26 march 2026
all about the money
movies that matter x brainwash festival

What happens when the extremely wealthy rise up against the capitalist system? In the film All About The Money, the son of one of America’s wealthiest families establishes a communist revolutionary base in rural Massachusetts to disrupt the world in which he grew up, but which he has now come to despise.

12 march 2026
brainwash night: safe and sound

Brainwash Night took place on 12 March at RADION in Amsterdam. Visitors wandered through the nightclub’s rooms, immersing themselves in performances, talks and films. Throughout the evening, the event explored the tension between feeling safe and confrontation, between coming home and setting out to explore. It featured many talented creators, thinkers and dreamers.

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19 february 2026
brainwash special: markus gabriel on doing good in the 21st century

In a time of crisis, Gabriel explored how we can rediscover our moral compass and which values can bring us together. It was an evening for everyone who felt that things need to change and refuses to succumb to cynicism.

26 november 2025
brainwash special:
achille mbembe

Imagine: a world where solidarity knows no borders. Where power no longer determines who matters. Where humanity and the Earth are seen as one. Utopian? Perhaps. But philosopher Achille Mbembe has shown that a radically different future is indeed possible.

19 october 2025 
brainwash festival day:
beyond boundaries

The 10th edition of Brainwash Festival explored the boundaries that shape our lives. What does it mean that boundaries are increasingly being crossed or even abolished? And which boundaries are worth continuing to fight for? At Brainwash Festival, philosophers, writers, artists and scientists joined you on a boundary-pushing festival journey.

18 october 2025 
festival book club:
sinan çankaya

At Skatecafé in Amsterdam North, we met anthropologist Sinan Çankaya for a conversation about his recent book. In a compelling account, he explored his anger at Europe’s selective outrage over the genocide in Gaza and how that logic is intertwined with his own life.

18 october 2025 
festival book club:
agnes callard

In the former Academische Club, now the jazz bar Contra, we breathed new life into the philosophical debate. Together with Agnes Callard, we delved into her new book Open Socrates and rediscovered the well-known but often misunderstood philosopher. At a time when persuasion seems more important than asking questions, Callard invited us to think differently. Here, doubt is not a weakness, but a starting point. Do you dare to look at things differently?

16 october 2025 
brainwash festival night:
there’s no limit

On Thursday 16 October 2025, we kicked off the festival weekend with Brainwash Festival Night at Skatecafé. We celebrated 10 years of Brainwash Festival with an evening full of highlights, glitter and boundless joy.

4-6 juli 2025
brainwash at down the rabbit hole

Brainwash is heading out on tour! Once again this year, we’ll be at Down The Rabbit Hole with our very own Brainwash Breakfast Club. Last year’s line-up included Maurits de Bruijn, Seada Nourhussen and Maartje Wortel. Frida Boeke will be your host for the show, Lukas will be playing music, and Lin An Phoa will round off each day with some words of wisdom.

26 june 2025
brainwash special: anne applebaum

Historian, journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Anne Applebaum examines modern dictatorship. She is uniquely qualified to interpret current events on the world stage. On 26 June, Applebaum spoke with Merlijn Geurts about the growing autocratic networks that threaten our democracy.

9 june 2025
peter singer: animal liberation now

On Monday 9 June, we welcomed one of the world’s most influential ethicists: Peter Singer. With his 1975 book Animal Liberation, he provided the animal rights movement with a moral foundation. Yet we continue to inflict suffering on animals on an unimaginable scale. That is why Singer has adapted his ideas for the 21st century and, in Animal Liberation Now, addresses the ethical questions of our time. Moderator: Eveline van Rijswijk

14 may 2025
brainwash book club xl: emma holten

What would the economy look like if we treated care work and paid work as equals? During our Book Club XL, Ikenna Azuike will be in conversation with feminist and writer Emma Holten in the New Treasury Room at the Dutch Central Bank.

16 april 2025 
jonathan haidt: the anxious generation

Are you still able to put your phone away? And what are we to make of this phone addiction now that Big Tech is exerting ever-greater control over our online lives? On 16 April, we spoke at TivoliVredenburg with social psychologist Jonathan Haidt and Yasmin Ait Abderrahman about the disruptive impact of mobile phones and apps on our mental health.

13 februari 2025 
brainwash night: do you believe?

Faith. Ecstasy. Surrender. That’s how we rang in 2025 at our Brainwash Night on 13 February at RADION. We tapped into the inexplicable alongside Lieselot Siddiki, Derek Otte, Abdelkader Benali, Trevoga, Eva van Manen and Rory Ronde, among others.