Amsterdam residents report rise in striptease shows on canal boats, say children exposed

Residents along Amsterdam’s canals say they have repeatedly witnessed striptease acts on passing tourist boats, including incidents last weekend and earlier in the year, with one family reporting at least 13 separate occasions over recent months in which performers were visible from their home.

AT5 has recently received multiple reports from Amsterdammers noticing boats with striptease performances moving through the city’s canals. A quick online search shows at least ten websites advertising such boat-based bachelor party entertainment.

Ariel and Dave, who live with their children in an apartment on the Valkenburgerstraat overlooking the Uilenburgergracht, say they were first confronted with such a performance in January and have continued to experience similar scenes since moving into the home last autumn. Ariel told AT5 that the family again witnessed an act last weekend.

Over the past months, they have counted 13 separate passing striptease performances. Ariel described the scenes from their window, saying, "Boats pass by, and then we hear cheering. That draws attention, and then you see a woman without clothes or with very little clothing dancing or sitting on top of a man or slapping bare buttocks. We have seen too much.”

Some operators reportedly advertise striptease entertainment for canal cruises in Amsterdam. One provider said it has been offering such events for 16 years but emphasized they take place in covered salon boats, where curtains can be closed so the performances are not visible from outside.

Residents also reported seeing performers on boats operated by larger tour companies such as Starboard and Flagship. Flagship said in a response that it does not offer cruises with strippers itself, but its vessels can be booked for private charters. The company said private groups may hire their own entertainment, adding that all onboard activities are subject to house rules and that behavior leading to nuisance or unwanted situations is considered undesirable.

The family says the exposure is particularly concerning because of their children, who range in age from toddler to teenager. Eleven-year-old Owen said, “What I want is that boats with sex shows no longer pass our window. " I am 11; I think it is not suitable for my age. I am too young, and I also have a brother and sister of 2 and 5 and a brother of 15. Especially those little ones should not see that.”

Ariel rejected the idea that children might also encounter sexualized content on television as a reason to accept the boat performances in public space. She said, "If you choose to have that in your life yourself, then we respect that. But if this is in public and people have not consciously chosen it, including children, then that crosses a line.”

A spokesperson for Alderman Scholtes, responsible for Varen (navigation), said public striptease acts are prohibited under law, including on canal boats, because Amsterdam’s canals are part of the public space. Residents are encouraged to report incidents if they witness them.

The family says they have done so repeatedly in recent months, but Dave said it has not led to meaningful change. “I think the police and the municipality can do more than ‘it has been noted, we will check it.’ It stops there and goes no further. I want the shows to just stop and not come into our neighborhood.”

Amsterdam police say they have no recorded reports in their systems of offensive behavior on boats in the city center. However, they note there have been older incidents in which intervention did take place.