English Stand-Up Comedy in Amsterdam: Clubs, Open Mics and the Canal Comedy Boat

Amsterdam has English-language stand-up comedy every night of the week. This guide maps the circuit night by night: which room runs which show, where the free open mics are, what a ticket costs, and how the canal comedy boats actually work. Some of it is professional showcase comedy with a ticket price. A lot of it is free or close to free, run in the back rooms of cafés spread across Centrum, De Pijp, Zuid, West, Noord and Oost.

Explore what else is on in Amsterdam on Outhere, and discover more shows, festivals and cultural experiences happening around the world.

If you already know the city's jam sessions and open mic nights, the comedy circuit is built the same way: a handful of anchor venues, a larger number of weekly nights run by independent promoters, and a rotating cast of performers who work several rooms in the same week. Comedians looking for stage time rather than a seat should start with Where to Perform Stand-Up Comedy in Europe, which covers Amsterdam from the performer's side.

Amsterdam has English-language stand-up comedy every night of the week: ticketed showcases in professional comedy clubs, and free or pay-what-you-want open mics in café back rooms across the city. Here's where to find it, night by night.

Open Mic Monday at Labyrinth, Zuid: spoken word, poetry and song more than stand-up, free with a drink, weekly. Comedy Open Mic at Mezrab, Oost: new, untested material, free, 2nd & 4th Monday.

The Comedy Womb at Cafe de Knoop, Centrum: open mic, ~€5–10, weekly. Red Light Comedy at Huis van Iemand Anders, De Pijp: pro showcase, from ~€10, weekly.

That Comedy Thing at Café De Buurvrouw, Centrum: open mic, pay what you want, weekly.

Expats vs Holland at Café De Plakhoek, Zuid: open mic + hosted stand-up, free. Oh My Word at Bij Barba, West: showcase. Comedy Night in English at Comedy Café Amsterdam, IJdok: showcase, ~€18. Clink Comedy ALL STARS at ClinkNOORD, Noord: showcase, some Thursdays.

The Comedy Embassy at Boom Chicago, Jordaan: four comedians, 22:15. Clink Comedy ALL STARS at ClinkNOORD, Noord: showcase, 20:00.

The Comedy Embassy at Boom Chicago, 22:15. Cocktails & Comedy at Comedy Café Amsterdam, IJdok: showcase, ~€18. Thirsty Open Mic at Bij Barba, West: one Saturday a month.

Open Mic Comedy at Hunter's Bar, Centrum: free, weekly, 19:30. English showcases at Comedy Café Amsterdam, IJdok: ~€18–25. Sunday Night Live at Boom Chicago: long-form improv, 2nd & 4th Sunday. Sunday Send-Off at Bar Pekky, Noord: showcase, 16:00, 2nd & 4th Sunday. Ironic Curtain at Café Checkpoint Charlie: free open mic, 2nd Sunday.

Watch the frequency: Mezrab, Bar Pekky and Boom Chicago's Sunday Night Live run twice a month; the Ironic Curtain and Bij Barba's open mic once a month.

Two kinds of night. Professional showcases, Boom Chicago, Comedy Café Amsterdam, ClinkNOORD, Bij Barba and Huis van Iemand Anders, have booked line-ups and tickets from €10 to €25. Open mics, Hunter's Bar, Café De Buurvrouw, Café De Plakhoek, Cafe de Knoop and Mezrab, run free to under €10 and mix first-timers with pros testing new material.

One language note: several venues programme in both Dutch and English across the week. Comedy Café Amsterdam only labels its Thursday, Saturday and Sunday shows as English, so stick to the labelled nights.

The city's best-known comedy house, now at Pazzanistraat 1 in West. Its core programme is Dutch, with English acts running as a separate "International Shows" strand (past guests include Sophie Duker and Kyle Dunnigan), booked individually rather than on a fixed weeknight, so check the schedule for the English dates.

Stand-up on a moving canal boat is a real Amsterdam format, run by two operators. The Comedy Boat is ~€45 per person for two hours, with comedians from Comedy Café Amsterdam. Amsterdam Comedy Show Cruise is ~€43 per person for 90 minutes. Neither publishes fixed dates or a departure dock, and both carry group minimums (25 and 10 people), so they work as arranged bookings for a group rather than turn-up public shows.

Browse what's on in Amsterdam on Outhere to find comedy alongside concerts, exhibitions and nightlife, and go deeper with our guides to jam sessions and open mic nights, busking in Amsterdam, and where to perform stand-up comedy in Europe. Discover what’s happening in Amsterdam and around the world and enjoy your free time. Life is more interesting out there!