You can watch cricket in Amsterdam in three ways: at a club ground in the Amsterdam Forest, on a stream or Dutch TV channel at home, or on a big screen in a sports bar with a group. The right one depends on whether you want to see real cricket in person, follow an international match, or turn a match into a social evening. This guide covers all three, and how to check a venue before you cross town.
TL;DR
- For live, in-person cricket, go to a club ground. VRA, Amsterdam's oldest club, sits in the Amsterdam Forest and has a side in the national top league.
- For international matches, check a streaming guide such as JustWatch first. Some Netherlands matches have been shown on Dutch public TV.
- Bars choose what they screen, and cricket often runs at odd hours. Message the venue before you go, and never assume a match is on.
- Groups should book a table, ask about sound, and agree on food and drinks before the first ball.
- We are a sports bar, shisha lounge, restaurant and café with three central venues in Amsterdam. Contact us about the match you have in mind.
Table of Contents
- Three ways to watch cricket in Amsterdam
- Watching live cricket at an Amsterdam club
- Following international matches on TV or stream
- Watching cricket in a sports bar
- Food and drink for a long match
- Our perspective
- Plan your match day with us
- Choosing the right option for your situation
- A simple match-day checklist
- FAQ
- Sources
Three ways to watch cricket in Amsterdam
Cricket is not a mainstream sport in the Netherlands, but the country has a long-running domestic scene and a national side that plays in global tournaments. That means Amsterdam has real cricket if you know where to look, just not on every screen in every bar.
Here is how the three options compare.
| Option | Best for | What you get | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Club ground | Seeing live cricket in person | Real matches, a relaxed park setting | Fixture dates, start times, weather |
| Stream or TV at home | International and tournament matches | Full coverage, commentary | Which service holds the rights this week |
| Sports bar with big screens | Groups, evening matches, atmosphere | Shared viewing, food and drinks | Whether the match is screened, sound, seats |
Most fans end up mixing them. You might watch a Saturday club game in the forest, then catch a late international fixture with friends indoors.
Watching live cricket at an Amsterdam club
If you want to see cricket played, not just broadcast, go to a club. VRA is the oldest cricket club in Amsterdam, based in the Amsterdam Forest, and its first team plays in the national Topklasse league. The club publishes its schedule on its website, so you can pick a home fixture and plan around it.
Some practical points for a first visit:
- Check the fixture list the day before. Club cricket depends on the weather, and a match can be moved or shortened. The club's own schedule page is the place to confirm.
- Allow a long afternoon. Even shortened formats run for hours. Bring a layer, sun protection and something to sit on if you do not want to stand.
- Go by bike. The Amsterdam Forest is a green area on the edge of the city, and cycling is the easy way to reach it from most neighborhoods.
- Talk to people. Club cricket is social. Many players and supporters are happy to explain the rules to a newcomer, and the community is international.
For the best seat in the house you do not need a ticket in most cases at this level, but confirm with the club when you plan a visit, especially for bigger fixtures.
Following international matches on TV or stream
International cricket is where broadcast rights get complicated. Different tournaments sit with different providers, and rights can change from one season to the next. The most reliable approach is to look at a streaming guide on match day.
JustWatch's cricket page gives an overview of live cricket streams and TV broadcasts available in the Netherlands, and lists upcoming matches. Use it to see which service carries a given fixture before you sign up for anything.
Free-to-air coverage does happen. For example, all Netherlands matches at the 2026 T20 World Cup were live on NOS, the Dutch public broadcaster. If the national team plays in a major tournament, check NOS first, because the match may be on a channel and stream you already have.
A few habits make match day easier:
- Check the start time in Amsterdam time. Many international fixtures are played in other time zones, so a morning match in one country can be a night or early-morning slot here.
- Confirm the format. A T20 game takes roughly an evening; a one-day match takes most of a day; a Test match spreads over several days.
- Have a backup stream or app ready in case your first choice has a rights restriction.
Watching cricket in a sports bar
Watching with other people is half the fun, and that is where a sports bar earns its place. Big screens, several seats facing them, sound you can hear, and a kitchen and bar close at hand turn a long match into a good day out.
The catch: a bar decides what goes on its screens. Football, F1 and basketball often take priority, and cricket is usually shown on request or for major fixtures. That is why checking ahead matters more than choosing the biggest TV.
If you are comparing venues in general, our guides on how to pick big-screen spots for sports fans and a sports bar checklist for Amsterdam fans cover what to look for. For the basics of what a sports bar offers, see what a sports bar is in Amsterdam.
How to confirm a bar will show your match
Do not rely on a venue's general description of "live sports." Confirm the exact match.
- Message the venue. Use their social media, phone or contact form. Give the teams, the competition and the start time in Amsterdam time.
- Ask about the audio. Many bars play music over the screens. Ask whether the commentary can be on, or whether you will be watching with captions or on your own device.
- Ask which screen. If two matches overlap, find out which one gets the main screen and whether a second screen is available.
- Ask for confirmation in writing. A short message or reply is enough. Screen plans can change on the day, and a reply gives you something to point to.
- Arrive early. A confirmed screening does not guarantee a good seat if a football match fills the room.
This process works anywhere in the city. It is also the only reliable method, since no public list tracks which bar shows which cricket fixture.
What to check before you go
The practical details decide whether the evening works.
- Match time versus opening hours. Early-morning fixtures may start before a venue opens. Late-night ones may run past the kitchen's closing time. Ask both.
- Screens and sight lines. Cricket is a slow, wide game. A small screen at the back of the room is a poor way to follow it. Ask where the large screens are and where you can sit to face them.
- Sound. If you want commentary, say so. If the bar has a lively crowd, you may prefer a quieter section or a time before a football match starts.
- Group reservations. For four people or more, book. Say how long you plan to stay, since a cricket match can occupy a table for several hours.
- Terrace or indoor. For daytime matches in good weather, a terrace can be pleasant, but screens are usually indoors. Our terrace guide for lively spots can help you plan around the weather.
Food and drink for a long match
Cricket is a grazing sport. A match can run for hours, so what you order matters as much as the screen.
A few ideas for groups:
- Order in rounds. Start with sharing plates, then add mains at a natural break such as the innings change or a lunch or tea interval.
- Choose shareable food. Tapas and plates for the table keep everyone eating without leaving their seat. Pizza and burgers suit bigger groups.
- Pace the drinks. A long afternoon is easier on everyone if you mix in coffee, soft drinks or a non-alcoholic option between rounds.
- Agree on the bill. For groups, decide in advance whether to split evenly or pay per person. It saves a messy end to a good day.
- Plan breakfast for early starts. For overnight fixtures played in other time zones, a morning start with breakfast is a comfortable way to watch.
If your group includes smokers, ask about the venue's indoor and outdoor arrangements ahead of time, so everyone knows where they can sit.
Our perspective
We run a sports bar, a shisha lounge, a restaurant and a café under one roof, at three central venues in Amsterdam. That mix shapes how we think about a match day.
A long sporting event is a social event first. People want somewhere comfortable, with good food coming to the table, drinks that suit the mood, and a screen they can actually see. A room built for sports viewing handles that better than a venue where the TV is an afterthought.
Cricket asks for a bit more planning than football, because the schedule, the format and the time zones vary. So our advice is simple: tell us the match, the time and the size of your group before you come. We will tell you what we can do, and you will not turn up to the wrong room.
For groups, we think the best cricket days are the ones that mix watching with a proper meal and a relaxed lounge afterwards. That is the experience we have built our venues around.
Leo
Plan your match day with us
If you want a place to settle in for a long match with friends, Big Shots is a lively, relaxed spot with sports viewing, a full kitchen and a drinks list. Browse the menu, from breakfast to steaks and pizza to plan what your group will order, or read about our lounge experiences for the part of the day after the final over.
Can't make it in person? You can order our food through the delivery page and watch at home. Before a specific cricket match, contact us with the teams and the time so we can tell you what we can do on the day. For more on how we handle groups, see our guide to hosting events at a sports bar in Amsterdam.
Choosing the right option for your situation
So which route suits you? Match your situation to the setup.
You are a visitor with one free afternoon. Check a club fixture list for a home game and combine it with a day in the Amsterdam Forest. Keep a streaming app ready as a backup.
You grew up with cricket and miss the shared atmosphere. Find a bar with large screens, send your request early, and bring other fans. A group of six makes a better case for a screening request than a single message from one person.
You are new to the game. Start with a short format and a friendly crowd. Club matches are a gentle introduction, and a bar with food and drinks keeps things relaxed while you learn the rules.
You are organizing a group. Book a table, confirm the match and the sound, pre-agree the food, and name one person as the contact for the venue. If you want to see how a sports bar handles bigger bookings, our piece on why people watch sports in bars explains the appeal of the group experience, and our list of benefits of Amsterdam sports bars goes further.
If you are also a football fan, our guide to watching Eredivisie in Amsterdam explains how screening works on a typical match weekend, and our piece on an English bar in Amsterdam for food, drinks and sports covers the wider scene.
A simple match-day checklist
Copy this into a message to your group.
- Match, competition and start time in Amsterdam time.
- Where we are watching: club ground, home stream or bar.
- If a bar: confirmed by message, screen and sound agreed, table booked.
- If streaming: which service carries it, checked on match day.
- Food plan: when we eat, what we share, who pays.
- Weather and transport: bike route, rain gear, and a plan if the match is delayed.
- A backup: a second stream, or a second venue.
FAQ
Is there a bar in Amsterdam that always shows cricket?
No public list confirms a venue that shows every cricket match. Bars choose their screens match by match, and cricket depends on the fixture and the crowd. Message the venue with the match details and ask for a reply before you go.
Can I watch live cricket in Amsterdam without a bar?
Yes. VRA, the oldest club in the city, plays in the Amsterdam Forest, and its fixture list is on the club website. Check it shortly before a visit, since weather can change the schedule.
Where can I find which channel shows a cricket match in the Netherlands?
Use a streaming guide such as JustWatch's cricket page, which lists live streams, TV broadcasts and upcoming matches. For major tournaments involving the Dutch national team, NOS has shown matches live, so check its site as well.
Should I book a table to watch a match with a group?
Yes, especially for four or more people and for matches that run for several hours. Say how long you plan to stay, ask about the screen and the sound, and agree on the food plan in advance.
Can I eat and drink while watching cricket out?
Yes, and it suits the game, since matches are long. Share plates and order in rounds. Our menu shows what is available, and the delivery page is there if you would rather watch at home.
Sources
- Schedule 2026, VRA Cricket
- Cricket Live Stream & on TV today, JustWatch
- Nu live: cricket WK T20 Nederland - Verenigde Staten, NOS