Unexpectedly, I won’t be spending New Year in our beloved city of Amsterdam. I usually don’t leave the city in this time of the year, for the simple reason that, more often than not, it is a stupidly expensive season, one flooded by collective hysteria and way more glitter than I can stand. So I always choose to host a party myself, away from the city center, at a location that can host all my friends, and whoever they wish to bring. Those really are the best parties. No themes, obligations, no expectations. Just ( our own) music, good people, and enough room for surprise and improvisation. For this reason, part of me is seriously going to long for one of these self-organized festivities. To make up for eventual disappointment, I though I would redirect my dear friends to the fun parties in the city, and in the meanwhile, get all nostalgic with a couple of pictures from previous years.
Now, you can scroll down for the party-thing. But if you can handle some emotional stuff, just keep on reading.
Now it’s gratitude time. I want to tell all the friends I was supposed to spend this NY with that I love them dearly. Most of them were present throughout my entire year, bringing me joy and incentive, filling me up with energy in good times and in the challenging ones, – some of them not even aware they mean so much to me. I want to thank the “old” friends and the new ones as well. The ones I am always with, the ones I meet once a year, the ones who came visit, the ones I went to visit, the ones I became closer with, the ones I recently met. You guys rocked my year! And I want to thank YOU for being here and reading my stuff – basically for being part of something that makes me happy every day. 2016 was an extraordinary year. Cheers to that, and to everything that is about to come.
21.00 | Anonymous Party People: Disko Jungle NYE | VLLA
Musical menu: disco, house, techno. Dress code: “Junglistic, Animalistic, Loin Cloth, Freaky”. On the Fb event these guys say you can expect this to be “an opportunity to release your inner animal”. Mi likes it. If you’re into clubbing, you should give this one a try.
22.00 | Oud & Nieuw: Maximum Rock’n’roll – Pacific Parc
Pacific Parc is said to throw good NY parties. Well, they throw good parties every single weekend so there’s not much that can go wrong here. For the rock’n’rollers out there, who wish for an edgy old-school sort of party, with live bands ( The Parkinsons!), and proper “noise”, – here’s your cup of tea.
18.00 | NYE: Moulin Roest – Roest
Moulin Rouge is the theme of Roest’s party, and “excentrique” seems to be their soundbite ( and dresscode). There are going to be live performances and nine different dj’s ranging from funk/sould to disco/house. This is the moment for you to take the feathers out of your closet, and fly.
18.30 | Oud & Nieuw | Plek – free entrance
Your don’t wish to go to a payed party but still you want to attend one, – something not too commercial -, with good atmosphere and music. Don’t look any further. The plus: this is truly a stunning location on the NDSM, the former shipyard in Amsterdam North.
22.00 | New Year Drums Around Fire – NDSM – free
And in case you hate NY parties but enjoy a good-old gathering around a fire, this is it. There will be drinks, drums, and hopefully, a sky full of stars.
21.00 | Fuck 2016! – Checkpoint Charlie – free entrance
A party at your neighborhood cafe. The idea is fuck 2016. “Really, it brought us Trump, but it took away Prince, Phife Dwag, Leonard Cohen, Sharon Jones, Maurice White Bart Vleming, Hadji West Pacific and David fucking Bowie”, they say. No assle here: just good music in the company of your neighbors, – or mine, in this case -, at the usual place.
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