BigshotsamsterdamVisit Website →
← Back to blog

Where to Watch Eurovision in Amsterdam: Bars, Parties, TV

November 9, 2026
Where to Watch Eurovision in Amsterdam: Bars, Parties, TV

The easiest way to watch Eurovision in Amsterdam is on NPO 1 with friends, either at a bar or café that shows the final on a big screen, at a ticketed viewing party, or at home with your own spread. The Netherlands returns to the contest in 2027, and the final is set for Saturday 15 May 2027 in Burgas, Bulgaria. Most Amsterdam viewing nights are announced only a few weeks ahead, so this guide gives you the pattern, the typical prices and a plan for each kind of night out.

Bigshotsamsterdam
Make Eurovision a Night Out
Bigshots Amsterdam brings together a sports bar, restaurant, café, and shisha lounge for food, drinks, and time with friends.
Visit Bigshots Amsterdam

TL;DR

  • The 2027 grand final is on Saturday 15 May, with semi-finals on Tuesday 11 May and Thursday 13 May. The Dutch broadcast is on NPO 1, streamed on NPO Start.
  • In Amsterdam, most bars and cafés that show the contest have free entry. Cinemas and hotel rooftops sell tickets, which cost €7.50 and €20 in 2025.
  • A separate Eurovision weekend in April and a November concert show at the Ziggo Dome are concerts and parties, not the live contest. Check that before you buy.
  • Going with a group? Book a table early for the final and pick a place with a clear view of the screen and a kitchen that stays open.
  • We are a sports bar, shisha lounge, restaurant and café, and we host group events. Ask us about your plans.

Table of Contents

When Eurovision happens, and what is the Dutch angle in 2027

Eurovision is a three-show event: two semi-finals and one grand final, all on weeknights and a Saturday in May. For 2027, the contest takes place at Arena Burgas in Bulgaria, with semi-finals on Tuesday 11 May and Thursday 13 May and the grand final on Saturday 15 May 2027. Confirm times on the NPO page closer to the date, because start times are set by the broadcaster.

Timeline of the three Eurovision 2027 shows

There is also news that changes the mood in Dutch bars this year. The Netherlands stayed away from the 2026 contest in Vienna, but NPO confirmed on 23 September 2026 that the country will take part again in 2027. The Dutch entry will be chosen by an independent team of experts coordinated by NPO, and as of October 2026 the artist had not been announced. Expect that announcement to fill group chats in the months before May.

For viewers, this means a Dutch act to cheer for again. A watch night with a national flag in the mix tends to be louder than one where you pick favorites at random.

How to watch the broadcast on Dutch TV

You do not need a ticket or a subscription to see the contest. In 2026, Ziggo's schedule listed the first semi-final on Tuesday 12 May at 21:00, the second on Thursday 14 May at 21:00 and the grand final at 21:00 on Saturday, all on NPO 1. Replays ran on NPO Start or NPO Plus. Dutch audiences could watch all three shows live even in a year when the Netherlands had no entry.

For 2027, all three live shows are planned for NPO 1 and streaming on NPO Start, with NOS handling the preview, coverage and commentary. A few practical notes:

  • The grand final starts in the evening and runs for several hours, so plan dinner before or during it.
  • Commentary is in Dutch. If your group is international, ask a venue whether it can run the sound or subtitles in a way that suits you, or watch somewhere with the volume low and music playing.
  • If you want to catch the semi-finals, which decide who reaches the final, remember they fall on weekdays. A bar that is quiet on a Tuesday night gives you a better seat.

What an Amsterdam Eurovision night usually looks like

Amsterdam does not have one official Eurovision venue. Instead, a mix of places each year put on their own version. The most useful source is the city newspaper's yearly roundup: in 2025, Het Parool listed seven places for the final, and their formats show what to expect.

Type of placeEntry in 2025What was on offer
Bars and cafés in the city centerFreeLive broadcast on screens, DJ sets after the final, drag hosts, karaoke
Hostel barFreeSongfestival bingo with a free drink, themed cocktail
Cinema€7.50Big-screen setting with popcorn
Hotel rooftop€20Scorecard and a welcome drink
Youth and all-ages venueFreeOpen to all ages

The details are from 2025 and will change, so treat this as a map of formats rather than a program. Here is how each format tends to feel.

Free bars and cafés

These are the default choice for most people. You show up, find a spot and order drinks. The main trade-off is that popular places fill up by the start of the final, so arrive early if you want a seat with a clear view. Some add extras: at one café in 2025 guests in full Songfestival outfits got a free glitter shot, and another had karaoke and Eurotrash classics before the show and a DJ afterward.

Ticketed parties

A ticket buys you a guaranteed spot and usually a themed extra, such as a welcome drink and a scorecard to rank the songs. In 2025, the hotel rooftop party cost €20 and the cinema screening cost €7.50. If you have a group of six or more and you want everyone seated together, paying for a guaranteed place is often the calmer option.

Rooms for all ages

If you are going with kids or teenagers, look for venues that say so explicitly. In 2025 one venue on Atlantisplein was free and open to all ages. A bar in the center may be fine in the early evening and become a late-night party after the final.

Eurovision events that are not the live contest

Search results for this topic mix up several things. Before you buy a ticket, check whether the event shows the live broadcast.

  • The Dutch Eurovision Weekend. In 2026, it ran from Friday 10 April to Sunday 12 April, with a big party at Melkweg, Eurovision in Concert at AFAS Live and a pub quiz with karaoke. It is the kickoff of the season, a month before the contest. Concert tickets for the 2027 edition were already on sale in autumn 2026, so look at the organizer's own page for the schedule.
  • Eurovision in Concert. Many of the competing acts perform live. In 2026, 27 of the 35 competing acts were scheduled to appear at AFAS Live. It is a concert, not a viewing of the contest.
  • Het Grote Songfestivalfeest. This Dutch Eurovision party is produced by PilotStudio at the Ziggo Dome and broadcast on NPO 3. The 2026 edition was scheduled for 13 November, so it falls in November, not May.

A quick test: if the listing mentions the grand final, the date in May and the broadcast, it is a viewing party. If it names performers and a venue like a concert hall, it is a concert.

How to choose where to watch

Pick based on the group, not the hype. Ask four questions.

  1. How many of you are there? For two or three people, walk-ins work. For eight, call ahead a few weeks before and ask about a table.
  2. Do you want to hear the commentary? Rooms with a DJ or karaoke often turn the sound down. If the show matters to you, choose a quieter room.
  3. Do you want to eat? The final starts in the evening and lasts a long time. A place with a full kitchen means no one leaves at 22:00 for dinner.
  4. When do you want to leave? After the final, many places turn into a club night. If you want an early finish, pick a restaurant or café.

If your plans extend past the final, our guide to Amsterdam nightlife and our look at lively bar entertainment will help you decide where to go next.

Hosting your own Eurovision night

A lot of Dutch fans make Eurovision a private tradition. The ingredients are simple: a scorecard for each person, a few themed snacks, an agreed scoring rule and one person in charge of the remote.

If you want a room instead of a living room, our guide to hosting events at a sports bar explains what to prepare: group size, screen position, food and drink plan and timing. A sports bar is built for exactly this kind of shared screen night, with a big group facing a big picture and a lively crowd.

Our perspective

Eurovision is the one night when a whole room agrees to watch the same show, argue about the same songs and cheer for the same flag. We build our venues for that kind of evening. We are a sports bar, a shisha lounge, a restaurant and a café in one, with three central locations in Amsterdam, so a group can eat, drink and settle in without moving.

What matters most to us is the atmosphere: a lively, relaxed room where friends can hang out, couples can have a quiet table and a big group can take over a corner. Eurovision is a long show, and good food and craft cocktails keep a night going. If you are planning one for your friends, tell us how many people are coming and what kind of night you want. We will tell you how we can help.

Leo

Eat and drink around the final

With a three-hour broadcast, food plans matter. Our menu covers breakfast, tapas, soups, salads, steaks, burgers, pizza, pasta, several plates and drinks, so a group with different tastes can all find something. Tapas and several plates suit a table that wants to share while watching the screen.

Eat and drink around the final

If you would rather host at home, our delivery page lets you order food online. And if your plan is to stay out after the show, our lounge experiences are made for a slower, more social end to the evening. Prices are not published on the site, so check the pages for current details.

For a calendar of other big screen nights, see our guides to where to watch football in Amsterdam and big screen bars for sports fans.

Bigshotsamsterdam

A simple plan for the 2027 final

Here is a timeline that works for most groups.

  • February to March: The Dutch artist is announced and viewing parties begin to appear in listings. Pick your group's date and decide how big you want it to be.
  • April: The Dutch Eurovision Weekend and the concert season start. Treat these as a warm-up. Ticketed concert events sell out earlier than bar nights.
  • Early May: Book a table or buy a ticket for the final. Decide who will bring flags and who will fill in the scorecards.
  • Tuesday 11 and Thursday 13 May: Watch the semi-finals, either at home or at a quiet bar.
  • Saturday 15 May: Arrive early, eat before the show starts and keep the evening open for after the votes.

As a rule, check each venue's own page or social channels a few weeks before the final. Programs, ticket prices and opening hours are set late and change from year to year.

FAQ

Do I need a ticket to watch Eurovision in an Amsterdam bar?

Usually not. In 2025, most of the bars, cafés and hostel bars listed by Het Parool had free entry. Ticketed formats, such as a cinema screening at €7.50 or a hotel rooftop party at €20, exist for people who want a guaranteed spot. Check the venue's page for the current year.

Which channel shows Eurovision in the Netherlands?

NPO 1 shows the semi-finals and the grand final, and you can stream them on NPO Start. NOS provides the commentary and coverage. The 2027 final is on Saturday 15 May.

Is Eurovision in Concert the same as watching the contest?

No. Eurovision in Concert is a live show where many of the competing artists perform at AFAS Live in April, weeks before the contest. It is a concert, not a screening of the broadcast. Het Grote Songfestivalfeest at the Ziggo Dome is another separate event, held in November.

Can I bring a group to a viewing night?

Yes, but plan ahead. Free-entry bars fill up quickly on the night of the final, so a group should arrive early or ask about a reservation. If you want a private setup, ask a venue about hosting an event for your group.

Sources