From a new cheese to a 15km long party on the A10 ring road, preparations are ramping up for the celebration of Amsterdam’s 750 th year. At an event in Amsterdam on Friday morning, programme director Sietse Bakker called for more local ideas, sponsors and participants. “This isn’t for the municipal council – it’s a party for the whole city, by the whole city,” he said.
“Our aim is to get as many Amsterdammers as we can excited about the jubileum and make them feel proud of the city.” An installation in the shape of a gigantic present is touring the different parts of Amsterdam and Weesp for a week, encouraging people to send in ideas. And – although there was no mention of modern-day expats at the event – organisers stressed that inclusion will be a major theme.
Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema, meanwhile, has said that while Amsterdam 750 has major sponsors such as Heineken and Rabobank, it still has a budget gap of €3 million. Plans are coming together for events including a huge opening concert in the Ziggo Dome on October 27 2024, an Amsterdam Expo on the history of Amsterdam and a party on the car-free ring road on midsummers’ day 2025, June 21. Bakker said that there will also be an effort to represent different stories about Amsterdam’s minority communities and “go deeper”.
Thank you One event, the “spirit of Amsterdam” aims to do this in November 2024, with a festival in different religious buildings around the city. Rob-Jan Glas, founde.