7 live music in Amsterdam, editor-picked by TableJourney. All Amsterdam nightlife.
Paradiso ★ 4.7
centrum · Weteringschans 6-8, 1017 SG Amsterdam
Paradiso has run out of a former Vrije Gemeente church on Weteringschans by Leidseplein since 1968, programming rock, pop, electronic and experimental music across a 1,500-capacity main hall and a 250-cap small hall.
Tip: The standing main hall has stained glass behind the stage; the upstairs balcony has the better sightline for taller acts. Doors typically open an hour before set time.
Melkweg ★ 4.6
centrum · Lijnbaansgracht 234a, 1017 PH Amsterdam
Melkweg occupies a former dairy factory on Lijnbaansgracht behind Leidseplein and runs a cinema, gallery and two concert halls, the 1,500-cap Max and the 700-cap Oude Zaal, across nightly programming.
Tip: Entrance is on Lijnbaansgracht, not the canal side; the bike rack to the right of the door holds 500 spots. Cinema screenings happen alongside concerts most nights.
Bimhuis ★ 4.7
oosterdok · Piet Heinkade 3, 1019 BR Amsterdam
Bimhuis has been Amsterdam's flagship jazz and improvised music stage since 1974 and now operates from a cantilevered box jutting off Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ on Piet Heinkade, with concerts most nights of the week.
Tip: Walk five minutes east of Centraal along the IJ; the cafe behind the hall has a free view of the room before the show. Late-night jam sessions on selected Mondays.
De Nieuwe Anita ★ 4.3
frederik-hendrikbuurt · Frederik Hendrikstraat 111, 1052 HN Amsterdam
De Nieuwe Anita on Frederik Hendrikstraat runs an upstairs brown bar with eclectic furniture and a cellar room that flips between cinema, comedy, stage and dance floor depending on the night, capacity around 250.
Tip: Doors from the side; the basement stage is small enough that bookings sell out fast on weekends. Cash bar runs the upstairs while the basement is on.
OCCII ★ 4.4
zuid · Amstelveenseweg 134, 1075 XL Amsterdam
OCCII runs a legalised squat venue facing the south gates of Vondelpark, programming punk, noise, hardcore and experimental music with a vegan cafe, rehearsal rooms and children's theatre attached.
Tip: Cash bar; door usually 21:00 with a low cover. The Binnenpret complex around it adds a vegan kitchen and the MKZ collective dinner on selected weeknights.
Bitterzoet ★ 4.2
centrum · Spuistraat 2, 1012 TS Amsterdam
Bitterzoet sits on Spuistraat a short walk from Centraal Station and runs as a bar, theatre and club under one roof, with live hip hop, soul and funk early in the night before DJ sets take over the floor.
Tip: Doors typically 22:30; lines move fastest before midnight. The upstairs balcony is where to stand for a clear view of the stage during live bookings.
Vondelbunker ★ 4.3
oud-zuid · Vondelpark 8A, 1071 AA Amsterdam
Vondelbunker operates inside a 1947 nuclear fallout shelter beneath a bridge through Vondelpark, run since 2011 by a non-hierarchical volunteer collective as a free, non-commercial space for bands, DJs and film.
Tip: Free entry by donation; events listed on the website only. Acoustics are concrete-hard, so bring earplugs for louder bookings.