
Amsterdam began 2026 in shock after a massive New Year's Day fire ravaged the historic Vondelkerk, collapsing its spire and leaving one of the city's most recognisable cultural landmarks beyond repair.
The blaze tore through the 150-year-old neo-Gothic structure in the early hours of 1 January, prompting a major emergency response and renewing debate over fireworks, public disorder in the Netherlands and the protection of heritage sites.