Dam Square keeps World Press Photo on view to 25 October
Published on 09/27/2026 at 10:45 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Dam Square and the World Press Photo Exhibition 2026 are linked by De Nieuwe Kerk, where the exhibition continues through 25 October 2026 after an extension announced on 26 September. The square, known locally as De Dam, places the exhibition among Amsterdam's best-known historic buildings.
World Press Photo Exhibition 2026 continues at Dam Square
The exhibition opened to the public at De Nieuwe Kerk on 24 April 2026. Its organiser, World Press Photo, originally listed the Amsterdam presentation until 27 September, but the church now says that the run has been extended through Sunday 25 October.
The exhibition brings together photographs and stories from the 2026 World Press Photo competition. Its themes include conflict, climate change, identity, resilience and the natural world, while a central presentation is devoted to the Photo of the Year. A memorial space honours journalists who died in 2025, and a timeline installation traces the history of World Press Photo through one of the church's chapels. The extension to 25 October 2026 is stated on the venue's exhibition page.
De Nieuwe Kerk places photojournalism in a historic square
De Nieuwe Kerk stands on Dam Square, the central Amsterdam space that developed around a dam and lock in the Amstel built around 1260. The city's history page identifies the church, the Royal Palace and the National Monument as defining buildings around the square.
That setting gives the exhibition a direct connection with the place rather than a generic city-centre venue. The church was built from 1380, while the Royal Palace began as Amsterdam's town hall and was completed in 1655. The National Monument, unveiled in 1956, stands on the eastern side of the square. These buildings place a contemporary record of global events inside a site shaped by Amsterdam's civic and commercial history. The history of Dam Square is documented by the City of Amsterdam.
World Press Photo dates now run through 25 October 2026
The official World Press Photo calendar lists the Amsterdam exhibition from 24 April to 25 October 2026 at De Nieuwe Kerk, Dam Square. This makes the extension relevant for visitors arriving after the original closing date of 27 September, while the exhibition remains within the current autumn travel period.
The display also explains how photographs are selected and how authenticity and accuracy are assessed. An audio tour adds photographers' perspectives and context to the pictures. World Press Photo says the 2026 competition received 57,376 entries from 3,747 photographers representing 141 countries, figures also carried by the venue.
The organisation's Amsterdam exhibition listing confirms the venue and the revised closing date.
Visiting Dam Square: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The World Press Photo Exhibition 2026 is at De Nieuwe Kerk on Dam Square from 24 April through 25 October 2026.
- The extension keeps the exhibition available after its original closing date of 27 September 2026; the venue's current listing places it on view through 25 October 2026.
- De Nieuwe Kerk is on Dam Square in central Amsterdam. Trams 2, 4, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17 and 24 serve Dam Square, while metro line 52 stops at Rokin.
- The exhibition is inside the historic church, whose construction began in 1380, and includes a chapel timeline, a memorial space and a central Photo of the Year presentation.
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Frequently asked questions about Dam Square
When does the World Press Photo Exhibition take place at Dam Square?
The exhibition runs at De Nieuwe Kerk from 24 April through 25 October 2026.
What is Dam Square?
Dam Square is Amsterdam's central historic square, formed around a dam and lock built in the Amstel around 1260.
Where is Dam Square and how do you get there?
It is in central Amsterdam. Trams 2, 4, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17 and 24 serve the square, and metro line 52 stops at Rokin.
