King's Day
27 April
The city's biggest communal knees-up takes place each April, ostensibly to mark the official birthday of newly appointed King Willem-Alexander. Expect an orange-hued, alcohol-fuelled street party of citywide proportions, with open-air concerts, huge crowds and countless street markets.
Holland Festival
June
The country's oldest and most substantial performing arts festival takes place in Amsterdam each June, with a varied roster encompassing opera, theatre, film, modern dance and multimedia, among other cultural disciplines.
Open Garden Days
June
Some 30 canal-side gardens are opened to the public over the third weekend of June each year, giving tourists the chance to see a side to the city that usually remains off-limits. There's always an annual theme to the garden displays. Tickets need to be purchased.
Grachtenfestival
August
A 10-day festival of classical music held across various canal locations - many of them astonishingly picturesque - Grachtenfestival has been running since the 1990s and gives a platform for up-and-coming performers, as well as more experienced musicians.
Amsterdam Dance Event
October
Billed as 'the world's biggest club festival', ADE involves some 350 dance and electronic music events over the course of five nights, attracting some 200,000 clubbers and a star-studded line-up of international DJs. There are also various daytime events too.