Moonlight movies to miniatures: 11 great things for this summer

It’s hot but that doesn’t mean your brain has to turn into mush. Here are some great things to do in July and August, most of them outdoors.

Celebrate freedom with Keti Koti
Keti Koti, or “broken chains” in Sranantongo, kicks off with the Bigi Spikri, a colourful parade of people in traditional Surinamese garb, which makes its way from the Waterlooplein to the Oosterpark in Amsterdam, where the ceremony to commemorate the victims of slavery will take place.

There are activities, food and music galore at venues throughout the country. Have a look at the agenda for the day and beyond. July 1. Website

Say Hello Sailor
The luminous Grachtenmuseum in Amsterdam plays host to 30 years of floating Pride with the exhibition Love on the Canals, promising photos, personal stories and art.

Not all of the action is waterbound; the museum is also the start of three Queer City Walks which include the sites of iconic gay pride parties and secret historic places connected with queer life in the capital. From July 3. Website

See the tall ships in Harlingen
Harlingen is welcoming some spectacular tall ships during three days of maritime activity, including lectures on shipwrecks, a seaside market and a plethora of bands (don’t miss the Singing Mermaid). The undisputed highlight is the parade of the tall ships coming into harbour on July 3. July 3-6. Website

Follow the music
More indoor and outdoor fun is to be had at the Grachtenfestival, the yearly musical extravaganza showcasing upcoming talent in venues across the city of Amsterdam. From classical to jazz, soul and rock, there is something for everyone, including those with a niche preference for the bagpipe in baroque and folk music. August 7-16. Website

Find the pearl in the Amsterdamse Bos
Get your tickets for the third edition of the Bosfest theatre festival in the Amsterdamse Bos before it’s too late. They are limited because, the organisers say, this “hidden pearl” does not need crowds. It only needs those who are prepared to rummage among the roots and leaves of the forest to discover some challenging performances. August 11-22. Website

Mind the mozzies
The open-air Pleinbioscoop at the Wilhelminapier in Rotterdam will be showing a great selection of films old and new from August 11-28, including Calle Málaga, Spoorloos, Spirited Away and many others. In Amsterdam, it’s film night every Tuesday at Pllek on the city beach until September.

Don’t let go of the rings
Test your agility by interacting with the Choreographic Objects designed by choreographer William Forsythe at the Voorlinden in Wassenaar. The point of your acrobatics is to bodily experience the work by making your way through it, sometimes intuitively and sometimes by plotting a route. Great fun. Until August 23. Website

Get an impression of Le Havre
The Singer Museum in Laren has coaxed the Musée d’Art Moderne André Malraux in Le Havre to part temporarily with some of its top Impressionist works. Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, Raoul Dufy and Henri Matisse all loved Le Havre for its light, and wealthy patrons, who turned the town into an artists’ haven and the cradle of Impressionism. Masterpieces from Le Havre is on until September 13. Website

Sample the sprinkles at the H’ART
The air conditioning at the H’ART Museum in Amsterdam must be going full tilt to prevent the 30 chocolate sculptures in the Land van Hagelslag (the land of chocolate sprinkles) exhibition from melting.

The medium is very much part of the message of the sculptures by the Cercle d’Art des Travailleurs de Plantation Congolaise (CATPC). (Colonial) exploitation and inequality are rendered in cocoa, and the sacks in which it was transported have become the canvas on which portraits of plantation workers have been embroidered. Until November 8. Website

Think small with Levinthal
Also at the H’ART and a first for the Netherlands, American Myth and Memory features the photos of David Levinthal, who has restaged big moments in American history in miniature using toys. The miniature rendering of what have become beacons in the collective memory is unsettling and of its nature invites a closer look. Until September 6. Website

Take a dip into art
The Beelden aan Zee museum in Scheveningen conveniently combines a dip in the sea and art, making for the perfect summer outing. It recently opened its doors again, with an exhibition of works by Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti and Portuguese artist Rui Chafes. Rui Chafes X Alberto Giacometti. Gris, Vide, Cris III is on until January 10, 2027. Website