Christmas 2026 · Amsterdam
Carol services and Christmas concerts in Amsterdam, 2026
In Amsterdam, English carols are sung by candlelight in the Begijnhof, in the English Reformed Church at the heart of its quiet courtyard, and in December the Concertgebouw fills with Bach and Handel. Here is every carol service and Christmas concert for 2026 that we could confirm on the church’s and the hall’s own pages on 12 November 2026.
Updated October 2026
Carols in the Begijnhof: the English Reformed Church
The English-speaking church in the Begijnhof holds its Carols by Candlelight, a traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols, on Friday 11 December 2026 from 8pm to 9.30pm; the church opens at 7.30pm, and the service is also livestreamed. On Sunday 13 December, straight after the morning service, the music director Richard Zook leads carolling on the Spui, from 11.45am.
On Friday 18 December at 1pm, the Kimbolton School Choir gives a lunchtime concert, with admission free: Vierne’s Messe solennelle, Harold Darke’s In the Bleak Midwinter, the Sussex Carol and The Holly and the Ivy among them. A joint carol service follows on Sunday 20 December at 4pm.
Our advice: the church is small, so arrive when the doors open at 7.30pm.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsEnglish Reformed Church: Carols by Candlelight English Reformed Church: carolling on the Spui English Reformed Church: Kimbolton School Choir English Reformed Church: joint carol service
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
On Thursday 24 December the English Reformed Church holds a Christmas Eve family service at 5.30pm, and its Christmas Eve service from 10pm, which begins with carols. On Friday 25 December the Christmas Day service is at 10.30am; both main services are livestreamed for those who cannot come.
Our advice: on Christmas Eve, come early for the late service and take a moment in the Begijnhof’s quiet courtyard before you go in.
English Reformed Church: Christmas Eve family service English Reformed Church: Christmas Eve service English Reformed Church: Christmas Day service
Christmas at the Concertgebouw
The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra gives its Christmas concert on Sunday 13 December at 2.15pm, with the pianist and conductor Kristian Bezuidenhout and the National Mixed Youth Choir in Baroque works by Purcell, Handel and Bach (from €29). On Wednesday 16 December at 7.30pm, the Nederlands Kamerkoor and Cappella Mediterranea under Leonardo García Alarcón perform Bach’s Christmas Oratorio (from €29).
The Netherlands Philharmonic and Lorenzo Viotti give a festive holiday concert, without an interval, on Saturday 19 and Monday 21 December at 8.15pm (from €29, under-30s €20, drinks included). On Sunday 20 December at 7.30pm, the choir of the Netherlands Handel Society and the Holland Symfonie Orkest under Ed Spanjaard perform Handel’s Messiah (€50–€55, under-30s €26).
Our advice: the Concertgebouw adds a €5 fee per order, so book the Oratorio and the Messiah together.
I amsterdam: Christmas concert, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra Concertgebouw: Bach’s Christmas Oratorio Concertgebouw: festive holiday concert Concertgebouw: the Messiah
What is still to come
De Nieuwe Kerk on the Dam is closed on 25 December and 1 January this season. When we checked, Christ Church Amsterdam (Anglican) had not yet listed its 2026 Lessons and Carols, and the Westerkerk, the Oude Kerk and the Basilica of St Nicholas had not yet published their Christmas 2026 services; we will add them as they are confirmed.
Our advice: the English Reformed Church posts its liturgy sheets and livestream links nearer the day, so check its calendar the week before you go.
Questions and answers
Where can I hear English carols in Amsterdam at Christmas 2026?
At the English Reformed Church in the Begijnhof: Carols by Candlelight, a service of Nine Lessons and Carols, on Friday 11 December 2026 at 8pm (doors 7.30pm), carolling on the Spui on 13 December, and a joint carol service on 20 December at 4pm.
Is there a Christmas Eve service in English in Amsterdam?
Yes. The English Reformed Church in the Begijnhof holds a Christmas Eve family service at 5.30pm on Thursday 24 December 2026, and a Christmas Eve service from 10pm that begins with carols; the Christmas Day service is at 10.30am on 25 December.
When is Handel’s Messiah at the Concertgebouw in 2026?
On Sunday 20 December 2026 at 7.30pm in the Main Hall, with the choir of the Netherlands Handel Society and the Holland Symfonie Orkest under Ed Spanjaard; tickets are €50–€55, or €26 for under-30s.
Every service and concert from the church’s or hall’s own page (erc.amsterdam, concertgebouw.nl, nieuwekerk.nl) or the city’s tourist board (iamsterdam.com), checked 12 November 2026. Prices are as each venue prints them. Check before you go.