Amsterdam checklist: Ride bikes along the Amstel River? Check. Visit the historic Anne Frank House? Check. See the in their illuminated windows in the Red Light District? Check.
The only thing left to do? Attend a live sex show. Our last night in town, my friends and I traversed down the famous Red Light District on the hunt for a sexcapade you simply can’t find in America. The canal was illuminated from the reflection of row after row of red windows.
I always thought “Red Light District” was just a catchy name, but that is quite literally what it is: a district of Amsterdam adorned with red-lit windows from which sex workers look out at the passersby, ready for their next client. Some flirt and wave, some scroll on their phones, and others open their doors to greet a familiar face. Between the glowing windows were sex work museums, nude bars, and finally, what we came for: live sex shows.
Flashing lights on the marquee lit up the block, calling out to potential spectators: “REAL SEX! LIVE!” Bouncers stood outside as a line of eager voyeurs slowly trickled in, buzzing in anticipation. The staff displayed an effortlessly cool nonchalance as they checked us in and told us we could expect a 90-minute show of rotating acts, which would then repeat. We could stay for as long as we liked.
Inside, the walls bore oversize photos of nude women and flashy neon lights guiding us toward the theater. With red cushioned seats lining a center aisle leading straight toward a red ve.