Amsterdam club guide
The best clubs in Amsterdam
Not a top ten, but an honest map. The clubs that matter, sorted by kind of night, from the squares in the centre to the warehouses outside it.
A club ranking says very little, because the best club for a techno night that ends on Sunday morning is not the best club for a birthday with friends. So this guide is organised by kind of night, and the order within each chapter is not a ranking.
We are not neutral: we run Blend XL on Reguliersdwarsstraat, and it appears here where it belongs, marked as our own venue. About every other club we only write what they publish themselves or what reliable sources report. Opening hours and door policies change, so check the club’s own site before you go.
Mood imageChapter 01 · Chapter 1
Clubs in Amsterdam city centre
In the centre, going out revolves around two squares and one street. Around Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein the bigger clubs are within walking distance of each other, and Reguliersdwarsstraat links the two with a row of queer bars and clubs. Ideal if you would rather not take a taxi or night bus to the edge of town.
RembrandtpleinBig club · dance, house and pop
Escape
Pick it for a big, easy-going club night right in the centre.
The best-known big club on Rembrandtplein, with Escape Lounge next to the main room. No niche programming, just a full dance floor with familiar music, for a night out without leaving town.
- Address
- Rembrandtplein 11
- Open
- Every night from 23:00, until 05:00 at weekends
LeidsepleinBar and club · house and disco
Chicago Social Club
Pick it for a bar that turns into a club later in the night.
A bar on Leidseplein that becomes a club night from Thursday to Saturday. Saturdays are about house and disco. The club has a minimum age of 21.
- Address
- Leidseplein 12
- Club
- Thu until 04:00, Fri and Sat until 05:00 · 21+
LeidsepleinClub · strict door
Jimmy Woo
Pick it for a dressed-up club night off Leidseplein.
A fixture on Korte Leidsedwarsstraat since 2003, known for a strict door policy and a strong sound system. Dress for it and check the current entry conditions before you go.
- Address
- Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 18
Centre · near Central StationClub and live venue
Bitterzoet
Pick it for a smaller club night with live music close to Central Station.
A club and live venue on Spuistraat with room for about 350 people over two floors, programmed together with Paradiso. Handy if you want to stay close to the station.
- Address
- Spuistraat 2
- Open
- Thu to Sat, until 04:00
By Bar BlendReguliersdwarsstraatBar with a dance floor · DJs and shows
Blend XL
Pick it for dancing, cocktails and drag under one roof, with no taxi out of town.
This one is ours, so we say it plainly: Blend XL is not a techno warehouse but a big bar with a real dance floor, DJs and weekly shows, right on Amsterdam’s LGBTQ+ street. Everyone is welcome. More on a night here on our page about the nightclub on Reguliersdwarsstraat.
- Address
- Reguliersdwarsstraat 44
- Open
- Thu 20:00 – 01:00 · Fri – Sat 20:00 – 03:00
ReguliersdwarsstraatQueer club · several floors
Club NYX
Pick it for a queer club night with different music on every floor.
Our neighbours at number 42 and the successor of the legendary Exit. Several floors, each with its own sound, plus drag and a young, open-minded crowd. Together with Blend XL, the place to keep going late on Reguliersdwarsstraat.
- Address
- Reguliersdwarsstraat 42
Mood imageChapter 02 · Chapter 2
Concert venues with club nights
Two of the best-known stages in the Netherlands are close to Leidseplein. After a concert, the night often carries on as a club night.
Leidseplein · WeteringschansConcert venue with club nights
Paradiso
Pick it for a gig that turns into a club night after midnight.
One of the city’s best-known stages, in a former church building. The main hall holds about 1,500 people. Besides concerts, Paradiso runs club nights and also programmes other venues around the city.
- Address
- Weteringschans 6-8
Leidseplein · LijnbaansgrachtConcert venue with club nights
Melkweg
Pick it for live music and club nights just behind Leidseplein.
Concert halls in a former dairy just behind Leidseplein, with The Max as the biggest room for about 1,500 people. The programme runs from concerts to club nights.
- Address
- Lijnbaansgracht 234A
Mood imageChapter 03 · Chapter 3
Techno and long nights outside the centre
The clubs Amsterdam is known for internationally are mostly outside the canal ring: in Noord, West, Nieuw-West and Oost. Several hold (or have held) a 24-hour licence from the city. Which clubs hold one now changes with each licensing round.
Noord · under the A’DAM TowerUnderground club · house and techno
Shelter
Pick it for a long techno or house night with no phones on the dance floor.
The club in the basement of the A’DAM Tower, across the IJ from Central Station. A strict no-phones policy applies on the dance floor and it is card only. The free ferry from behind Central Station runs day and night.
- Address
- Overhoeksplein, A’DAM Tower
- Open
- Fri and Sat, usually 23:00 – 06:00 · 18+
Nieuw-WestTechno · 24-hour licence
Radion
Pick it for techno in a former dental school, with no fixed closing time.
A club in the former ACTA building on the edge of Nieuw-West, with a 24-hour licence. The programme is built around techno and electronic music.
- Address
- Louwesweg 1
West · SloterdijkWarehouse · techno and hardcore
Warehouse Elementenstraat
Pick it for big techno and hardcore nights for thousands of people.
A warehouse for about 3,000 people, on the site of the illegal raves of the early 1990s. Back in use since 2014 for club nights and indoor festivals, a few minutes’ walk from Isolatorweg metro station.
- Address
- Elementenstraat 25
- Age
- 18+
WestClub in an old warehouse
Lofi
Pick it for a broad line-up, from house and disco to hip-hop and drum and bass.
A club in a former warehouse in West. The programming is broader than at most clubs outside the centre: house, techno and disco, but also hip-hop and drum and bass.
- Address
- Basisweg 63
- Age
- 18+
NoordSmall club · techno to reggae
Garage Noord
Pick it for a small, independent-minded club with a Surinamese kitchen.
A small club in Noord with a programme that runs from techno and house to punk and reggae, and a Surinamese restaurant in the same building.
- Address
- Gedempt Hamerkanaal 40
Oost · VolkshotelSound bar · house, disco and techno
Doka
Pick it for an intimate night built around good sound, until 07:00.
A small club in the basement of the Volkshotel, the former Volkskrant newspaper building. Capacity is limited, so entry is not guaranteed.
- Address
- Wibautstraat 150
- Open
- Thu until 04:00 · Fri and Sat until 07:00
WestFestival grounds · day and night
Thuishaven
Pick it for an open-air stage by day and a club night after.
Grounds with an open-air stage and indoor halls, with daytime events and nights that run until morning. Also a few minutes from Isolatorweg metro station.
- Address
- Contactweg 68
Mood imageChapter 04 · Chapter 4
Queer club nights
Beyond Club NYX and Blend XL on Reguliersdwarsstraat, Amsterdam has a few queer venues that go further than a regular club night. Club Church on Kerkstraat is a fetish and cruise club, mostly for men, with a Thursday night open to all genders. De Trut in Oud-West is a queer disco run by volunteers, and RAUM near Sloterdijk has been a queer techno club since 2024.
There are also recurring parties without a fixed club, such as Spellbound at OCCII and the Milkshake festival in Westerpark. Everything about the city’s queer scene is in our LGBTQ+ nightlife guide.
Mood imageChapter 05 · Chapter 5
What to know before you go
- ID. Most clubs are 18+, some are 21+. Without valid photo ID you will not get in anywhere.
- Door policy. Especially at smaller clubs and clubs with a strict door, entry is not guaranteed. Some clubs say so themselves.
- Phones. At some clubs, such as Shelter, you may not use your phone on the dance floor.
- Cards. More and more clubs are cashless. Bring a card.
- Closing times. Usually around 04:00 or 05:00 at weekends, later at clubs with a 24-hour licence, earlier on weeknights.
- Getting home. Night buses leave from Central Station, and the ferry to Noord runs day and night. More practical tips in our Amsterdam nightlife guide.
Mood imageChapter 06 · Heads up
Famous clubs that have closed
Many lists online are out of date. These well-known names have closed, even if you still come across them:
- De School in West closed in January 2024.
- Club AIR on Amstelstraat filed for bankruptcy in spring 2025.
- De Marktkantine closed in June 2022.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the best club in Amsterdam?
It depends on your night. For techno and house until morning, most people look at the clubs outside the centre, such as Shelter and Radion. For a club night in the centre, Rembrandtplein, Leidseplein and Reguliersdwarsstraat are the places to go.
Which clubs are in Amsterdam city centre?
Among others: Escape on Rembrandtplein, Chicago Social Club and Jimmy Woo near Leidseplein, Bitterzoet near Central Station, and Club NYX and Blend XL on Reguliersdwarsstraat. Paradiso and Melkweg run club nights alongside their concerts.
What time do clubs close in Amsterdam?
Usually around 04:00 or 05:00 at weekends and earlier on weeknights. Clubs with a 24-hour licence can stay open longer.
Is De School still open?
No. De School closed in January 2024.
Sources8
Opening hours and line-ups of other venues change. Always check the official website before you go.
- Best clubs in Amsterdam (opens in a new tab) · I amsterdam
- Hoe laat sluiten de clubs bij uitgaan in Amsterdam? (opens in a new tab) · Bitterzoet
- House rules (opens in a new tab) · Shelter Amsterdam
- Gemeente Amsterdam deelt nieuwe 24-uursvergunningen uit (opens in a new tab) · NH Nieuws
- Amsterdamse club AIR vraagt na 15 jaar faillissement aan (opens in a new tab) · Puna
- De School Amsterdam (opens in a new tab) · Amsterdam Lokaal
- De Marktkantine moet toch al 20 juni dicht (opens in a new tab) · 3voor12
- Club NYX (opens in a new tab) · Gay Amsterdam
