Amsterdam is not only the European capital of tulips, cheese and windmills but also the ideal city to party, join festivals and nightlife. For years now, the night sphere of Amsterdam has been growing vertiginously and there are some of the best clubs of all kinds of music, including the best techno.
- Radion
- Shelter
- Club NYX
- AIR
- Vondelbunker
- De Marktkantine
- Crane Hotel Faralda
- Club Panama
- Warehouse Elementenstraat
- Melkweg
- Chicago Social Club
- De School
Something you have to consider when choosing the place to go it is not only which one is the best one but when they actually have a techno night. A lot of these clubs are great techno clubs but not every single day of the week. Events are planned ahead and it is better to keep track on them. Find out more about it in this article.
Best Techno Clubs in Amsterdam
If there is a type of music Amsterdam and the whole Netherlands, in general, is well-known for, is techno music. Dutch tend to be good at playing this music and organising proper events all year round, summer festivals and all-year-round club events.
If you are interested in paying a visit to one of the best techno clubs in Amsterdam, you are lucky, because there are many you will be able to choose from. In this article, I will make a list of the best 12 techno clubs that maybe are not exclusively techno clubs, but they have at least one techno night a week. A memorable one!
Something most of these clubs have in common is the way they organise the events and the prices and you will find in this article some useful information and some tips such as: most events take place during the weekend, mostly Friday and Saturdays, but get to know clubs that party during the week.
How much can you expect to pay? Prices tend to be considerably cheaper if you book them in advance online, even if it is while you are queueing to enter the place and buy it with your phone on the spot. Moreover, no need to print it, show it and you are in.
Another element these clubs have in common are the rooms for smokers, ready for you not to have to leave the building in the middle of the concert or to go under the rain, without disturbing the rest of the crowd.
Here there is the list of the best 12 clubs in Amsterdam for techno lovers:
Radion
Radion is not only one of the best techno clubs in the capital of the Netherlands but a very popular cafe and pizza place where you will be able to go and enjoy of music and food until 10 pm every day of the week. However, on Fridays, there are special events, techno music nights and more.
It is a very popular place not only due to the music but thanks to the atmosphere: Radion is a place were resurgent artists, photographers and designers can expose their creations and get feedback and sell their art.
It is also very commonly frequented by students because it is located next to a university apartment building, making it ideal for the younger generations to enjoy music and food on a weekly basis.
- Location: Louwesweg 1, 1066 EA Amsterdam, Netherlands (Amsterdam Nieuw-West, close to Niewsloten)
- Events: they do most events on Friday nights and you can check them on their website.
- Price: 10-20 euros per person.
- Opening Time: events tend to start at around 11:00 pm and close at 1:00 am, yet t depends on the event and they will stay open until late at night and will open at midday.
- Music: Of course, mostly techno
Shelter
Shelter is another artistic place that shares the purpose: techno music during the night and art and exhibitions during the day. It is an inspiring place with plenty of exhibitions of all kinds, temporary and permanent ones.
Moreover, during the night, this inspiring place becomes a club across the Ij River for techno programmes.
- Location: Overhoeksplein 3, 1031 KS Amsterdam, Netherlands (next to Eye Filmmuseum in North Amsterdam)
- Events: once again, they offer their programmes on their official website on a daily basis.
- Price: Standard price
- Opening Time: Open 24 hours, every day, all day.
- Music: Mostly techno, but you have to check the programmes.
Club NYX
Club NYX doesn’t only offer techno nights, but also R&B, pop, rock and 80s, 70s, 00s and 90s nights. However, on Fridays there is always a special night, normally dedicated to techno.
Nyx is not only a Greek Godness but also a four-floors building decorated with colourful walls, a typical Dutch house transformed into a dance floor, with the typical brick walls but covered on fluorescent paint.
- Location: Reguliersdwarsstraat 42, 1017 BM Amsterdam, Netherlands (close to the Flower Market, in the centre of Amsterdam)
- Events: on their cool website you will be able to check their agenda.
- Price: you can find tickets from Fases, from 1 to 4 and from 12 to 6 euros for each ticket.
- Opening Time: on Thursdays from 11 pm until 4 am, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 pm until 5 am.
- Music: all different kinds of music, all different kinds of people. To make sure to go to a techno night, you gotta check out their agenda.
AIR
AIR Club Amsterdam is an electronic music club, including good Techno. In AIR you are promised a unique experience in one of the best 100 clubs in the world (according to the prestigious ranking of DJ MAGS).
AIR Club values are also important: freedom and equality, diversity and creativity and all of this for visitors and locals, creating a unique atmosphere.
There is room for over 1300 guests in every party, making it a big and popular space in comparison to the small party rooms in the centre of Amsterdam.
- Location: Amstelstraat 24, 1017 DA Amsterdam, Netherlands (by the Amstel River, also closed to the Iced Bar in the centre)
- Events: in order to get your tickets and check the agenda, visit their website.
- Price: the price depends on the event.
- Opening Time: not available
- Music: Electronic Music
Vondelbunker
Vondelbunker is probably the most original concept of a club you will find in Amsterdam. It is a club because you can belong to it as a member, yet it is literally a bunker in Vondelpark where they do events of any sort, including techno music.
Why is it so original? because it is a non-profit organisation so most events are free for everybody to join. Some of them are outside, some of them inside, yet all of them free.
The way they earn money is by people belonging to the club, so you can pay 5-15 euros per months to belong to this awesome club as a member. It is a place for exhibitions, events and art, but every month they include many nights of electronic techno, unknown electronics and what they call acid techno.
- Location: Vondelpark 8A, 1071 AA Amsterdam, Netherlands (under the bridge in Vondelpark)
- Events: check out their events, including electronic and techno nights here.
- Price: free, unless you want to become a member and help the association
- Opening Time: it depends on the event
- Music: electronic, unknown electronics, acid techno and more.
De Marktkantine
This is probably a lot of people’s favourites, including my own. Marktkantine is definitely what you would expect from a night out in Amsterdam, clubbing like most people normally do, big hangars as full as they can be with smoke, dance and good live music.
De Marktkantine is a restaurant and bar during the afternoon and a techno club during the night, that is why you will be able to find bars around it, picnic tables and a total transformation of the space during the night.
They don’t always offer techno music, but when they do they bring 5-8 DJs every night and it is neverending of live techno music.
It is important to consider that depending on the event, this club only admits +21 guests.
- Location: Jan van Galenstraat 6, 1051 KM Amsterdam, Netherlands (by Centrale Markt Quartier)
- Events: here is their agenda where you will be able to keep track of all different kinds of events.
- Price: around 10-20 euros, depending on the event
- Opening Time: every Friday and Saturday from 11 pm until 5 am.
- Music: everything, including Techno nights
Crane Hotel Faralda
This is probably one of the most exclusive clubs. As you can figure it out by the name, Crane Hotel Faralda is technically a hotel, yet inside there is the Crane, Faralda club.
This is a very exclusive club where you will be able to get tickets for the events on their Facebook page and on their direct email (info@faralda.com), otherwise, you cannot enter.
Residents night is the night for clubbing, techno and house music. If you are interested, just check out the agenda and you try to get into this exclusive event, besides, the building cannot be cooler.
- Location: NDSM-Plein 78, 1033 WB Amsterdam, Netherlands (next to IJ Hallen in North Amsterdam)
- Events: you can find them on their Facebook page and on their official website
- Price: It depends on the event
- Opening Time: It depends on the event
- Music: All kinds of house and techno music
Club Panama
Club Panama has to be another one of the most popular and famous techno clubs in Amsterdam. If you are interested in a particular DJ, they offer a long list of musicians they collaborate with every week.
It is definitely not a fancy space and more of a laid back atmosphere but has a lot of advantages: amazing location (close to Amsterdam Central Station), amazing music (live techno music) and every week (at least every Thursday).
- Location: Oostelijke Handelskade 4, 1019 BM Amsterdam, Netherlands (in front of IJ Haven)
- Events: check out the events on their website
- Price: you can get tickets from 11 euros until 360 euros if you want a lady table, for 6 women, champagne and more. It depends on the event.
- Opening Time: opening on Fridays and Saturdays from 11 pm until 5 am
- Music: Mostly house & techno DJs & live acts by the river IJ
Warehouse Elementenstraat
Warehouse Elementenstraat is located in the industrial neighbourhood of Amsterdam, the ideal atmosphere for this techno-industrial club.
This club is one of the first ones in the Dutch sphere, created in the 90s and ideal for Underground-House and Techno music lovers who would love to visit a piece of history and hear good techno music.
Expect: huge, industrial, underground and a parking-load-style club.
- Location: Elementenstraat 25, 1014 AR Amsterdam, Netherlands (Isolatorweg, North of Westernpark)
- Events: you can find events and tickets here.
- Price: it depends on the event
- Opening Time: it also depends on the event
- Music: Underground House and Techno Music
Melkweg
Melkweg literally means the milk way (or milk system) and it is another old factory that has been renovated to join the night sphere of Amsterdam.
The building is a big culture centre in the centre of Amsterdam and during the night it becomes one of the most popular clubs: it is big, it is fresh, new, cool and one of the best places to find techno music nights.
- Location: Lijnbaansgracht 234A, 1017 PH Amsterdam (close to Leidseplein, the centre of Amsterdam)
- Events: once again, on their official website you will find the latest updates and events. Visit them on Techno Tuesdays.
- Price: you can find events for 15 to 40 euros, and you can join the membership programme for 4-30 euros if you want discounts on the events.
- Opening Time: Monday, Tuesday and Saturday & Sunday: 11 pm until 05:00 am
- Music: House, Drum, Bass, Electronic Music and Techno
Chicago Social Club
Chicago Social Club is a very cool and intimate place, a 2-storey building where you will be able to find house, hip-hop & techno nights, plus there is also a cool cocktail bar available every day of the week.
If you are going to be in the centre of Amsterdam and are looking for a cool place to enjoy some techno, this is a locals and tourists friendly bar open every day of the weel until, at least, 4 am.
What else can you find? a cool spot, rather intimate, a balcony for outside air… nice atmospheres, cocktails and a big and changing menu.
These are some of the artists that normally feature this awesome club, in case you want to find out if there is an interesting one for you: Steve Bug, Thugfucker, H.O.S.H., Tom Trago, Chris Carrier, Paul Johnson, Omar S, HOMEWORK, Cajmere, Maceo Plex, FCL, Prins Thomas, Cinnaman, MK, DJ W!ld, Losoul, Benji B, Catz ‘N’ Dogz, Move D, Jerome Sydenham, Rick Wilhite and Session Victim.
- Location: Leidseplein 12, 1017 PT Amsterdam, Netherlands (in the heart of Amsterdam, Leidseplein)
- Events: you can check out their events on their Facebook page.
- Price: depends on the event, sometimes it is free but of course, consumption is there
- Opening Time: from 8 pm until 4 am every day of the week and on Fridays and Saturdays until 5 am.
- Music: there are house, hip hop and, of course, techno nights
De School
De School obviously used to be a school and nowadays it has become a cafe, restaurant, gym, art exhibition and a Thursday to Sunday night club. It is the ideal place for those of you who don’t want to wait until Friday to go out and enjoy life since they open from Thursdays until Sundays. They always offer a good selection of techno music.
This particular place is well-known and popular because of its cool environment, far away from the centre of Amsterdam and a little bit more Amsterdammer than touristic. You can make a dinner reservation and then go for an unforgettable night.
- Location: Dr. Jan van Breemenstraat 3, 1056 AB Amsterdam
- Events: You can check out their monthly offer on their official website.
- Price: Standard 9-20 euros per person.
- Opening Time: it is open 4 days a week, from Thursdays until Sundays for the techno events. If you are interested in the cafe and restaurant, these are open every day of the week, from 9 am until 10 pm/
- Music: Mostly Techno.
What you Should Know about Techno Clubs
Amsterdam is a very peculiar place for the club and party sphere and these change depending on the country. There are many different characteristics that always change, place to place:
- Dress Code: if you are like me, this is rather important. However, since we are talking about the Netherlands, it is worth mentioning that there is no real dress code. Unless it is specifically asked on an event, you can wear literally whatever you want and nobody will care, like at all.
- Transportation: In most cases, you will end up getting out of the club at 4 or 5 am, which means the best way to go back home or to your hotel is with Uber. Read more about rates and information in my latest article (Uber or Taxi?). Public transportation starts in areas, at 6 am. If you have a bike, it is ideal!! However, if you want to find a night bus, these have a very narrowed schedule. Find more about public transportation schedules and location on 9292.nl.
- Prices: in most cases, you will see that buying the tickets online is the best option because you will save some euros. It is also important to do it if you really want to attend that event because it may be sold out, depending on the size of the club.
