Amsterdam City Swim

Swimmers brave the canals for charity at the Amsterdam City Swim 2024!

ACS swimmers against ALS

The Amsterdam City Swim (ACS) is the ultimate open water challenge through the canals of Amsterdam. It is a charity event and swimmers raise money for the fight against ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Queen Maxima and various other famous Dutch people have participated in previous editions.

Free for spectators

The Amsterdam City Swim is free for spectators. People are welcome to come and encourage the swimmers along the entire course on the Keizersgracht. The places that do require tickets are the start (near 663 Keizersgracht) and the new-for-2024 ACS festival site (Marineterrein Amsterdam). The finish point, which is next to the ACS festival site, is free to access this year, but in the event of overcrowding will then be restricted to those with a ticket for the ACS Festival site.

Tickets cost 15 euros for adults and 9,50 euros for 5-18 year olds. People with ALS, PLS, PSMA are welcome to come along with up to two guests for free.

Are the canals clean enough to swim in?

Many people may be wondering whether the Amsterdam canals really are clean enough to swim in. Opinions differ, but the water is actually cleaner than you might think. There are still risks to diving in and it’s usually not allowed, so participants have to follow the guidelines of ACS.

ACS Festival Site (ACS Festivalterrein)

New for 2024 is the ACS festival site. This is a large area of the Marineterrein that is designated for swimmers and spectators to relax and enjoy themselves. There's not a lot of room along the canal edges, and the can get very busy, so this area gives people the space to spread out, dance to the music and enjoy the food from the various vendors that will set up. After the swim, this area will even host an after-party, where everyone can celebrate the swimmers' achievements!

Check out the Amsterdam City Swim website for more details on timetables and locations.