goes for ‘single mothers, estate agents and punk rockers’. People from all walks of life. In short, plenty to do at the Volkshotel.
Club Parallel (Tolhuistuin)
Right next to the IJ in Amsterdam North is the Tolhuistuin. By day, it houses a restaurant, hip-hop school, podcast workshop, reading house, studios and workplaces. At night club Parallel, where a luminous cube floats above the dancing crowd. The music is surprisingly diverse, from amapiano and UK House to future beat and hyperpop. For the music lover who wants more than the standard repertoire from the charts, Club Parallel is definitely a godsend.
Skatecafe
Another topper among students in Amsterdam North is the Skatecafe Karin & Yvonne. There is a friendly atmosphere here. ‘Our house is your house. So make yourself at home,’ reports the site. Outside you can play football, inside you can dance. As the name suggests, the main hall features a half-pipe (behind the DJ booth). Besides meant to show off your skate skills, it’s where you can show off your dancing skills at night. Alternate at will between several halls, which vary in size and style of music played. Especially if you like punk or techno, the Skatecafe is perfect.
Thuishaven
‘The city’s cultural haven,’ the site reports. That’s no lie. Thuishaven’s festival site in the Westelijk Havengebied is a household name among students. It is one of the few places where festivals are organised all year round. From hard techno and dancehall parties to pop and humps. Don’t be alarmed if you see huge, luminous jellyfish floating across the dance floor or face-painted people parading on stilts. Visual performances are a big and important part of the experience at Thuishaven.
Levenslang
In the old boiler room of the Bijlmerbajes, a former prison in Oost, you’ll find club Levenslang. Much has remained: in the middle a horizontal stair bridge, from which the prisoners were watched, surrounded by legions of metal pipes. It gives off an uncanny, industrial atmosphere, and that is exactly the intention. Get captivated by the flashes of light, rousing musical notes and the steel, spinning cube on the ceiling, similar to the one in Club Parallel.
