From its start as a medieval fishing village to a powerhouse of European culture and commerce, Amsterdam draws on more than seven centuries of storied history. Citizens and admirers worldwide have marked those generations during the city’s year-long 750th anniversary celebration. Launched nearly a year ago, the event’s knockout finale will be staged across the city on October 27, 2025.
The City’s Final 75-Hour Countdown
Leading up to that date, Amsterdam will count down the final 75 hours of its jubilee year in a series of events that begin on October 24.
Main venues include the Museumplein, or Museum Square, a vast park bordered by the Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk Museum, along with the Concertgebouw concert hall. Also: Dam Square, Amsterdam’s historical heart, laid with an expanse of cobblestone bordered by the Royal Palace and the 15th-century Gothic Nieuwe Kerk (New Church).
Expect the city’s famous open-air spaces to be packed—even dedicated bike lanes in the friendliest bike city in the world might be inaccessible.
The final 75 hours kick off with Verhalenfestival, or Stories Festival, centered on the 750 stories the city has collected throughout the year. The event will be held at the Public Library of Amsterdam on October 24. Among the tales: the story of pioneering Afro-Amsterdammers, and an “Ode to the Maids of Lydia’s House,” about a home created in 1927 to house and counsel single women, all of whom were employed as maids.
A 250-Foot-Long Cake
October 27 will dawn with a delicious reveal—a nearly 250-foot-long cake placed on Dam Square, which will be sliced into 7,500 portions at precisely 7:50 a.m. by Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema. Local residents will get the first bites; portions of the cake will be sent to other districts in the city.
In fact, food is central to the 75-hour countdown. “All of Amsterdam Eats!” (Heel Amsterdam Eet!), a city-wide culinary feast, will take place from October 24-27 at 75 locations across the city. “From breakfast to dinner, Amsterdammers can join in for an affordable meal,” according to the celebration’s website. “Restaurants, community centers, cafés, and unique venues will set up long tables where everyone is welcome.”
The “All of Amsterdam Eats!” event was previously staged as an exhibition of how food and the city have intertwined over the centuries. Held at the Allard Pierson Museum, the event ran until September 7.
On the night of October 27, a concert featuring Dutch artists will take place at Museumplein in a dome tent. The show will be broadcast from 8:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on NPO1, the Netherlands’ public broadcasting station. Actress Holly Mae Brood, known for Dutch soap operas and other television appearances, will host the show, along with actor Daan Schuurmans, known for award-winning roles in films and television series.
The famously inclusive and liberal city has invested €27 million in the year-long affair, which has drawn international crowds. For locals, it’s been a bonding moment, thanks to finely calibrated events geared to residents rather than tourist spectacles. Case in point: “24H Amsterdam 750,” a series of 24-hour celebrations that highlight the unique culture and talent of each of the city’s districts.
The anniversary year brought a new permanent cultural installation to the city—“Amsterdam in Motion”—billed as the “world’s largest multimedia model of a city.” A 2,150-square-foot model of the city paired with immersive projections relays Amsterdam’s history from its origins to present day. The show is curated by the Amsterdam Museum.
A Massive Nine-Mile Rave Staged On A Highway
Among numerous other events, a time capsule was buried on Dam Square on September 13, to be opened in 2075 during Amsterdam’s 800th anniversary. Among the items buried: ten portraits of Amsterdam residents, and a video about Amsterdam in 2025 “featuring everything from matcha lattes and fat bikes (low-slung electric bicycles with oversized tires) to the best places to buy croquettes,” according to the celebration’s website.
The year’s standout event was the Op de Ring (On the Ring) festival held on the A10 motorway that encircles the city, staged on the longest day of the year, June 21. The massive nine-mile celebration along the Netherlands’ busiest highway hosted 25 events that were spread over three zones.
The day launched with 20,000 people who ran a nearly five-mile “Run on the Ring” and by nightfall, twenty couples had wed in a ceremony presided over by the city’s mayor. A nine-hour rave turned the highway into a pulsing club. Sports, art installations, fashion shows, games, theater, food and drink were also part of the incomparable event.