Two of Amsterdam’s best-known stages began as a church and a milk factory. Our Amsterdam Music Experience takes a group through the city behind the scenes, with workshops, performances and the people who make the music.
Amsterdam
Two stages with a past
Paradiso stands in a building put up in 1879 and 1880 for De Vrije Gemeente, the Free Congregation, and it still has large stained glass windows behind the stage, which earned it the nickname Pop Temple. It opened as a venue on 30 March 1968, and Pink Floyd played there on 23 May of that year. The Sex Pistols followed on 6 and 7 January 1977, and Nirvana on 25 November 1991. The main hall holds 1,500 people.
The Melkweg, Dutch for Milky Way, was a sugar refinery first and from 1920 to 1969 a milk factory. It opened as a cultural venue on 17 July 1970, near the Leidseplein, with concert halls, a cinema, a restaurant and an exhibition space.
A guitarist performing at the end of a bar
A city that built a music industry
Amsterdam also became a meeting place for the people who make electronic music. The Amsterdam Dance Event began in 1996 as a three-day conference with 300 delegates and thirty DJs. Today it is a five-day conference and festival held every year in mid-October.
A crowd at a concert, one guest holding up a phone
The Amsterdam Music Experience
In our programme a group follows a curated route through the city, guided by interactive software or hosted by music insiders, and follows the story of Amsterdam’s music scene from underground clubs to global stages. Along the way they unlock behind-the-scenes moments: backstage tours at iconic venues, DJ workshops and masterclasses, meet-and-greets with artists, intimate live performances and short keynotes by industry professionals.
Between those moments the city is the soundtrack. Stories of creative rebellion, innovation and nightlife come to life in the neighbourhoods where genres were born and scenes collided.
A musician playing an acoustic guitar on the street
Practical
Format: a curated route through the city, guided by interactive software or hosted by music insiders.
Moments on the route: backstage tours, DJ workshops and masterclasses, meet-and-greets, intimate live performances and short keynotes.
Good for: groups who want to experience the city through its music, not just see it.
Venue access and artist availability depend on the venues and artists themselves; we confirm in advance and never promise what they have not agreed.
Sources
Wikipedia, Paradiso (Amsterdam): the building, the opening on 30 March 1968, the nickname, the capacity and the concerts.
Wikipedia, Melkweg: the sugar refinery and the milk factory, the name and the opening in 1970.
Wikipedia, Amsterdam Dance Event: the first edition in 1996 and the format today.
Endless Minds programme description: Amsterdam Music Experience.
From our programme description: Amsterdam Music Experience
Want to experience this with your own team?
Tell us the occasion and the number of guests, or call us on +31 6 42 60 21 03. We will tell you honestly whether we are the right partner, and what it would take.