Melkweg

Photo: DigiDaan, CC BY-SA 4.0

Melkweg: Music venue in Leidseplein, Amsterdam

Live musicStep-free accessLockers

4.2

Melkweg is a concert hall and club in a former milk factory on the Lijnbaansgracht, a minute from the Leidseplein in the centre of Amsterdam. You go for touring bands, club nights and subcultures that rarely share a building elsewhere: three concert and club halls, a cinema, an exhibition space and a café under one roof. The name, Dutch for Milky Way, comes from the building's past. It was a sugar refinery before it became a milk factory, which closed in 1969. A summer project moved in during 1970 and Melkweg became permanent in 1973, and it has hosted subcultures from hippies to punk, grunge and hip hop ever since. U2 played here in October 1980 and Prince came in 2011. The Max holds 1,500 people and the Oude Zaal 700, and the Rabozaal is shared with the Stadsschouwburg next door. The cinema and exhibition space have programmes of their own. ANN, the club space, is a few doors along at Lijnbaansgracht 238. Concerts are open from age six, while club nights are usually 18+ and usually run until 04:00 or 05:00. Lockers are available, and trams stop at the Leidseplein.

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Getting there

Melkweg1017 PH

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Good to know

Upcoming at Melkweg

Schur
Tonight €23

Schur

Tonight · 7:30pm
Only The Poets
Tonight €31.05

Only The Poets

Tonight · 7:45pm
Sumibu Halloween Night
Tonight €23

Sumibu Halloween Night

Tonight · 11pm
Olá Brazil! Halloween
Tonight €19.55

Olá Brazil! Halloween

Tonight · 11:30pm
Frank Boeijen
Tomorrow €35.70

Frank Boeijen

Tomorrow · 7pm
pluko
Tomorrow €23

pluko

Tomorrow · 7pm
The Home Team
Tomorrow €25.30

The Home Team

Tomorrow · 7:30pm
Picture This
Mon 2 Nov €34.50

Picture This

Mon 2 Nov · 7pm
Cheeky Monday: Pythius
Mon 2 Nov €8.50

Cheeky Monday: Pythius

Mon 2 Nov · 11pm
Cheeky Monday: PYTHIUS!
Mon 2 Nov €8.50

Cheeky Monday: PYTHIUS!

Mon 2 Nov · 11pm
Ole 60
Tue 3 Nov €30.50

Ole 60

Tue 3 Nov · 7pm
Stormy
Tue 3 Nov €27.60

Stormy

Tue 3 Nov · 7pm

About Melkweg

Melkweg is a concert hall and club in a former milk factory on the Lijnbaansgracht, a minute from the Leidseplein in the centre of Amsterdam. You go for touring bands, club nights and subcultures that rarely share a building elsewhere: three concert and club halls, a cinema, an exhibition space and a café under one roof.

The name, Dutch for Milky Way, comes from the building's past. It was a sugar refinery before it became a milk factory, which closed in 1969. A summer project moved in during 1970 and Melkweg became permanent in 1973, and it has hosted subcultures from hippies to punk, grunge and hip hop ever since. U2 played here in October 1980 and Prince came in 2011.

The Max holds 1,500 people and the Oude Zaal 700, and the Rabozaal is shared with the Stadsschouwburg next door. The cinema and exhibition space have programmes of their own. ANN, the club space, is a few doors along at Lijnbaansgracht 238. Concerts are open from age six, while club nights are usually 18+ and usually run until 04:00 or 05:00. Lockers are available, and trams stop at the Leidseplein.

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Common questions

How big are the halls at Melkweg?
The Max, the largest, holds 1,500 people and the Oude Zaal holds 700. Melkweg also shares the Rabozaal with the Stadsschouwburg.
What is the minimum age at Melkweg?
Concerts are open to visitors from age six. Club nights are usually 18+, and the exact age is on the event page.
Why is it called Melkweg?
The building used to be a milk factory, and Melkweg is Dutch for Milky Way. The factory closed in 1969 and the cultural centre grew out of a summer project in 1970.
How do I get to Melkweg?
Trams stop at the Leidseplein, about a minute's walk away. If you drive, there are garages within walking distance, and the venue's site lists a parking partner.
Where can you buy tickets for Melkweg?
Use the Tickets button in the agenda, which takes you to Ticketmaster, or go to the box office, which is open every day from 12:00, weekends included. Melkweg.nl, Ticketmaster.nl and the box office are the only official sales points.