I’ve lived in Amsterdam for 8 years. This will be my 6th King’s Day in Amsterdam. There were a couple missed years due to Covid, but let’s move on. King’s Day is one of my favorite days of the year. King’s Day in Amsterdam is like Dutch 4th of July except better.
What is King’s Day?
King’s Day is an annual Dutch holiday to celebrate the Dutch King, Willem Alexander. Formerly, it was called Queen’s Day. But Queen Beatrix abdicated the throne back in 2013 and since then it’s King’s Day. King’s Day is by far one of the best days to be in Amsterdam. That is, if you don’t mind horrible crowds, long lines for porta-potties, lots of noise and the color orange.
In Dutch King’s Day is called Koningsdag. And the night prior, Koningsnacht. Both equally rowdy.
When is King’s Day in Amsterdam?
King’s Day falls on April 27th every year and is celebrated throughout the Netherlands. But of course, Amsterdam is the place to be.
What to wear on King’s Day in Amsterdam
The most typical outfit you’ll see on King’s Day is orange. Lots of orange. The royal family is from the House of Orange, hence the color choice. People also choose to wear red, white and blue, to mimic the flag of the Netherlands as well as crowns and gold to honor the king. In addition, there are lots of costumes and football jerseys too. The weather is very unpredictable in April in Amsterdam so it’s difficult to plan in advance for King’s day outfits.
What to do on King’s Day in Amsterdam
On King’s Day the city’s population doubles in size. Hence huge crowds everywhere. Warning, if you don’t like crowds, get out of town. The streets and canals are a sea of people no matter where you look. Don’t expect to ride your bike, the tram or go anywhere quickly in the city center. In fact, all public transport in the city center is paused. Instead, head out on foot. You can also choose to escape the city center and head to one of the many festivals or events hosted on the outskirts of Amsterdam.
Here are the best King’s Day parties outside the city.
The annual flea market or vrijmarkt
The vrijmarkt (free market) is one of my favorite parts of King’s Day in Amsterdam. The vrijmarkt is a flea market. But not just any flea market. It takes place legitimately across the entire city. And here’s the best part. On King’s Day anyone is allowed to buy and sell anything they wish. Yup, anyone and anything.
At 6 am the markets open. About a week before you can see people claiming their spot on the streets with chalk and tape, to set up their stand that morning. You can find almost anything at the free market. Last year I bought a pair of shoes in exchange for the ones I was wearing. A previous year I bought a magnetic dart board and wore it around my neck, charging people a euro to throw darts at me. And if you want a snack or a drink, you’ll find that too. People even open their homes for others to use the toilet for a euro or 2.
You’ll find a lot of used clothing, toys, electronics, household goods – you name it, you’ll find it. People also create games, do street art and perform for a buck. There are also specific areas, mostly in the parks, like Vondelpark and Westerpark, where there is a special version of the markets for children. This is super cute and fun to walk through even if you don’t have kids.
Get up early and enjoy the market before you party.
Get on the Amsterdam canals
Next, a boat ride of course. Book a boat in advance and enjoy King’s Day in Amsterdam from the canals. This is always the best way to enjoy the city. Boats won’t be available to hop on, but perhaps you’ll find some friendly strangers who want to party with you. Book in advance if you know you’ll be in the city. Most boat rentals last a few hours and are all-you-can-drink or BYOB, with hopping on points by the Central station and other destinations in the city. There are thousands of boats on the canals and sometimes you can barely see the water. This happens rain or shine, as with everything in Amsterdam.
Street parties in Amsterdam
All throughout the street you’ll find formal and informal street parties from noon to 8 pm. Most simply move from the streets indoors after 8. For the formal parties there are often barriers to enter, due to lots of mayhem in the past. The most popular are on Westerstraat, Reguliersdwarstraat, the Amstel and Rembrantplein. They are easy to enter, sometimes you just need to wait a while. The parties happen in almost all the major squares across the city. But it’s also fun to make your own party – just remember don’t pee in the street and don’t carry too much alcohol with you – you can get fined for both.
And lastly, here is some official information about King’s Day in Amsterdam. Read more about my favorite spots to eat, drink and hang in Amsterdam.
