Peep Show Amsterdam: Inside the Sex Palace Live Cabins
Posted on: June 1, 2026
Amsterdam Peep Show: how it works and where to find it in 2026
Yes, one peep show still operates in Amsterdam: Sex Palace at Oudezijds Achterburgwal 84, in the Red Light District. It costs €2 for about two minutes, and you top up coins to keep the window open. A peep show is a private coin-operated booth, which is different from a live sex show on a stage. Most other Amsterdam peep shows have closed.
Wondering how an Amsterdam peep show actually works — and whether any are even left? Most have closed, and what you find online is vague about the price, the location and what you will really see.
Only one true peep show survives: Sex Palace, on the Red Light District’s Oudezijds Achterburgwal. Our guides have been inside, so here is exactly how it works, what it costs and how to visit.
Last updated: October 2026
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Skip the tour group and wander whenever you like. The self-guided audio tour gives you a GPS route and 22 expert stories on your phone.
Visiting Sex Palace: the essentials
| Venue | Sex Palace — the last live peep show in Amsterdam |
| Address | Oudezijds Achterburgwal 84, De Wallen (Red Light District) |
| Price | From €2 for about two minutes — bring coins |
| Opening | Walk-in, no booking; generally from the afternoon until late at night (hours vary) |
| Age | 18+ |
| Booths | Around 12 private cabins — choose a live (“real”) or video (“virtual”) performance |
Our own photo, taken on location by our Amsterdam guides.
Curious how the big erotic theatres differ from the booths? See our comparison of Moulin Rouge vs Casa Rosso for the atmosphere, show styles and ticket options at each venue.
What is an Amsterdam peep show?
A peep show is a small, coin-operated booth where you watch a live erotic performance through a window. You step in alone, drop a coin in the slot, and a shutter rises for a set time.
It is the cheapest and most private form of adult entertainment in De Wallen. At Sex Palace the window opens for about two minutes per €2.
The Dutch dictionary Van Dale defines it simply: an erotic show of a naked performer who, in exchange for coins, can be watched through the viewing window of a booth.
What happens inside the Amsterdam peep show?
Sex Palace sits on the Oudezijds Achterburgwal, in the heart of the Red Light District. Inside are around 12 private cabins, each facing a small window onto the stage.
You insert at least €2 to start the show. Here it is two euros for every two minutes, and you top up to keep the window open.
The performers rotate roughly every ten minutes, so there is a new act on a regular cycle. Most cabins face the same performer, so several visitors watch the same live show at once.
For a higher rate you can book a private booth facing a single performer. You are still separated by the glass, but you can exchange simple requests through the window.
What to expect in the booth
The setup is simple. You pay for a few minutes in a private booth, the window opens, and you watch a live performer or an erotic film — whichever you choose.
Each booth has a coin slot or card reader. The more you feed it, the longer the window stays open, so people come and go quickly.
It stays discreet. You sit alone in a small cabin with a one-way window, which keeps the whole thing private.
What you’ll find inside a typical booth:
- A small chair or standing space for one
- A window or shutter that opens when the show starts
- A coin or card slot for payment
- Low, private lighting
How much does an Amsterdam peep show cost?
A peep show is cheap: from €2 for roughly two minutes of a live strip or sex show. Add more coins and the window stays open longer, so you set your own budget.
Bring coins. Payment is by the slot in the booth, and the shutter closes the moment your time runs out.
Our team of licensed local guides visited the booths in person to check the price, the layout and the house rules first-hand. The photos on this page come from those on-site research visits.
Rules and etiquette: how to visit a peep show respectfully
A peep show is relaxed, but a few rules keep it that way. Follow them and you will have an easy, drama-free visit.
- No photos or filming — as with the window workers, recording the performers is not allowed.
- Bring €2 coins — the booths run on coins, so cash is essential.
- 18+ only — it is adult entertainment; bring ID if you look young.
- One person per booth — the cabins are built for one (a private booth is the exception).
- Respect the performers — they are professionals; keep it polite.
For the wider area, read our Red Light District etiquette guide before you go.
A short history: the last peep show in Amsterdam
Peep shows were once one of the Red Light District’s cheapest thrills: a coin, a window, and a few private minutes. Sex Palace was founded in the 1970s, when video booths were a genuine novelty.
Back then there was no porn on television. Men came to the district for the sex shops and for a warming-up at the peep show before visiting the windows.
At its peak the city had six peep shows. Today Sex Palace is the last one — Het Parool, De Telegraaf and Vice have all called it the last of its kind in the Netherlands.
What changed the business was free online porn. Before the internet this place had its golden years; now it survives more on curiosity and nostalgia than on demand.
It still offers around 400 different films alongside the live cabins. As the owner puts it, some people come simply because they cannot watch porn at home — and plenty come because seeing it in person is weird, awkward and genuinely good fun.
Who owns Sex Palace? The Otten family and the Red Light District
For decades Sex Palace was run by Jan van Otten, the entrepreneur known as the “King of the Red Light District.” He started out as a bouncer at the erotic theatre Casa Rosso before buying it, the peep show and several other De Wallen venues.
Jan van Otten passed away in May 2024, aged 82 (NOS). His stepson, Dylan Meijer, now leads the family business — the Otten Group — which still runs Sex Palace alongside Casa Rosso, the Bananenbar and the Erotic Museum.
You can still hear the late Jan van Otten tell the story himself in our Red Light District audio tour.
In the Amsterdam Audio Tours app, Van Otten and 21 other experts share their knowledge of the district. The tour runs about 100 minutes and you can listen from home, your hotel, or on the spot.
“On the left we have eight live-show cabins placed in a circle around a stage. Usually it is one female stripper, but once an hour you can see a couple in action, while others watch through the peep cabins.
If you put €2 in the slot, the window rises for two minutes. It is the most accessible sex show in Amsterdam — but you can also see the other people watching, so I guess they are not really used for that too much, right?” — Jan van Otten
Want to see it in person? Our guides show the Sex Palace peep show on the Red Light District tour, alongside the area’s best-known sex shows and the famous Moulin Rouge in Amsterdam.
10 SEX SHOWS IN AMSTERDAM >Peep show or live sex show — what’s the difference?
Visitors constantly mix these up. A peep show is a cheap, private, coin-operated booth for one. A live sex show is a full seated theatre performance. Here is how they compare:
| Peep show (Sex Palace) | Live sex show (Casa Rosso / Moulin Rouge) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | From €2 per ~2 minutes | Around €50–€70 per ticket |
| Format | Private booth, one person | Seated theatre, about an hour |
| Experience | Quick, discreet, voyeuristic | Choreographed erotic stage acts |
Prefer the full theatre experience? See our guide to the best Amsterdam sex shows and the famous Casa Rosso erotic theatre.
Amsterdam peep show FAQ
Are there still peep shows in Amsterdam?
Yes, but only one: Sex Palace on Oudezijds Achterburgwal in the Red Light District. It is one of the last live peep shows left in the world.
How much does an Amsterdam peep show cost?
From about €2 for roughly two minutes. Bring coins — you feed them into the booth to keep the shutter open.
Where is the Amsterdam peep show?
Sex Palace, at Oudezijds Achterburgwal 84 in the heart of De Wallen, a few minutes’ walk from Amsterdam Centraal.
What happens inside a peep show?
You step into a small private booth, insert coins, and a shutter opens onto a live performer for a couple of minutes.
Is Sex Palace really the last peep show in Amsterdam?
Yes. Digital porn and changing tastes closed the rest, leaving Sex Palace as the last true live peep show in the city.
Do you need to book a peep show?
No — it is a walk-in. Just turn up during opening hours; there are no tickets or reservations.
Can you take photos in a peep show?
No. As with the window workers in the Red Light District, photography inside is not allowed.
What is the difference between a peep show and a live sex show?
A peep show is a roughly €2 solo booth. A live sex show is a roughly €50–€70 seated theatre performance at venues like Casa Rosso or Moulin Rouge.
Is an Amsterdam peep show worth it?
For a couple of euros it is a cheap, curious slice of Red Light District history — more nostalgic novelty than spectacle.
What are the opening hours?
Sex Palace is a walk-in, generally open from the afternoon until late at night. Hours vary, so check the door on the day.
ALSO READ:
15x Must See in Amsterdam Red Light District
11 Amsterdam Red Light District Laws
10 Best Coffeeshops in Amsterdam
A real account: A former dancer once described working here — read our interview with a former Sex Palace peep-show stripper about life in the Red Light District.
16 Responses to Peep Show Amsterdam: Inside the Sex Palace Live Cabins
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How long do the girl performers work at sex palace for?
When is sex palace peep show closing down
i used to perform at the sex palace peepshow 1992-1999. I was the male half of the live sex show. when I started it was a 15 minute sex show 14 times every day for two weeks. then we would move onto other peepshows in Brussels; Antwerp; Hanover; Lisbon; etc.
the longest stint I did was 13 weeks. and in Hanover we did 19 shows per day mon-fri; Saturday was 11 shows and Sunday was 7 shows.
it was a great life and good money for doing something that we realy enjoyed.
I miss the place.
I haven’t been back since 1999; but hope to visit as a tourist next year.
if any other English performers read this please message me.
It would be sad to see the end of the sex palace peepshow in Amsterdam: I spent many months over a period of seven years with two different female partners performing live sex shows there.
I also performed in the Kerksplein and Nieuendyke peepshows.
Can anyone please tell me when the first live sex shows between a man and a woman were performed in Amsterdam and Belgium
Going to Sex Palace between July 1-4. When do the man/woman show start? Went once, loved it but second time was only a woman posing.
I don’t think that they do peepshow anymore.
Let me know how your time there went.
hi Jessi.
when i was doing the live sex shows at the sex palace during the 90s, it used to be on the hour lasting for 15 mins and we used to do 14 shows per day.
The kerksplein peepshow- Which used to be a 5 min walk away- used to be on the half hour.
How did you enjoy the experience?
I’m not sure that it is no longer a peepshow.
i spent a lot of timr there.and enjoyed every minute.
I wish that i could do it all again.
Are these shows still available and are they on during the day ?? is it male and female
If I want to use prostitues. How can I Works?
Hello guys
We are a couple that want to act at peepshows and live sex shows, new at “this world” but very happy to get involved with. Any idea where to start or where could be go?
Many thanks in advance
Can you masturbate in the peep show?
I went in a skirt and played with myself ? suppose it’s harder for guys?
Which peeps how did you go to?
When was it?
if you needed a man he was happy to give sex shows with girls
In the peep show, the money changer received paper money, but I did not receive change. the employee’s answer is that I should come tomorrow to return the cameras and check since they don’t believe me. Be careful