There are a lot of cultural things to do in Amsterdam. Several world-class cultural institutions are located in the city.
The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is one of the best orchestras in the world and has its home base in the Royal Concertgebouw on Museumplein. The orchestra was founded in 1888 to give concerts in the Concertgebouw, which opened in the same year. The first concert took place on November 3, 1888. The Great Hall of the Royal Concertgebouw is considered one of the three best halls for symphonic music in the world. Nowadays, in addition to classical concerts, concerts by modern (pop) artists also take place. For lovers of classical music, visiting a concert in the Concertgebouw is one of the highlights of the cultural things to do in Amsterdam.
The Dutch National Opera & Ballet is a theater on the Amstel that was specially built for opera, ballet and other forms of musical theatre. The theater is home to Dutch National Opera and Dutch National Ballet. Dutch National Opera is the largest opera company in the Netherlands. The company is internationally renowned, partly because of the Chorus of the Dutch National Opera. The choir was named the best opera choir in the world in 2016. Dutch National Ballet is also highly regarded internationally. It is the largest ballet company in the Netherlands and is accompanied by the Ballet Orchestra. A visit to the Dutch National Opera & Ballet is one of the most special cultural things to do in Amsterdam.
The history of the Stadsschouwburg goes back to the seventeenth century. Today, the Stadsschouwburg is located on Leidseplein and is the home base of Toneelgroep Amsterdam. Toneelgroep Amsterdam is directed by Ivo van Hove. As a guest director, he directed, among others, the musicals Lazarus by David Bowie and West Side Story (2020). Toneelgroep Amsterdam plays a wide spectrum of performances, from classical pieces in a new jacket to pieces written especially for the company.
In addition to these large cultural companies, there are of course more cultural things to do in Amsterdam. There are more than enough museums, theatres, cinemas and music venues where you can enjoy culture.