IDFA 2026: International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

IDFA, the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, runs from 12 to 22 November 2026. The organiser has confirmed the dates on its official festival site. For eleven days, Amsterdam hosts documentary screenings, juried competitions, an interactive new media strand and industry markets, all put on by IDFA, which was established in 1988.

IDFA is a public festival of films and new media. Anyone can buy a ticket, and the programme is open to general audiences rather than restricted to industry delegates.

What happens during the festival

The heart of IDFA is its film programme: documentaries from around the world screened across the festival’s eleven days. Competitions run throughout, ending with award announcements. At the 2025 edition, the Best Film Award went to A Fox Under a Pink Moon by Mehrdad Oskouei, and the NPO Doc IDFA Audience Award went to Cutting Through Rocks.

Alongside the films sits IDFA DocLab, the festival’s new media arm. Its Interactive Cinema section presents games and web documentaries, work that treats documentary as something you play or step into rather than only watch.

More than a festival

The November festival is the most visible part of a year-round documentary institute. Beyond the festival itself, IDFA’s work covers:

• funding and talent development, including the IDFA Bertha Fund and schemes such as Project Space NL, whose six 2026 participants have been announced
• education programmes
• markets where documentary makers meet industry professionals
• a public archive of past festival editions

Film professionals can apply for accreditation to attend IDFA 2026 in a professional capacity; accreditations, market entries and IDFAcademy applications are open, and details are on the organiser’s site.

Tickets and official information

Tickets are sold through IDFA’s official festival website, festival.idfa.nl. When this page was last checked, in July 2026, the organiser had not published ticket prices or the venue list for the 2026 edition. The sale dates announced so far apply to IDFA’s Friends presale: according to IDFA’s Friends FAQ, ticket sales for Best of IDFA open for (Special) Friends on Monday 31 August at 12:00, and general ticket sales for (Special) Friends open on Monday 26 October at 12:00. A public on-sale date had not been published at the time of checking. The official festival site is the place to watch, and the safest way to buy once sales open.

IDFA outside the festival dates

IDFA runs a permanent documentary hub in Amsterdam’s Vondelpark: Het Documentaire Paviljoen, at Vondelpark 3, 1071 AA Amsterdam. It screens documentaries year round, and its summer 2026 programme included a Harun Farocki retrospective. According to the venue’s visitor information, its halls are wheelchair accessible via the lift at Café Vertigo on the ground floor, the cinema De Spiegel has two reserved spaces for wheelchair users, and assistance dogs are welcome. The institute can be reached on +31 (0)20 627 3329 or via [email protected] on weekdays between 09:00 and 17:00.

Note that this is the institute’s year-round home, not automatically the festival’s main venue. The festival’s own 2026 venue list had not been announced at the time of checking.

Meaning and history

IDFA was established in 1988 and today describes itself as a leading international documentary institute, with funding, education and industry activity running through the year alongside the November festival. Its stated purpose is to give filmmakers, artists, audiences and professionals from around the world a place to meet and work together.

Common questions

When is IDFA 2026?

From Thursday 12 to Sunday 22 November 2026, as confirmed on the official festival site.

Where does the festival take place?

In Amsterdam. The venue list for the 2026 edition has not been published yet. IDFA’s own year-round venue, Het Documentaire Paviljoen, is at Vondelpark 3 in Amsterdam.

Do I need to be a film professional to attend?

No. IDFA is a public festival and anyone can buy tickets to screenings and new media presentations. Professionals who want industry access can apply for accreditation through the organiser.

When do tickets go on sale?

IDFA has announced presale dates for its Friends: 31 August and 26 October, both from 12:00. A general public on-sale date had not been published when this page was checked in July 2026. Tickets are sold via the official festival website once sales open.

What is IDFA DocLab?

DocLab is IDFA’s new media programme. Its Interactive Cinema section shows games and web documentaries alongside the festival’s film screenings.