Lieve Stad,

Lieve Stad, 

Lieve Stad, is named after the words former mayor Eberhard van der Laan wrote in his farewell letter. Since its inception in 2018, the festival has grown into a unique collaboration between theaters and creators, focusing on diversity, urban culture and new perspectives. With Lieve Stad, 750, we are building on that tradition and showing how art and stories connect us.
 

2025: Lieve Stad, 750

Lieve Stad, 750 is a festival that celebrates Amsterdam in all its creativity and diversity. Internationaal Theater Amsterdam (ITA) and Meervaart, initiators of Lieve Stad since 2018, are joining forces with 11 other theaters and dozens of creators especially for Amsterdam's 750th anniversary to present more than 50 performances between May 1 and 31. From theater and dance to music and art installations, the festival brings together old and new stories and shows how culture connects Amsterdammers. The full program can be found at festivallievestad.nl. 

Celebrate art. Celebrate the city. Celebrate it together. 

Amsterdam is a city of makers and storytellers. For 750 years, generations have been building a city that never stands still. With Dear City, 750 we celebrate that energy, the wealth of cultures and the power of collaboration. This festival brings together the city's traditions with new voices and perspectives, in a rich program spread across the city.

Richard Kofi, Lieve Stad programmer, on behalf of ITA:

"Amsterdam draws its strength from its super diverse community and our struggle for a shared future. The creators contributing to this festival are at the forefront of that development. They show us how art can create profound encounters and broaden our outlook."

A city brimming with stories 

On May 17 at ITA, two completely different worlds stand side by side: in the Great Hall, Amber Vineyard's Queer Cabaret: Pearl Dive, an ode to ballroom and queer performance, shines, while in the other hall, Pro Wrestling Holland brings the theatrical art of wrestling to the theater. Two stories that at first glance are miles apart, but both revolve around expression, community and the power to claim your own place. Afterwards, the worlds come together in an already legendary afterparty.

During the festival, ISH Dance Collective's anniversary weekend on May 16 and 17 at Meervaart will receive special attention. The leading Amsterdam dance company is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a spectacular program full of new and iconic performances, workshops by the ISH Academy, the legendary battle Masters of Movement, a roller disco and club nights. A unique opportunity to experience the groundbreaking mix of dance, theater and urban arts that has characterized ISH for 25 years. 

Christiaan Mooij, programmer Lieve Stad, on behalf of Meervaart:

"It is the strength of the city that in this jubilee year Amsterdam's theaters are generously and sharply joining hands. If there is one way for an Amsterdammer to relate to our city, it is through this program. Theater makes the connection between present, past and future through head and heart."

The rest of the city is also buzzing with stories, including: 

• Anton de Kom, my father - the moving new performance by Raymi Sambo Maakt, about the Surinamese writer and resistance hero (Bijlmer Parktheater). 
• Asterdorp - an extraordinary audio walk through Amsterdam-Noord about a hidden piece of the city's past (Likeminds). 
• ABROAD - a transmedia project by Kimberley Agyarko about migration and identity. Interwoven with documentary footage, podcast clips and music by Bnnyhunna, it creates a layered family portrait about intergenerational pain and the search for your own voice. (Theater Bellevue)