Rotterdam Entertainment

Rotterdam has a good entertainment and nightlife scene. There are a range of clubs and music venues to suit your tastes, from cool jazz and rock venues to dance clubs; Rotterdam has it all. The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra has an international reputation and it is well worth getting tickets for a performance while you are here. There are some lively and interesting festivals here, with the unique Museum Night, where all the city’s museums open until 02:00, being one of the more unusual. For music lovers, the Gergiev Festival in September is well respected and offers a diverse programme.

Nightlife

Rotterdam has a vibrant and lively nightlife, with an array of clubs, music venues and entertainment.

The Baja Beach Club is one of the city’s most popular night spots, and it has a reputation for having a fun and party atmosphere, with the bar staff being part of the entertainment. The music tends to be quite wide-ranging, but generally upbeat.

Nighttown, considered one of Rotterdam’s first clubs, is another popular place, especially with fans of club music, attracting some well-respected DJs. The crowd and the music is diverse and this club attracts people from all walks of life.

For a slightly different but exciting scene, try your luck at the Rotterdam Casino, situated within the Hilton International Rotterdam Hotel. This huge casino has nearly 600 slot machines and over 50 gaming tables. The casino also has live entertainment every night.

Theatre and music

The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra was established in 1918 and now has an international reputation. They perform at De Doelen concert hall, in Kruisstraat 2, playing a mix of traditional and contemporary music.

For lovers of jazz, Dizzy is Rotterdam’s oldest and most well-known jazz café, with live music every night in a relaxed and laid-back atmosphere. The food is also popular. Crazy Pianos, located under the Erasmus Bridge, is another of the city’s most famous music cafés, with popular music played live on pianos and good food, from bar snacks to a full three-course dinners. With its bright neon lighting, the club is hard to miss and it attracts people of all ages.

The New Luxor Theatre is beautifully situated on the waterfront and is one of the biggest entertainment venues in the country, with a huge range of theatrical performances on offer here. Theatre Zuidplein, in the southern part of the city, has a good range of drama, musical and dance shows, and is well known for its cabaret performances.

Festivals

Rotterdam has a number of annual festivals, which are well worth experiencing if one coincides with your visit. The major festivals include:

• Museums Night is one of Rotterdam’s more unique festivals. Usually taking place at the end of February, this festival allows people to buy one ticket and visit all of Rotterdam’s museums and galleries in one evening from 20:00 to 02:00. Not only do you get the chance to see some fantastic galleries and interesting museums, but also the whole evening has become a great social event.
• The whole city takes on a Caribbean theme for July’s Zomercarnaval, with a colourful street parade, exotic food and music making this one of the most enjoyable of the city’s festivals.
• Every year in May, the Dunya festival displays art and culture from all over the world in a fun open-air setting. About 200,000 people attend each year, with a number of stages showing a variety of cultural shows, poetry readings, music, storytelling and dance. The show represents the main non-Dutch cultures in the city such as Moroccan, Surinamian, Indonesian, Antilian and Aruban and Cape Verdian. The Dunya festival takes place in the park, at Euromast in the city centre.
• The Gergiev Festival was first held in Rotterdam in 1996, established by Valery Gergiev, the musical director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic. The festival takes place over one week in September and always focuses on one theme rather than an era or an individual musician.