Gay Amsterdam: LGBTQ+ Bars, Memorials and Pride Events

A history of emancipation in a few dates

The Dutch movement for gay rights was born in Amsterdam in the aftermath of the war. On 7 December 1946, a small circle of readers of the magazine Levensrecht founded the Shakespeareclub, renamed in 1949 the Cultuur- en Ontspanningscentrum, the COC. It is today the oldest LGBTQIA+ organisation in the world still in operation.

In the 1970s and 1980s, nightlife centred on the Rembrandtplein and the Reguliersdwarsstraat, while activists secured the construction of a national monument, unveiled in 1987. On 1 April 2001, the Netherlands became the first country in the world to open civil marriage to same-sex couples: just after midnight, the mayor of Amsterdam performed the first four weddings at the city hall.

In 2026, twenty-five years later, the city hosted WorldPride.

The Homomonument, on the Westermarkt

At the foot of the Westerkerk, on the edge of the Keizersgracht, the Homomonument is the world's first monument to gay men and women persecuted by the Nazi regime. More broadly, it honours all LGBTQIA+ people persecuted for their sexual orientation or gender identity, past and present.

Designed by Amsterdam artist Karin Daan, it was unveiled on 5 September 1987. It takes up the pink triangle that the Nazis sewed onto the clothing of gay prisoners in the camps. Three pink granite triangles, each 10 metres per side, together form a large triangle on the square. One is level with the pavement, another forms a raised platform, and the third steps down to the water of the canal. They stand for the past, the present and the future.

Each of the three points faces a meaningful place:

• the Anne Frank House, on the Prinsengracht, a few steps away;
• the National Monument on Dam Square, dedicated to the victims of the Second World War;
• the COC, the organisation founded in 1946.

Flowers are often laid on the point that touches the water. The monument is freely accessible day and night.

Gatherings at the Homomonument

The monument is also a gathering place:

• 4 May: for National Remembrance Day, the Homomonument foundation holds a commemoration from 7.50 pm, with the national two minutes' silence just before 8 pm, followed by the national anthem, speeches and a wreath-laying.
• 27 April: on King's Day, a party is held on the square in the afternoon (from 1 pm to 8 pm in 2026).
• 5 September: for the monument's anniversary, the public is invited to light a candle at nightfall in memory of loved ones who have passed away.

The Walk of Pride, from the Dam to the Westermarkt

Unveiled on 8 July 2026 to open the WorldPride programme, the Walk of Pride is a permanent monument made up of 53 bronze paving stones set into the pavements. The route starts on the Dam, in front of the entrance to the Nieuwe Kerk, and follows the Raadhuisstraat to the Homomonument. Each stone bears the name of a Dutch or international figure who mattered in LGBTQIA+ history, with their dates and role: you will come across, for example, trans pioneer Dirkje Kuik, writer Edgar Cairo and Jillis Bruggeman, a merchant executed in 1803 for a relationship with a man.

The walk, free and open to all, takes about twenty minutes. It combines naturally with a stroll through the canal ring, which starts at the Westermarkt.

Pink Point and the IHLIA archives

Next to the Homomonument, on the Westermarkt, Pink Point is an information kiosk run by volunteers. You will find information on LGBTQIA+ life in Amsterdam, brochures from local organisations and a shop selling flags, postcards and Pride-themed items. It is open Sunday to Thursday from 12 noon to 6 pm, Friday and Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm.

To delve deeper into the history, IHLIA LGBTI Heritage holds Europe's largest collection devoted to LGBTI people: books, magazines, archives, posters. It is located on the 3rd floor of the OBA Oosterdok library, near Centraal station. The exhibition space and the book section are free to visit, without an appointment, during library opening hours. Rare archive items can only be consulted on site, on request made several days in advance; the information desk receives visitors by appointment Monday to Thursday, from 10 am to 5 pm.

Information checked in October 2026 on the official websites of each venue and of I amsterdam.

The Zeedijk and café 't Mandje

The Zeedijk, a former dyke turned street, runs from the harbour near Centraal station down to the Nieuwmarkt and the Waag. It was here, in 1927, that Bet van Beeren, a woman who lived openly as a lesbian, opened café 't Mandje. Closed in 1982, it reopened in 2008, then again on 1 June 2025 after a renovation. It is one of the city's oldest LGBTQIA+ bars, and its small room fills up quickly at weekends.

A little further up the same street, The Queen's Head (Zeedijk 20) is a gay café with retro decor, known for its drag queen-hosted bingo on Tuesdays at 8.30 pm and its drag shows on Thursday evenings. It opens daily from 4 pm. The Zeedijk borders the red-light district, where special rules apply in the evening: they are set out in our guide to Amsterdam at night.

Reguliersdwarsstraat and the scene's other streets

The Reguliersdwarsstraat, which links the area around the Muntplein and the Munttoren to the Rembrandtplein, has been the main street of Amsterdam's gay nightlife since the 1970s. Bars follow one after another over a few hundred metres; Taboo, for example, offers drinks, snacks and drag shows.

Other venues are spread across the centre and beyond. All of them feature in the LGBTQIA+ selection of the I amsterdam tourist office:

• Bar Spijker, on the Kerkstraat, a gay bar open since the late 1970s, with a pool table;
• Café Saarein, in the Jordaan, a lesbian café open to all queer people;
• De Lellebel, near the Rembrandtplein, a venue run by a trans person, with drag nights, comedy and karaoke on Sundays;
• Prik, near the Dam, a bar known for its cocktails and pink decor;
• Bar Buka, on the Albert Cuypstraat in De Pijp, designed first and foremost for women and the lesbian community.

Bars generally close at 1 am on weeknights and at 3 am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Pride Amsterdam and the year's other events

The big event remains Pride Amsterdam, in late July and early August. The 2027 edition will run from Saturday 31 July to Sunday 8 August 2027, with the Canal Parade on the canals on Saturday 7 August, from 12 noon to 6 pm. On the first Saturday, the Pride Walk crosses the city centre to the Pride Park in the Vondelpark. Our attraction page details the route and the rules to follow.

Alongside Pride, the Milkshake Festival, an electronic music festival open to everyone and very popular with LGBTQIA+ crowds, takes over the Westerpark: the 2026 edition took place on 25 and 26 July. The 2027 dates had not yet been announced in October 2026.

Practical tips for your stay

Amsterdam is a welcoming city: holding hands or kissing in the street generally attracts no attention, and the Dutch Constitution prohibits discrimination. The precautions are those of any big tourist city:

• in the evening, keep an eye on your belongings in the crowded streets of the centre and never leave your drink unattended;
• turn down offers from street dealers in the red-light district, and only take taxis from official ranks or via apps;
• if there is a problem, call 112 in an emergency; to report an assault or verbal abuse after the fact, the police can be reached on 0900 8844.

Our guide to scams and safety in Amsterdam covers the most common traps.

For accommodation, the vast majority of Amsterdam hotels welcome same-sex couples without any difficulty. Staying in the canal ring puts you within walking distance of the bars and memorial sites. During Pride, prices soar: book several months ahead. Our guide where to stay in Amsterdam compares the neighbourhoods.

Further reading

For a full evening after visiting the Homomonument, our guide to Amsterdam at night presents the areas to go out in, the clubs and the night buses. If you are coming in summer, the Pride Amsterdam page gives the programme for the 2027 edition, and the Westerkerk, next door to the monument, is well worth a visit.