Amsterdam City Swim

Swimmers brave the canals for charity at the Amsterdam City Swim 2023!

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 (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 (Marine Etablissement Amsterdam) and finish (Keizersgracht/Reguliersgracht) points.

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.

Spinning and beats

There will be a DJ spinning at the Jonas Daniel Meijerplein to ensure that swimmers and audience have a good time. At the pier in front of the Hermitage, you will hear sporty beats, and Radio Veronica will be broadcasting on live radio at the finish line.

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