IDFA Amsterdam 2026: ticket dates, film choices and travel
IDFA runs in Amsterdam from November 12-22, 2026. General ticket sales start October 28 at 12:00, while selected special programmes are already on sale. Choose the kind of visit you want before buying a discount pass: it does not cover every festival event.
The October 13 selection announcement completed the festival's official selection, with 253 titles from 80 countries. That gives documentary viewers plenty to shortlist, but a completed selection is not the same thing as every screening being open for booking.
For a first visit, decide whether you want to choose individual films, spend a day with a curated selection or attend a film followed by a discussion. Each approach has a different booking timetable and leaves a different amount of time for the city.
What can you book before October 28?
The public ticket calendar separates specials from the regular sale. All times below are Amsterdam local time.
| Booking stage | Published date or status | What it means for a visitor |
|---|---|---|
| Selected specials and Best of IDFA | Already on sale | Check the individual event for seats |
| Friends, guests and VriendenLoterij VIP cardholders | October 26, 12:00 | Eligibility matters; this is not the general opening |
| General audience, regular screenings | October 28, 12:00 | Prepare a shortlist before the sale |
The 2026 programme page says the full screening programme will be available from October 23. Revisit it then to turn film choices into a schedule with actual venues and times. Until that point, avoid paying for a tightly timed transfer on the assumption that a selected film will screen on your preferred day.
Set up or check your MyIDFA login ahead of booking. The help desk lists iDEAL | Wero, Visa and Mastercard for payment. Its guidance also confirms that free tickets need to go through checkout. A price of zero does not mean you can skip the reservation.
When is the discount pass worth buying?
The ticket price page lists regular screenings at EUR13.50, or EUR8 for students. The transferable festival discount pass has these options:
| Regular screening credits | Price | Cost per credit if all are used |
|---|---|---|
| Five | EUR52.50 | EUR10.50 |
| Ten | EUR95 | EUR9.50 |
| Twenty | EUR170 | EUR8.50 |
Five full-price individual tickets total EUR67.50, so the five-credit option saves EUR15 if every credit is used. The organizer's displayed savings figure for that option differs; the calculation here uses its published prices. Four individual tickets total EUR54, only EUR1.50 more than the five-credit pass. A student buying five regular tickets pays EUR40, less than that pass.
The pass guidance limits it to regular screenings, excluding full-day programmes. The help desk also excludes special and long screenings. Pay for the pass before using it to book; if you cancel a pass-booked ticket in MyIDFA, its slot becomes available again.
Count the eligible screenings you will attend, including anyone sharing the pass. Do not include a special programme simply because it takes place at IDFA. The year-round Het Documentaire Paviljoen strippenkaart is a different product and cannot be used at the festival.
IDFA Hits at Carré: a film and a conversation
The Hits programme at Carré runs November 13-15, with discussions or Q&As after the screenings. Three starting points for a shortlist are:
| Film | Published Carré slot | A reason to read the full listing |
|---|---|---|
| *The Siege of Paradise* | November 13, 11:30 | Tourism's effects on an Italian community |
| *White Tiger Column* | November 13, 14:00 | Young recruits in Myanmar's resistance movement |
| *You Can See Everything* | November 13, 20:30 | Elizabeth Holmes, filmed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim |
These are programme choices, not reviews of films we have seen. Check language, content and the total session length, including any discussion. Do not assume all directors will appear in person simply because an event includes a conversation.
The White Tiger Column film page lists a 95-minute documentary. It is also the festival's opening film, but the opening event and a later Carré showing are separate bookings. Check the screening itself rather than treating the film title as one interchangeable ticket.
If you want only one film, choose the subject that interests you most and leave time afterward. Three screenings in a day can become a long commitment once meals, travel and discussions are included.
Best of IDFA: four films without building your own schedule
The Best of IDFA: Audience Favorites listing offers four audience-selected films in one day at Pathé Noord, November 20-22. It lists EUR55 standard and EUR35 student, with films in English or subtitled in English. The final selection is announced on November 19.
The separate Award Winners programme uses a jury-selected lineup, also announced November 19. Choose between audience preference and jury selection rather than assuming both days contain the same films.
This format suits someone who enjoys discovery and prefers staying at one cinema. It is less suitable if one particular title is the reason for the trip. Check the specific screen, start and end times, availability and meal arrangements before committing the day. A listing with a booking button is not a guarantee that every slot still has seats.
Amsterdam venues: Pathé Noord is not Eye
The 2026 venue guide gives the addresses below. Save the one on your confirmation, not just the word IDFA.
| Venue | Address | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Pathé Tuschinski | Reguliersbreestraat 26 | Check the named auditorium |
| Royal Theater Carré | Amstel 115/125 | Location of the Hits series |
| Eye | IJpromenade 1 | A separate venue from Pathé Noord |
| Pathé Noord | Buikslotermeerplein 2003 | Check this destination for Best of IDFA |
| Het Documentaire Paviljoen | Vondelpark 3 | Do not confuse its year-round pass with the festival pass |
Group your choices geographically once the full schedule is available. For a transfer, include the time to leave a screen, reach a stop and enter the next building. Keep a meal break in the schedule instead of treating any gap as spare ticket capacity.
If you are combining IDFA with a longer holiday, use the Netherlands family guide for the wider itinerary. Check the individual film's age and content guidance before including children; a documentary is not automatically suitable for them.
Access needs and subtitle checks before booking
The venue guide identifies different arrangements by cinema. At Het Documentaire Paviljoen, the lift route is through the restaurant and needs staff assistance. Het Ketelhuis has lift and temporary wheelchair-space restrictions affecting electric wheelchairs. Ask about your exact screening before relying on a general wheelchair-accessible label.
The help desk asks wheelchair users to send the screening title, time and location to [email protected] after purchasing. If an unanswered access question determines whether you can attend, contact the team before paying and then follow its booking instructions.
Read the language and subtitle information on the chosen showing. The Best of programmes explicitly confirm English or English subtitles; that should not be stretched into a promise about every film, introduction or discussion. Check descriptive subtitles and other access provisions separately from translation subtitles.
Can a public visitor attend the industry programme?
Public cinema tickets and professional access serve different purposes. The professional calendar lists the Industry Program for November 14-18 and the Forum for November 15-18. The Forum Observer Pass application window ended October 10.
Do not book a trip expecting a regular screening ticket to admit you to pitch sessions. If networking is your main purpose, check the appropriate accreditation and current eligibility directly. The calendar lists regular accreditation fees through October 31 and late fees from November 1, but those dates do not guarantee approval or access to every industry event.
Transport apps and mobile preparation
GVB's journey-planning guidance describes its Gappie app and 9292 for checking routes and disruptions. Plan from the actual cinema address, including the journey back to your accommodation. An app that plans several operators does not make one ticket valid on them all.
For a river crossing, use the current route rather than assuming every ferry goes to the same place. GVB lists the F3 between Centraal Station and Buiksloterweg as a free pedestrian and cycle connection operating day and night. That does not establish the frequency on your date or provide the whole journey to Pathé Noord.
Keep ticket instructions, cinema addresses and the day's schedule available on your phone. Check whether entry requires a live ticket rather than a screenshot, and leave enough battery for the return. Use live transport information for last-minute diversions.
At our October 15 check, OpenSim's Netherlands 5GB plan cost USD4.76 for 30 days and supported top-up. The Netherlands plan page lists current options. A fixed allowance with eligible top-up can suit an overseas visitor retrieving bookings and checking transfers away from accommodation Wi-Fi.
Compare your existing roaming allowance first; it may already cover the trip. OpenSim does not include cinema admission, a transport fare or guaranteed reception in every auditorium. Use the travel data calculator, phone compatibility guide and installation timing guide before departure.
Sources, updates and photograph
Checked October 15, 2026, using IDFA's current selection, ticket, screening, access and professional pages, GVB and the live OpenSim catalog. Recheck the programme after October 23, regular booking on October 28 and your screening before travel. This guide covers the 2026 edition and will be reviewed for material changes to those arrangements.
Photograph: Amsterdam Tuschinski by Andreas Praefcke, June 2008, under CC BY 3.0. Cropped and compressed. It shows the historical cinema exterior, not a 2026 festival entrance or current access route.
