Melkweg
Melkweg
Melkweg (Lijnbaansgracht 234A, Amsterdam) — Probably the most famous club/entertainment complex in this part of Europe, the Melkweg lives up to the hype for most visitors and can be an entertaining place to go even when you don’t recognize any of the names on the bill. It’s actually five separate venues in one complex, and sometimes there is a separate admission charge for different things in different rooms. In spite of its overall size and fame, the largest room is smaller than most people expect. The Max has a capacity of 1,000 while the Oude Zaal room holds another 700. There is also a 90-seat cinema, a 140-seat theater, and various galleries and art spaces throughout.
The Melkweg (Dutch for milky way) was founded in 1970 when a local theater group took over a disused dairy building just off Leidseplein. It’s been run as a non-profit ever since, although the city has had to step in to prop the organization up at least once recently. The interiors have been continually upgraded and now the entire place feels like an experimental art space, but the two main rooms and the big acts they draw are the main reason for going.
Other more subculturally focused music venues are OCCII, OT301, De Nieuwe Anita, Winston Kingdom and Zaal 100. Jazz has a strong following in Amsterdam, with the Bimhuis being the premier venue.
Another popular dance festival is 5daysoff, which takes place in the venues Paradiso and Melkweg. During the Summer, there are several big outdoor dance parties in or nearby Amsterdam, such as “Awakenings”, “Dance Valley”, “Mystery Land”, “Loveland”, “A Day at the Park”, “Welcome to the Future”, and “Valtifest