3 Best Performing Arts Venues in Leidseplein, Amsterdam

After burning down and being rebuilt several more times, the current Neo-Renaissance facade that dominates Leidseplein, with its lushly baroque-style horseshoe interior, was created in 1894. Dutch theater is dynamic, strongly physical and visual, often with a hilarious, absurdest sense. Although the majority of the programming is in Dutch, there’s also a constant stream of visiting theater and dance companies plus, a selection of English-language performances and subtitled screenings. In 2018, the historic Amsterdam Stadsschouwburg merged with Toneelgroep Amsterdam to create the newly formed Internationaal Theater Amsterdam.

In 1912, this small canalside "lookout," as its name means in Dutch, transformed from a store to a cinema, ranking it as the city's oldest. Red velvet seats and a small viewing balcony nod to its 1920s heyday. Today, the theater is run by a small group of students with a diverse program featuring documentaries, Hollywood classics, and the odd mainstream film.