THE EVENT
The annual Holland Festival is known by arts experts and cultural gurus to be the place to go to find the next big thing, to have a cultural adventure where you can be confident of world-class quality and where the new work will be an adventure for both artists and audiences. The festival happens all over Amsterdam in the great theatres and concert halls but also in exciting new venues, found spaces, former industrial buildings, both outdoors and indoors.

THIS YEAR
There is a political strand running through the festival – some of the world’s most exciting artists are making work which reflects on the challenges facing Europe. From Murano glass puppets to the best live band from Ukraine, from the French Revolution to the politics of today, new plays and music by amazing artists will make audiences think again about the political challenges we face in Europe today.

AMBIANCE
It is serious fun! Our new festival centre in the middle of the city at the beautiful Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam theatre has DJs, drinks and food every night, with special events and always the chance to chill out with artists and audiences from all the festival events. A new show opens every day; you can read the latest reviews, try to get a hot ticket and have an artistic adventure. The festival gives the culture vulture who has been everywhere and seen everything some new experiences that they will never forget.

RUB SHOULDERS WITH
The Royal Family are regular visitors and this year and the King and Queen will attend our Opening Event – that is always a hot ticket. It is a night to kick off the festival with unforgettably brilliant artists but also to be seen and network. But every night in the festival is a special night, and the informality and intimacy of many of the events means you feel very close to the great artists who are regularly invited. This year, Damon Albarn is helping to organise a very special concert which he will headline along with his friends from the Orchestra of Syrian Musicians, with whom he worked with eight years ago before the terrible war that has scattered them around the world. The great actor Jude Law will be working with us in 2017 – another guaranteed full house. I worked with both Damon and Jude in the UK, and it’s great to be welcoming them to Amsterdam.

AFTER DARK
We have after parties open to all our festival artists and audiences. As well as the unexpected happening routinely at our festival centre with the best rising bands and DJs, our festival artists join in our after parties – this year my top tip would be the after party with Africa Express, the world-famous African musicians who are playing at the world’s most beautiful concert hall, the Concertgebouw.

STAY
The five-star Grand Hotel Amrâth Amsterdam (Prins Hendrikkade 108; +31 20 552 0000) in the old Dutch shipping house has a breathtaking exterior and interior. The InterContinental Hotel Amstel Amsterdam (Professor Tulpplein 1; +31 20 622 6060) is a beautiful luxury hotel close to festival venue Royal Theatre Carré and includes a Michelin-starred restaurant overlooking the Amstel River. The DoubleTree by Hilton Amsterdam Centraal Station (Oosterdoksstraat 4; +31 20 530 0800; www.doubletree3.hilton.com), close to festival venue Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ, has a rooftop bar with a stunning view of the city.

MUST DO
One of the best theatre artists in the world, Simon McBurney, goes from selling out The Barbican in London to headlining in Hollywood films. His one-man show will make you laugh and cry – you get your own private state-of-the-art sound system which lets Simon whisper in your ear and give you the impression that he is doing the performance only for you. Intimate and spectacular at the same time, world-class tech and acting make this a must see.