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Taylor Swift is coming to Amsterdam: here’s how you can get tickets

Ellen Ranebo
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Taylor Swift is coming to Amsterdam: here’s how you can get tickets

Are you a proud Swiftie, or even a closeted Swiftie? Drop everything now. The American popstar Taylor Swift, who — let’s face it — requires very little introduction, is performing at Amsterdam’s Johan Cruijff Arena on July 5 and 6 next summer. 

That seems like a while away, right? Wrong. To make sure those tickets don’t all get snatched up immediately, you have to register online a year in advance. 

Yep, the deadline for registration is Friday at midnight, people. 

Fill in this form on the TicketMaster website before then to make sure you have a shot of actually seeing Taylor swift, pop star powerhouse and cultural icon, in the flesh.

Hopefully tickets aren’t $10,000…

It’s no secret that the prospect of a T-Swizzle concert is in dangerously high demand. The record breaking artist sparked controversy last November when her concert tickets for The Eras Tour were being resold to desperate fans for $10,000 dollars. Yikes. 

This is reportedly because certain faux-Swifties buy tickets with zero intention of attending the performance. Instead, they only want to make financial profit by hogging the tickets and then reselling them to actual Swifties at a later date. Not cool. 

@thenerdsawaken $10,000 for one Taylor Swift concert ticket?! #taylorswift #taylornation #tserastour #erastourtickets #stubhubisthieves ♬ Mastermind – Taylor Swift

READ MORE | 11 Dutch songs to learn the language (and culture!) 

That is why GreenHouse Talent, the organisation behind the Johan Cruijff Arena show, has decided to set some boundaries once and for all. 

By forcing fans to provide personal details and register on a different website (linked above) with an official form, the company can stave away reselling of tickets for “extortionate prices”, reports RTL Boulevard. 

Please? 👀

Imagine buying tickets to Tay-Tay’s shows without knowing every single lyric by heart and screeching them at the top of your lungs? Couldn’t be us. 💁‍♀️

It’s about time tickets landed “into the hands of fans”, says GreenHouse Talent. That said, don’t start tailoring your own sequined outfit to wear to the concert by hand just yet…

Unfortunately, registering doesn’t “guarantee access” to the eventual tickets, but it does get your name on the potential “waiting list” for buying one. No details about the price of tickets have been disclosed yet either. 

Some of us are willing to roll the dice though — we would sell actual organs just to catch a glimpse of the woman who changed our lives *cough*. 👀

How soon after reading this article are you going to register for Taylor’s concert? Let us know in the comments below! 

Criminal with mile-long rap sheet stabs supermarket employee in Netherlands to death

Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
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Criminal with mile-long rap sheet stabs supermarket employee in Netherlands to death

A convicted criminal in multiple countries killed a 36-year-old supermarket employee in The Hague yesterday in a potentially random attack.

According to the police, the man known as Jamel L. arrived shortly after the store opened, walked toward the employee and stabbed her.

Covered in blood, the perpetrator then quietly walked out of the store while bystanders attempted CPR.

However, Jamel L.’s history shows this isn’t his first violent attack.

Convicted in multiple countries

Here is what is seriously unhinged about this case: Jamel L. is a notorious criminal, suggest sources in De Telegraaf.

Here’s a quick rundown of the 56-year-old’s crimes:

  • In his 20s, the Antillean moved to the Netherlands and was convicted of serious violent crimes and extortion.
  • L. then moved to Britain, where he was convicted of a knife threat and a serious assault in 2007.
  • He was then expelled from the UK back to the Netherlands, where he was arrested (yes, again) for violent crime.
  • He left for Curacao for some time, where he also served a sentence for a serious crime.
  • He then returned to the Netherlands, where he later sent serious threats to employees of the municipality of Zwijndrecht, stating, “‘You guys are dealing with this dark black man. I’m going to shoot you all to shreds.”

TBS unsuccessful

For his crimes in the Netherlands, Jamel L. was previously sent to TBS. TBS is a Dutch system that gives mentally-ill people who have committed crimes psychiatric support in place of long, extensive prison sentences.

READ MORE | How the Dutch deal with mentally-ill criminals: the TBS system

While people often spend the rest of their lives in TBS, Jamel L., was released following treatment. Unfortunately, he continued to re-offend, leading to the woman’s death yesterday.

Religious fanatic

Lawyer Michael Mantz has assisted Jamel L. in the past. Upon hearing he was responsible, Mantz told De Telegraaf he thinks it could have been religiously motivated.

“He is a religious fanatic and thinks he is working for God. I fear he has seen this as an act for God.”

However, Mantz is surprised that he struck. “He has always been very menacing verbally, and he has conspiracy-like thinking and delusions. But that he stabbed someone surprises me.”

A spokesperson for Albert Heijn says they are “shocked and defeated” by the incident. “Our thoughts go out to family, friends and colleagues. We are now focusing on caring for our colleagues in the store.”

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Attentie, studenten! Dutch universities are limiting English-taught Bachelor’s programmes

Julia de Oliveira Moritz
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Attentie, studenten! Dutch universities are limiting English-taught Bachelor’s programmes

Only one-third of courses in Dutch universities will be taught in English starting in the academic year 2025-2026, in a bid to limit the Anglicisation of Dutch universities.

It seems that the Netherlands is becoming increasingly unwelcoming to internationals. It started with tourists: the Stay Away campaign and the overloading of tourists in Amsterdam. Now? Fewer courses for international students!

Yes, the best non-native-English-speaking country wants fewer English-speaking people. In fact, the House of Representatives has long been concerned about the number of international students at Dutch universities.

Starting this coming academic year, two-thirds of credits to be obtained in university must be done in Dutch, according to de Volkskrant.

Maar, waarom?!

Minister of Education, Culture and Science Robbert Dijkgraaf intends for students to take Dutch lessons alongside their university courses.

READ MORE | Why are the Dutch so good at speaking English?

Dijkgraaf plans to implement more binding rules and “put the language requirements more strictly in the law”, as he announced during a debate in the House of Representatives last Thursday.

In addition to this, he pointed out that high numbers of international students can lead to issues such as overcrowded lecture halls and housing shortages. 

Let op! This is not the end of your chances

Although this is not the best news for international students, it doesn’t mean they have no more opportunities to study in the Netherlands. (It’ll just be way harder to get in.)

Dijkgraaf doesn’t want to eliminate international students; he simply wants more integration into Dutch culture.

So now all you have to do to get higher education in the Netherlands is move countries, pay €15k in tuition, find a place to live in the middle of a housing crisis, make it through the relentless first year of university, and learn a foreign language. Easy peasy! 🙌

READ MORE | Studying in the Netherlands? You may now be forced to learn Dutch 

On top of that, it’s also becoming increasingly harder for teachers to find employment. If any teacher doesn’t speak Dutch, they immediately become unfit for their position and risk losing their job.

Thankfully, however, there are resources. Many free ways to learn Dutch exist, and universities are now starting to offer better mental health services.

What has been your experience as an international student in the Netherlands? Let us know in the comments!

Psst… you can now check out Rembrandt’s museum AND get his designs tattooed on you

Ellen Ranebo
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Psst… you can now check out Rembrandt’s museum AND get his designs tattooed on you

Ever seen Rembrandt’s artwork, and liked it so much you wanted it to be on your body, permanently? Well, you have until June 25 to make that dream a reality. 

This week, Rembrandt’s home features Henk Schiffmacher and his team of tattoo artists. Equipped with (professional) needles and ink, they’re ready to dish out original, Rembrandt-style tattoos to anyone who books an appointment — which you can do here. 

Why Rembrandt? Need you ask? “An old tattoo artist once called tattoos ‘The Poor Man’s Rembrandt”, the “world-famous” tattoo artist Schiffmacher tells Museum Rembrandthuis — hence why this week is called “The Poor Man’s Rembrandt Project”. 

Was Rembrandt really just a tattoo artist deep down? 

Museum Rembrandthuis points out the similarities between Rembrandt and Schiffmacher & Veldhoen. Besides their fame, Rembrandt’s “etchings and tattoos” apparently have similar “drawing” processes to the talented duo’s tattoos. 

One might use a “copper plate and sheet of paper”, the other human flesh — but meh, what’s the difference?  

READ MORE | See Rembrandt’s Night Watch in minute detail: 717 billion pixels to be precise

A 21st century tattoo studio has temporarily been set up in Rembrandt’s 17th century house, which is said to contain the distinct feeling of “Rembrandt’s soul”. If you want to feel Rembrandt’s spirit, along with a needle piercing your skin, you know where to go!

Where do we sign up? 

The tattoo prices start as low as €100, and can go up to €250. A €50 deposit is also required when you book the appointment. (*cough*, so worth it)

Some designs include Rembrandt’s “original etchings”, his monogram, and his signature. Who wouldn’t want to feel as though a 17th century artist came back from the dead to autograph your arm? 

Note: This form must be filled out in advance, unless you want to be turned away at the door. Also, their terms of conditions need to be agreed to. 

If you’re feeling spontaneous or impulsive, walk-ins are also an option. However, if you want to guarantee a spot, it’s advisable that you do book one beforehand. 

Are you going to embark on this once-in-a-life-time tattoo journey? If so, what will you be getting? Let us know in the comments below! 

Dutch weather warning announced for sunshine, rain, and… HAIL?!

Simone Jacobs
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Dutch weather warning announced for sunshine, rain, and… HAIL?!

We were secretly hoping for rain, but maybe too many of us have been doing our rain dances? 🤔 Either way, the weather seems to be confused about what we really want, so it’s giving us everything this Tuesday.

Looking out the window this morning, you might think the Netherlands has another hot summer day planned for us.

However, the weather is determined to keep us on our toes, as NU.nl reports that a code yellow weather warning has been issued by the KNMI (The Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute). From mid-afternoon onwards, thunderstorms and hail will be raging through the country.

A sunny afternoon on it’s way

Although you may see a few speckles of clouds wafting through the sky this morning, it’ll stay mostly dry. The southern parts of the Netherlands will be the driest, but we’re all to be treated with a warm and humid wind blowing from the southeast.

Early afternoon will see the temperatures rise to a sweltering 25 degrees Celsius on the Wadden and 31 degrees inland. Better take your handheld fan with you to beat the heat! 

A storm is coming

However, you may want to enjoy sunbathing while you can, as the sunny weather isn’t staying for the whole day. From mid-afternoon onwards, clouds will move in from the south, bringing rain and thunderstorms. 

Remember we spoke about that code yellow earlier? Well, here’s where it comes in, as a lot of rain and wind (yes, sometimes even hail!) will be unleashed during severe thunderstorms. 

How much rain and wind is ‘a lot’? Let’s just say that you might want to hold onto your umbrellas because about 30-40 millimetres of rain will fall with wind gusts of up to 75 kilometres per hour. ☔ 

READ MORE | Finally: RAIN coming to the Netherlands after record-breaking dry spell

The storm is expected to carry on into the evening, with clouds and showers moving from the southwest to the northeast of the country. 

Thankfully, the sun will shine again on Wednesday and dry up the rain. Temperatures will rise again to 28 degrees Celsius in the southeast and 22 degrees Celsius at sea. Hieperdepiep!

Are you relieved to have some rain cool down the heat? Tell us in the comments!

Dutch woman finds drunk 18-year-old… in her daughter’s crib?

Julia de Oliveira Moritz
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Dutch woman finds drunk 18-year-old… in her daughter’s crib?

We all want to be a baby again sometimes, but most of us don’t act on this desire. An 18-year-old drunk Dutchman, however, did.

Picture this: you’re a mother (stay with us here). You hear some commotion from your infant daughter’s room, so you check that she’s alright. You find a drunk 18-year-old boy wearing only his underwear in her crib.

Surely you’re thinking: what an absurdly specific situation! But nee, this happened in the municipality of Molenlanden in South Holland. The boy somehow found his way into this home and decided that his resting place for the night was a crib.

Feeling at home in a stranger’s house

You know that drunken stubbornness that people get? Like when your friend tries to put you in an Uber, but you insist that you’re okay to bike. 

Well, some version of this also happened with this boy. The police found him in the crib, severely disoriented and under the influence of alcohol, and had to use “great force” to move him from the crib, according to NU.nl.

READ MORE | Dutch Quirk #45: Pee in the canals when drunk — and fall in 

All jokes aside, we are happy to say that he was returned home to his father safely. We assume his hangover had him in a fetal position for the rest of the day as well.

Everyone else left the situation as well off as possible: the daughter wasn’t in the crib when the boy crawled in, and the rest of the family was okay. Though left heel confused, they did not file a report against the boy.

What is the most embarrassing thing you’ve done after a few too many drinks? Tell us in the comments!

Body of missing British tourist (20) found in North Holland

Simone Jacobs
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Body of missing British tourist (20) found in North Holland

The police have confirmed that the body of missing person, Thomas Delafay, was found in a ditch along Maelsonstraat in Hoorn, North Holland.

The body was found on Saturday morning and could be identified based on distinguishing characteristics such as hair colour, piercings and clothes.

The family of the deceased 20-year-old British national have been notified.

Previously missing 

The deceased had previously been missing since Sunday, June 11, when he was last seen at Dijklander Hospital at 11:30 PM. His sister, Holly Delafay, had been in contact with Dutch police about his situation. 

Thomas arrived in the Netherlands with his boyfriend two days prior to his disappearance to visit a mutual friend. Before Thomas went missing, the two men went to a party in Hoorn, where it is believed drugs were present.

As De Telegraaf reports, Thomas was experiencing psychosis and hallucinations after drug use. When his situation hadn’t improved after 30 hours, his boyfriend dropped him off at Dijklander Hospital in Hoorn. 

His boyfriend then went to collect some items from their accommodation, and when he returned to the hospital, he couldn’t find Thomas.

It is not known whether Thomas actually entered the hospital.

The circumstances around Thomas’ death remain largely unknown, but police do not assume a crime. The investigation is still ongoing. 

Want the latest Dutch news to come zooming through the internet to your inbox? Dat kan! Subscribe to DutchReview’s weekly roundup 📬

Finally: RAIN coming to the Netherlands after record-breaking dry spell

Julia de Oliveira Moritz
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Finally: RAIN coming to the Netherlands after record-breaking dry spell

After a record-breaking streak of sunshine, there will finally be some rain throughout the Netherlands this week! But don’t worry; the weekend will bring back the sun. 

Yes, the time has finally come. All that brown grass you see outside will finally get a drink of water and stop looking like Dehydrated Spongebob.

For the first time in more than a month, we are actually talking about a chance of rain. 

A grey start to the week

Monday will stay mostly dry with some dark clouds. Just enough to make it so humid that you break a sweat without moving.

READ MORE | No rain for 32 days in the Netherlands: that’s (almost!) a record

Although there’s already a chance of some showers on Monday, most of the long-anticipated rain will come on Tuesday. On that day, we might see some heavy thunderstorms inland, especially in the late afternoon and early evening.

We guess all our rain dancing paid off … maybe even a little too much. ⛈️

A record-breaking dry spell

You thought you were going through a dry spell in your life? Well, the Netherlands is going through a literally historic one. Tuesday’s rain will be a big deal: the first in almost 40 days.

The last time we saw something like this in the Netherlands was 16 years ago, in 2007, when it didn’t rain for 32 days.

On Wednesday, June 21, the first day of the astronomical summer, the rain will visit Dutch cities very selectively. The sun and dryness will stay in the Wadden Islands, Rotterdam, as well as the south and east of the Netherlands.

The sun returns for the weekend

While the weather will be moody on Thursday, June 22, with some strong thunderstorms in the southeast of the Netherlands, Friday will be sunny again, according to Weerplaza.

READ MORE | How to beat the Dutch heat: 11 tips to keep your cool

There is a chance of local showers in some areas of the Netherlands, but chances are you will clock into a weekend of sun and no rain. Perfect for an Aperol on your favourite terrasje!

Are you looking forward to some rain, or have you been thriving in the dry, sunny weather? Tell us in the comments below!

Studying at a Dutch university? Here’s how you can FINALLY get more mental health help

Simone Jacobs
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Studying at a Dutch university? Here’s how you can FINALLY get more mental health help

Being a student is difficult, with many factors like stress, pressure to perform, and no free time to contend with. The silver lining? Several movements among Dutch universities are now more committed to helping students overcome these issues. 💪

Dutch universities have partnered with online platforms such as Caring Universities and Frisse Gedachtes, which are providing ways for students to get free online help to better their well-being. Yep, free — something we all love to hear, especially students. 😁

Talk to someone, fight loneliness

According to NU.nl, several Dutch universities such as Utrecht University, Leiden University, and Zuyd University of Applied Sciences in Maastricht are affiliated with the Frisse Gedachtes platform.

READ MORE | Studying in Amsterdam: everything you need to know

The goal of this online platform is to support every student in the Netherlands for free, by creating a safe space for students so that they don’t feel lonely. Nee hoor, your books shouldn’t be your only friends and company. 

How do they do this? Students can anonymously chat on the platform and be linked to a buddy, who is there to listen and support the student, for a lengthened period of time. That’s definitely better than asking your neighbour’s cat for advice. 👀

Caring for students’ emotional load

Another platform that allows students to lighten their emotional loads is Caring Universities. This initiative is partnered with various Dutch universities, such as the universities of Amsterdam, Leiden, Utrecht, and many others.

This initiative offers seven free online programs for the many problems students face, to help improve mood, reduce stress, overcome procrastination (ahem, are they targeting us? 😐), and a lot more. 

READ MORE | The Dutch want to HALVE the number of credits needed in first year of uni

“We see that students have fewer mental complaints and feel better about themselves,” says Sascha Struijs, the project leader of Caring Universities, about students who have used the programs. 

Build self-confidence and life skills

“It’s important to learn what stress is and how to deal with it,” says Jolien Dopmeijer, principal researcher at the Trimbos Institute to NU.nl. 

Dopmeijer says that planning moments of rest and consciously choosing yourself are important parts of developing mental health skills.

The researcher also adds that even if students feel like they don’t have time to relax and exercise, they should still do it. Does that include walking to the coffee machine for your fifth cup of coffee? Maybe not, but we say it’s gotta count for something. 😉

“By doing it anyway, the performance eventually improves,” Dopmeijer tells NU.nl. “Because your head has more peace of mind, and there is room for that one fierce deadline that you didn’t know where to start.”

READ MORE | Students, listen up: you could now get €440 a month just for studying in the Netherlands 

Carolien Gravesteijn, lecturer in Parenting at Hogeschool Leiden, advocates for a compulsory subject on life skills in primary and secondary school, as well as in higher education. 

Some of the things she believes should be included in the school subject are self-confidence and self-management. Students who have these skills are less likely to feel pressure when it comes to their studies.

We don’t know about you, but we definitely could have used that school subject. 😅

What do you think of these programs to help students with their mental health? Tell us in the comments!

Heads up: you can now skip Schiphol’s lines this summer FOR FREE

Ellen Ranebo
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Heads up: you can now skip Schiphol’s lines this summer FOR FREE

Are you vacationing in Europe this summer or just passing through Schiphol at any point? Well, one travel-savvy TikTokker just dropped this fabulous life hack for all of us that are tired of queueing for airport security! ✨

It’s mid-June, which means that most people will be taking a much-needed break from work within the next couple of months to travel. 

In light of this, Tiktokker Fullofmaartje has very kindly volunteered the following advice: if you want to avoid security queues, book your own free security time slot online beforehand. 

Umm, where do we sign up?

Worried about bureaucracy and stacks of paperwork? Don’t be, as all you need to do to book your own time slot is to fill in an online form. Fullofmaartje explains you can access this simply by typing “schiphol time slot” into Google search. (But you can also find the form here.)

The form will ask you for your flight date, flight number, and airline (which is important, because airlines have their own queues for this), how many people you’re travelling with, and what time you would like to book your appointment at. 

Thankfully, you don’t need to fill out all the usual passport details and so on. Instead, just add your email so the appointment can be confirmed in your inbox and… that’s it, done and dusted! 🙌

READ MORE | Schiphol strikes again: Dutch airport to scrap 17,000 flights this year

Now you can avoid the passive-aggressive elbowing and having to force your way through crowds because you have a whole private queue to yourself.  

@fullofmaartje

Hoe je in de zomer de extreem lange rij bij de douane overslaat (gratis). #fy #vliegen #zomervakantie #lifehack #schiphol #douanecontrole

♬ origineel geluid – FullofMaartje

Where has this been all our lives? 

We’re sure you’re scratching your head and asking, umm… why didn’t we all know about this sooner? Well, maybe it’s because the whole invention is fairly recent, as Schiphol airport only began implementing this within the last year. (Maybe hearing enough complaints about their queueing finally got to them? 😬)

READ MORE | It’s official: Schiphol airport failed miserably in 2022

Most people in the TikTok comments sounded thrilled, considering their holidays are just around the corner. 

However, others pointed out that this life hack isn’t possible for flights travelling outside of Europe. The downside? This shortcut can only be applied to flights within the Schengen zone. 

Will you be using this new hack in your future flying endeavours? Let us know in the comments below! 

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