There’s always something new happening in Amsterdam from restaurant and bar openings to museums, festivals, hotels and experiences. Here are some rather eclectic things that I’m looking forward to over the coming months…
Street Art Museum
The already phenomenal NDSM wharf on the North side of the river Ij is going to get even more astonishing with an iconic street art museum opening in the Summer of 2018. Housed in a shipyard space that’s twice as big as Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall (yes, wow!) it’s set to be the biggest street art museum on the planet. Showcasing a range of commissioned artworks by some of the world’s leading street artists, all on a giant scale, this is guaranteed to be another must-see gem in Amsterdam’s museum crown. To kick things off, Brazilian street art legend Eduardo Kobra has recently unveiled a 24 meter high portrait of Anne Frank on the museum facade titled “Let Me Be Myself”celebrating the importance of respect for all cultures, religions and identities – a timely reminder in today’s political climate. Everything about this project is bold, modern and attention-grabbing and fits perfectly in this city where the new jostles gloriously alongside the old.
Eurostar
Yip, not an opening but probably the most impactful of Amsterdam’s coming-soon list. Eurostar has opened its first new direct route for many years – Kings Cross to Amsterdam Central Station in four hours (less time than it currently takes to get from London to Edinburgh). Departing twice a day and stopping at Antwerp, Brussels, Rotterdam and Schipol Airport its great. BUT (and its a big but) the return is a nightmare as it involves taking a Thalys train to Brussels and then boarding the Eurostar there due to ongoing issues with passport checks. This is due to be resolved in the coming months but for now I’m leaving Eurostar on the ‘coming soon’ list and we’d recommend flying back.