What Makes the Amsterdam Light Festival Suitable for a Corporate Event?

  • Thomas van Loon
  • 🕐 6 min leestijd

The Amsterdam Light Festival is an excellent venue for a corporate event, as it offers a unique setting that combines activity, food and drinks in one location. The festival takes place in winter, precisely when companies are looking for an original team outing, Christmas drinks reception, or year-end party. In this article, we answer the most frequently asked questions about the Amsterdam Light Festival as a corporate occasion.

Which corporate events are suitable for the Amsterdam Light Festival?

The Amsterdam Light Festival lends itself to virtually any type of corporate event in winter: from an informal team drinks to an elaborate Christmas dinner or client event. The combination of a spectacular setting, flexible catering options, and a private atmosphere makes the festival attractive for a wide range of corporate purposes.

Specifically, the following events are a great fit for the festival:

  • Christmas drinks or Christmas dinner for teams or departments
  • Year-end party for the entire organisation
  • Relation event or client event in a unique setting
  • Team outing for a department or project group
  • Networking drinks where guests can move freely and make connections
  • MICE event for conference organisers or DMCs with larger groups

What makes the festival so convenient for corporate groups is that the environment itself already serves as a conversation starter. You don’t need to come up with a separate programme: the approximately 20 light artworks along the route give the evening instant substance and atmosphere. Combine that with a private boat, snacks and drinks on board, and you have a complete evening without having to arrange everything separately as an organiser.

If you prefer not to experience the festival on the water, there are other corporate options as well. You can walk with a group past the light artworks and then book a restaurant in the city centre. The Jordaan, the Nine Streets, and the area around the Keizersgracht offer plenty of restaurants suitable for larger groups. A combination of a walk past the artworks and a dinner nearby is a good alternative for smaller parties.

How does a private boat work during the Amsterdam Light Festival?

With a private boat during the Amsterdam Light Festival, you reserve a complete boat exclusively for your group. The boat sails along the official Light Festival route and passes the light artworks, while you enjoy catering and drinks on board. There are no other guests on board.

With us, it works as follows: you choose an arrangement or put together a custom cruise, and we take care of the boat, the skipper, and the catering. The boats are covered and heated, so the weather is not a factor. A toilet is available on board. Our skippers know the route and ensure you get the best possible view of the light artworks, although the exact route may vary slightly due to traffic, weather, or the chosen boarding location.

We work with historic salon boats that are fully equipped for groups. The atmosphere on board combines the comfort of an event venue with the experience of the festival on the water. This makes a private boat during the Light Festival a popular choice for companies that want to combine activity and dinner without arranging two separate venues.

Please note that in addition to the arrangement price, a festival surcharge and VMR entertainment tax are charged separately. This is standard with all providers sailing along the official Light Festival route.

How many people can join a group cruise during the festival?

For group cruises during the Amsterdam Light Festival, we have a minimum of 15 persons for the fixed arrangements. There is plenty of room upward: our boats can accommodate groups of up to 60 persons on a single boat, and for larger groups, multiple boats can be combined.

The boat is always matched to the group size, so you don’t pay for space you don’t use. For a group cruise during the festival, we select the boat that best suits your number of participants and preferences. With a Custom Private Cruise, you can also guarantee a specific boat if that is important for the event.

We have more than 150 possible boarding locations in Amsterdam, which makes logistics straightforward for groups departing from a hotel, office, or conference venue. That is convenient if you don’t want your group to travel to a fixed mooring point.

What is the difference between a fixed arrangement and a custom cruise?

A fixed arrangement offers a pre-composed package with a clear price per person. A custom cruise gives you complete freedom to put together the boat, catering, drinks, timing, and boarding location yourself. The difference lies mainly in how much control you want and how specific your group’s requirements are.

Fixed arrangements: simple and straightforward

The Private Cruise Packages are designed for groups that want to organise a complete evening without having to make too many choices. You know in advance what you pay and what you get. The arrangements start from €47.50 per person for the Drinks & Bites Cruise (1.5 hours) and go up to €132.50 per person for the Walking Dinner Cruise with a chef on board. In between, there are options such as the Art & Lights Buffet and the Dinner Cruise with a three-course menu. All arrangements are exclusive to your group.

Custom cruise: for larger groups or specific requirements

The Custom Private Cruise is fully tailored. You choose the boat, the catering style (from luxury snacks and buffet to walking dinner or fine dining), the drinks option, the time, and the boarding location. This arrangement starts from €250 per hour with a minimum of 2 hours. It is particularly interesting for larger groups, companies with specific catering requirements, or events where entertainment or a custom programme on board is desired.

For most corporate outings and Christmas drinks, the fixed arrangements are a practical choice. If you want more flexibility or have a large group with specific requirements, a custom arrangement is the better option.

When does the Amsterdam Light Festival start and how long does a cruise last?

The Amsterdam Light Festival takes place annually in winter, typically from late November to late January. In 2026, the festival falls in the same period. The exact dates are announced each year via the official festival website. Booking early is strongly recommended, as the busy winter period generates high demand for private boats.

The duration of a cruise depends on the chosen arrangement. An overview:

  • Drinks & Bites Cruise: 1.5 hours
  • Art & Lights Buffet, Italian Buffet Cruise, Dinner Cruise and Walking Dinner Cruise: 2 hours
  • Custom Private Cruise: minimum 2 hours, longer possible
  • Shared Tickets (shared cruise): 75 minutes, for couples and small groups of up to 6 persons

Two hours is a comfortable duration for most corporate groups: long enough to eat at a relaxed pace and complete the route, short enough to finish the evening somewhere else afterwards. If you want a longer programme, the Custom Private Cruise is the most flexible option. More information about the dates of the Amsterdam Light Festival can be found on our festival page.

How Rederij De Nederlanden helps with a corporate event during the Light Festival

Whether you are organising Christmas drinks for 20 colleagues or a client event for 100 guests, we take care of the complete package on board. Here is a summary of what we offer:

  • Private boat exclusively for your group, no other guests on board
  • Covered and heated boats, winterproof and comfortable
  • Fixed arrangements from €47.50 per person, including catering and crew
  • Fully custom options available for larger groups or specific requirements
  • More than 150 boarding locations in Amsterdam, convenient for groups departing from a hotel or office
  • Early booking recommended due to the busy winter period

Would you like to organise a corporate event during the Amsterdam Light Festival? Browse our Christmas arrangements on the water or contact us directly for a tailored offer. Get in touch with us and we will be happy to help you find the best option for your group.

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