haarlemsdagbladJun 20, 2026, 14:54

Rowdy Baltus (34) created the Festival Gift Card, but had to sacrifice a lot: 'If you work 70 hours a week, you're not relationship material'

Rowdy Baltus, a 34-year-old entrepreneur, reflects on the personal sacrifices made while launching the now-successful Festival Gift Card. For five years, Baltus balanced a job with the municipality of Amsterdam while working seventy hours a week on his business, leading to significant personal and relationship costs.

Business Lifestyle Amsterdam Netherlands

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Based on reporting by haarlemsdagblad. Translated and condensed by LocalHeadlines.

30 years of ADE: how a small networking conference grew into the world's largest dance marathon

The Amsterdam Dance Event is celebrating its 30th anniversary, having grown from a small industry gathering into the world's largest dance festival. Over the past three decades, the event has helped transform electronic music into a recognized art form while solidifying the Netherlands' reputation as a global leader in the dance industry.

End to intake freeze at Levvel, youths with severe issues can once again be admitted in Amsterdam

Care organization Levvel has ended its intake freeze for Amsterdam youth following successful negotiations to secure more beds for those in need of severe residential care. While access has been restored, the municipality is demanding better coordination among providers and has initiated an independent financial audit of Levvel to ensure future stability.

Six bedrooms and a view of Vondelpark: most expensive house in Amsterdam for sale

The most expensive home in Amsterdam, a villa on the Oranje Nassaulaan near Vondelpark, has been listed for sale at 20 million euros. The property features extensive living space, six bedrooms, and a private garden, with the estate agent expecting a sale within a few months.

Heineken must pay over 111 million euros in damages to Greek competitor

Heineken has been ordered by an Amsterdam court to pay 111.2 million euros in damages to Greek competitor MTB. The ruling stems from the abuse of a dominant market position by Heineken's Greek subsidiary, which hindered competition through exclusive retail deals for nearly two decades.

Municipal council information portal taken offline to prevent security breach

The Amsterdam municipal government has temporarily disabled its Notubiz information system as a precaution against global cyberattacks targeting PHP vulnerabilities. This outage affects public access to council documents and live meeting streams until the security risk is resolved.