Sense8 is the most gloriously queer thing Netflix ever cancelled. Eight strangers across eight cities, mentally linked, played by a cast that included trans actors in trans roles at a time when that was still rare, made by the Wachowskis at their most unapologetic.
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Season two brought the show to Amsterdam, and it did the sensible thing: it went straight to Paradiso. Here is where it filmed, what to see, and an honest note about how much of the show’s “Amsterdam” is actually Amsterdam.
Seting Expectations First
Let us be straight with you, because most location guides will not be.
Sense8 shot in Berlin, San Francisco, Mumbai, Seoul, Mexico City, Nairobi, Chicago, London, Reykjavik and more. Amsterdam is a supporting location, not one of the eight home cities, and the footprint here is small. If you are expecting a Berlin-scale trail, you will be disappointed.
What Amsterdam does have is the single best venue the show used anywhere, and it is one you can walk into and buy a ticket for. That is worth more than a long list of pavements.
The Location
Paradiso
- Address: Weteringschans 6-8, 1017 SG Amsterdam.
- The scene: Riley’s return to the decks in season two. She DJs to a packed room and uses the set to reach other sensates, and the sequence is the show at its most euphoric.
- Today: here is why it is the perfect location for that scene. Paradiso is a converted nineteenth-century church. It still has the stained glass, the balconies and the vaulted ceiling, and it has been one of Europe’s most important music venues since 1968, when squatters took the building over and the city eventually made it official. Bowie, Prince, the Stones and Nirvana have all played it.
- How to visit: buy a ticket to anything. Genuinely, anything. The programme runs from club nights to touring bands most nights of the week, tickets are usually inexpensive, and standing on that floor looking up at the stained glass while something loud happens is the entire point. Turning up to photograph the outside is a waste of a trip.
While You Are on Weteringschans
Two things worth knowing about the same street:
- The Hitman’s Bodyguard shot its fictional Interpol remand centre on Weteringschans, using two unrelated buildings digitally joined together. Full trail here.
- The Leidseplein is a two-minute walk west, and the Rijksmuseum and Museum Quarter are five minutes south. This is a very well-placed street.
The Scene That Is Not Amsterdam
Worth knowing before you go hunting for it. There is an ice-skating sequence set in Amsterdam, which is exactly the sort of thing you would expect a show to shoot on a Dutch canal.
It was filmed in Sherman Park in Chicago. Amsterdam canals only freeze hard enough to skate on in exceptional winters, and a production cannot schedule around that, so the scene went to a reliable American park instead. If you have been looking for that spot along the Prinsengracht, it does not exist.
Making a Day of It
Because the Amsterdam footprint is one venue, build the visit around what the show is actually about rather than around addresses. Sense8 is a piece of queer utopian television, and Amsterdam is a good city to watch it in.
- The Homomonument, Westermarkt, by the Westerkerk. Three pink granite triangles commemorating persecuted LGBTQ+ people, and the first monument of its kind anywhere in the world.
- Paradiso in the evening, for whatever is on.
- Reguliersdwarsstraat, the historic centre of gay Amsterdam nightlife, a few minutes north of Paradiso.
- Anne+, the Dutch queer series shot properly and extensively in this city, which is the Amsterdam-set queer screen story with a real location trail. Our guide is here.
Your Questions Answered
Was Sense8 filmed in Amsterdam?
Yes, in season two, primarily at Paradiso for Riley’s DJ sequence. Amsterdam is a guest location rather than one of the show’s eight main cities.
Which episode is the Amsterdam club scene?
It falls in the middle of season two. Sources differ on whether it is episode four or five, so if you want to rewatch it before you visit, start around there.
Can you visit the Sense8 club?
Yes, and you should. Paradiso at Weteringschans 6-8 is a working music venue with tickets on sale most nights. Buy one rather than photographing the door.
Where were the other Sense8 cities filmed?
On location, which was the show’s whole expensive point: Berlin, San Francisco, Mumbai, Seoul, Mexico City, Nairobi, Chicago and London, with additional shoots in Iceland and elsewhere.
Where to Stay
Around the Leidseplein and Weteringschans puts you next door to Paradiso, which matters if you are staying out late. The Grachtengordel canal belt just north is quieter and prettier and still a ten-minute walk. Reguliersdwarsstraat and the gay bars are a short stroll in the same direction.
More Amsterdam on film in our complete Amsterdam filming locations guide.
🏳️🌈 About Cramberts
From our home base in Amsterdam, we frequently explore some of Europe’s most vibrant cities, and we’ve compiled detailed guides to share our insider knowledge. Whether you’re seeking the canals and culture of Amsterdam itself, the sunny beaches of Gran Canaria, the historic charm of Lisbon and Porto, the bustling energy of Barcelona and Madrid, the refined elegance of Paris and Munich, the unique character of Sitges, or the diverse landscapes of the Randstad region, you’ll find comprehensive information and recommendations in the links below.
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Amsterdam | Barcelona | Chicago | Cologne | Gran Canaria | Iceland | India | Lisbon | London | Madrid | Munich | Palm Springs | Paris | Porto | Randstad | Sitges | Sydney | Washington DC
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