Culture News in English
Latest culture headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Dutch royal house earned over half a billion euros from colonial past
A historical study has revealed that the Dutch royal house accumulated over 566 million euros from colonial activities in the East Indies, West Africa, and the Americas between 1600 and 2025. While th...
Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit misses King Haakon's speech from the throne due to illness
Queen Mette-Marit of Norway will miss King Haakon's first speech to the Storting as monarch due to her ongoing recovery from a lung transplant. The Queen continues to participate in a year-long rehabi...
Dutch royals were involved in colonialism with conviction and no reservations
An extensive research study commissioned by King Willem-Alexander has revealed that the House of Orange-Nassau was actively and deliberately involved in the Dutch colonial past. The findings, presente...
Tips against discrimination and celebrity support: campaign launched following decline in gay acceptance
Organizations like RITA and COC have launched a national campaign called Geen stap terug to address the sharp decline in youth acceptance of homosexuality in the Netherlands. Supported by over 45 prom...
Animal Day in Amsterdam: 4 things to do on Sunday, October 4
On Sunday, October 4, Amsterdam will celebrate World Animal Day with festive activities at De Ceuvel, professional pet photography sessions, and light projections of animals on the local watertower. T...
Israeli woman interrupts screening of NAZA documentary in Delft
An Israeli woman interrupted a documentary screening in Delft to protest the film NAZA, which covers the Israeli military's use of AI targeting systems. The film's critical portrayal of these tactics ...
From Joes Brauers to Halina Reijn: these are the 20 most important film figures in the Dutch film industry 2026
The Dutch film industry has released its 26th annual list of the top 20 most influential figures working behind the scenes. This year's ranking includes prominent industry professionals such as Joes B...
Froukje found balancing stage and private life difficult: 'I want to be liked'
Dutch artist Froukje shares the personal struggle of balancing her public career with her desire for a private life and the need to be liked. She has recently shifted her creative focus from personal ...
Funny, mysterious – and very Amsterdam: according to our readers, this is the most beautiful Amsterdam word
Readers of Het Parool have selected the Yiddish-derived word achenebbisj as the most beautiful term in the Amsterdam dialect. The word, which implies something pitiful or disappointing, remains deeply...
For Paulien Cornelisse, words were weapons to fathom humanity
Paulien Cornelisse is known for her work with language, but her cabaret performances reveal that her true focus lies beneath the surface. Her shows use linguistic exploration as a means to understand ...
Singer Froukje (25) doesn't want her happiness to depend on external validation: 'Fame is fleeting'
Singer Froukje Veenstra, age 25, explores themes such as intimacy, jealousy, and powerlessness on her second album, titled Kijk je naar mij?. She reflects on her life in the spotlight, emphasizing her...
Rapper Rick Ross arrested on domestic violence charges
Rapper Rick Ross has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault by strangulation following allegations of domestic violence against an ex-girlfriend. While the artist denies the claims and main...
Documentary about Christa Pike to air on KRO-NCRV in spring 2027
Filmmaker Jessica Villerius is producing a documentary about Christa Pike, a death row inmate in Tennessee whose execution recently failed after two lethal injections. The project, titled Vergelding, ...
Ye concerts in Russia cancelled due to missing rental agreement
Concerts by rapper Ye in Russia have been canceled due to a failure to secure a rental agreement with the venue. These shows would have marked a major return for a Western artist to Russia, but follow...
H'art Museum shows how Matisse's colors, motifs and shapes resonated
The H'art Museum in Amsterdam is hosting an exhibition featuring the works of Henri Matisse and his contemporaries. This collection is being displayed in the Netherlands because the Centre Pompidou in...
Camera follows André Hazes on midnight drives home, with only fast food and scheduled sex to look forward to
Singer André Hazes is the subject of a new reality soap that documents his professional life and his transition to living with his partner, Noa. The series offers a candid look at his daily routines,...
Lunch is sacred: Norbert opens a South of France style lunch bistro
Chef Norbert has opened Cantine Cannes in Haarlem, a bistro focusing on Mediterranean-inspired lunches and seasonal dishes. After a successful summer, he is now expanding the business to include group...
There are far more smart glasses than just Meta’s: does a ban stand a chance? ‘You don’t ban a club, but you ban this’
There is a growing debate surrounding the regulation of smart glasses following reports of them being used to secretly film women for non-consensual content. While devices like those from Meta are wel...
Documentary about war photographer Jeroen Oerlemans, killed in Libya: "He was going to go one last time"
Ten years after Amsterdam-based war photographer Jeroen Oerlemans was killed in Libya, a new documentary titled Nog Eén Keer is premiering at the Zuiderkerk. The film features personal stories from h...
Celebrate Animal Day at de Ceuvel or visit a bread market: what to do in Amsterdam this week
Amsterdam is hosting a wide array of cultural and community events this week, including the Broodsalon bread market, an animal-focused festival at De Ceuvel, and the Children's Book Week festivities. ...
HFC Haarlem still lives on in the city 16 years after bankruptcy, note authors of Kick
Former players and supporters of the defunct HFC Haarlem gathered for a reunion to celebrate the club's legacy 16 years after its bankruptcy. The event marked the release of a tribute magazine titled ...
Robert Vuijsje’s (55) favorite word: ‘We are those old-school Amsterdammers who know what we mean by luck’
Author Robert Vuijsje will compete in the upcoming Groot Amsterdams Dictee on October 10. He emphasizes the importance of local dialect, noting that specific phrases serve as a social signal among res...
Film distributor Pim Hermeling's Amsterdam: 'The bike path on Bilderdijkstraat could use an upgrade. What a misery'
Pim Hermeling, director of September Film and Het Ketelhuis, shares his daily routine and personal preferences as a resident of Amsterdam. He highlights his favorite local spots while voicing criticis...
From Norwegian drama to French classics: these are the 21 international films of Paff
The Paff 2026 film festival features a selection of 21 international titles, ranging from the Romanian-Norwegian production Fjord to the New York-based comedy-drama Club Kid. These films will be scree...
Karsu sang her first songs here, at Turkish restaurant Kilim on Ceintuurbaan 246
Singer Karsu shares memories of her family's Turkish restaurant, Kilim, in Amsterdam, where she performed early piano concerts as a teenager. Her career flourished following a national television appe...
On All Set The Bone, Greg Freeman now more frequently pours his signature mix into catchy song structures
American singer-songwriter Greg Freeman has released his third album, All Set The Bone, which explores themes of resilience using a diverse blend of alt-country and indie rock. The nearly seventy-minu...
100 years of Hema: a retail revolution that started in the wrong spot on Kalverstraat
Founded in 1926 by two Bijenkorf directors, Hema was established to provide affordable consumer goods while prioritizing long-term job security for its employees. The company's supportive culture help...
Review: Songs in the Key of Life - the EP: hopefully Stevie Wonder plays these tracks at the Ziggo Dome
Stevie Wonder has released a new EP featuring four previously unheard tracks from the original recording sessions of his landmark 1976 album, Songs in the Key of Life. The artist is set to perform the...
Stirrings Still review: a happy combination of ingredients
Stirrings Still, the final prose work by Samuel Beckett, has been transformed into a performance featuring new music by Trevor Bača. The piece, featuring narrator Paul Griffiths and the JACK Quartet,...
Rasja (55) and Ghislaine (26): ‘I was already working behind the counter in your dental practices when I was sixteen’
Rasja and her daughter Ghislaine discuss how Ghislaine grew up working in the family dental practice in Amsterdam. By starting at the front desk at age sixteen, Ghislaine gained enough experience to f...