King’s Day, falling every year on 27 April, is one of the biggest events in Amsterdam and The Netherlands and it’s not one you want to miss if you’re planning on visiting the country.
Five of the most active King’s Day cities are Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht and Eindhoven.
What is King’s Day (Koningsdag)?
King’s Day, or ‘Koningsdag’, is a national holiday during which people cover themselves and everything else they can get their hands on in orange to honour the royal family, or ‘The House of Orange-Nassau’. Celebrations begin on King’s Night (Koningsnacht), the 26 April, and last until the end of the next day.
A special tradition that celebrates the birthday of King Willem-Alexander, there are many way to join in when you’re there, and here are some of the best!
- Wear orange
- Browse the flea markets
- See the Royal Family
- Attend a festival
- Drink beer
- Jump on a boat
- Eat Tompouce
Celebrate King’s Day 2024
Wear Orange
It’s all about orange on King’s Day – paint your face, dye your hair, deck yourself out in head-to-toe orange, you’ll fit right in!
Orange is the national colour of The Netherlands due to the Royal Family, who bear the name ‘House of Orange’ or ‘Huis van Oranje’. The dynasty dates all the way back to 1544, when William of Orange inherited the estate and title.
Everyone covers themselves in orange on King’s Day to show their appreciation, and it’s become a huge tradition. You’ll look more out of place if you’re not wearing the bright colour, so at the very least, accessorise with an orange scarf or bag.
Browse the flea markets
You can’t walk around on King’s Day without stumbling across a Vrijmarkt, or flea market. For this one day only, the Dutch government allow street sales without a need for a permit, and everyone takes to the pavement to sell their second-hand goods.
Sellers start hawking their stuff at Vondelpark in Amsterdam from 9am on King’s Day, which is a Saturday this year, so be there on time for a bargain. But there will be plenty of people on the streets as well, and one of the biggest spaces for browsing people’s second-hand goods is the Jordaan area. Otherwise, check out Amstelveld, Noordermarkt, Westerpark, the Pijp or Beethovenstraat from 6am.
In Utrecht, it starts a bit earlier, with people setting up the night before. This year, you’ll start seeing the flea markets set up on Friday evening, April 26, around 6pm. They’ll then run until 6pm the next day, covering the area from Vredenburg to the Wijde Begijnhof.
The Rotterdam vrijmarkt runs from 9am to 5pm, and you can find most of it in the city centre around Hofplein, Hoogstraat, the Coolsingel and the Blaak.
The vrijmarkt in The Hague is centred around the Frederik Hendriklaan, and runs from 7am to 4pm.
Lastly the Eindhoven vrijmarkt, or Oranjemarkt, runs from 9am to 5pm at the PSV-laan.
See the Royal Family
In 2024, King Willem-Alexander and his closest family members are celebrating King’s Day in Emmen.
As seen in previous years, the city will organise special celebrations to welcome the Royal Family, packing the day with parades, concerts, performances, exhibitions and much more. So it’s definitely worth traveling to the municipality if you want to celebrate the King’s 57th birthday in person!
While the full program hasn’t been announced, we know that the King’s walking route starts at Noorderplein, continuing to the Market Square via the Hoofdstraat, then on to the entrance of Rensenpark and then the Town Hall via Kerkplein.
The last part of the walk takes them through the skate park and Wildlands to finish in Raadshuisplein.
Attend a festival
The night before King’s Day is known as King’s Night, or Koningsnacht, and there are many parties in the city centres that invite people from everywhere to celebrate.
A lot of people go to Amsterdam, which boasts the largest open-air festivity, and head for central locations like Rembrandtplein, Spui and Leidseplein, or popular party venues like Westerstraat, Prinsengracht, and Reguliersdwarsstraat. But there are other places in The Netherlands that also throw all-day festivities.
Here’s where you can celebrate a King’s Day Festival in 2024:
- Perhaps the best well-known and largest King’s Day festival is the Kingsland Music Festival, which can be celebrated in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Groningen on Saturday 27 April (18+ only).
- Amsterdam’s Kingsland takes place from 12pm to 9:30pm in and around RAI Amsterdam. Earlybird tickets are gone, but you can still buy tickets between €59.50 – €64.50. Check the line-up here!
- Rotterdam’s Kingsland takes place from 12pm to 11pm in the Zuiderpark. Earlybird tickets are currently still available for €49.50, otherwise you can buy tickets between €54.50 – €59.50. Check the line-up here!
- Groningen’s Kingsland takes place from 1pm to 12am in the Stadspark Drafbaan. You can buy tickets between €49.50 – €54.50. Check the line-up here!
- The Oranjebitter Festival is taking over the Roel Langerakpark in Rotterdam from 2pm to 11pm on King’s Day. This 18+ party has three stages blasting rave, techno and house music, and the line-up this year includes Across Boundaries, DJ Gigola, Lolo, S!rene, Cincity and many more.
- Earlybird and Regular tickets are already sold out, but you can still purchase a Late ticket for €49.95
- The Loveland van Oranje Festival in Amsterdam kicks off at 11am on Saturday and carries on until 8pm. Held in the Meerpark, the 18+ outdoor party plays top tunes for a chilled-out vibe.
- Tickets cost €44 and are available now.
- Taking place in Amsterdam’s Rhonepark, the Urban Music Legends Festival (18+) promises an international line-up and stages both indoors and outdoors in its unique location. It runs from 1pm to 8pm on King’s Day, and there is also an after-party from 9pm to 3am.
- Tickets will be available soon.
- For more techno and house music, the Orange Blossom Festival (18+) is back in the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam on King’s Day. This large-scale party packs five stages with the latest rave music from the biggest names.
- Earlybird tickets are sold out but there are still some available for between €58.50 – €70.50. Snap them up quickly for the cheaper price!
- Yet more techno music is to be found at the Free Your Mind festival at Breda Airport. Starting at 10am on 26 April and ending at 12am on 28 April, you can even camp over to keep the party going.
- Day Tickets cost €38-44 for either Friday or Saturday, or you can purchase a weekend ticket including camping for €109-111 or without for €74-80. Choose your option here.
Free festivals
- THE LIFE I LIVE is a free music festival that you can attend in the city centre of The Hague on King’s Night, Friday 26 April. Countless acts are presented on four stages, from local bands to internationally renowned artists.
- It starts at 7pm and continues until 1am the next morning. It’s free attendance, but you will need to pay for food and drinks on site.
- Royal Dutch Eindhoven (18+) has free entrance and celebrates over both 26 and 27 April. Held at Stadhuisplein, you can attend between 7pm and 1pm on the Friday, and 12pm to 12am on the Saturday.
- The line-up hasn’t been announced yet, but going on previous years there’s sure to be some incredible artists performing!
- ‘Het Foute Oranjefeest‘ or ‘The Wrong Orange’ Festival is a family-friendly event that’s held at De Trans in Arnhem from 7pm to midnight on Friday 26 April and 12pm to midnight on Saturday 27 April.
- The line-up hasn’t been announced yet, but you can follow them on Instagram for the latest news.
Drink Oranjebitter
Try a shot of De Kuyper Orangebitter. This orange-coloured liqueur, perfect for celebrating King’s Day with, is distilled from orange apples and contains anise, leaving a sweet yet also sour note in the mouth.
Rather get on the beer? The Netherlands is the home of Heineken, Grolsch and Amstel, but there are lots of other pales ales and beers produced that go down just as well. Try a dark brown Dubbel with a hint of caramel, or the notoriously strong Tripel with its complex and hearty flavours.
Just make sure that you only have one drink in your hand on the streets – whereas in previous years you could take as much as you wanted, authorities have cracked down on the rules a bit for safety.
Jump on a Boat
Taking advantage of the country’s vast network of canals, many people jump into a boat for King’s Day.
If you’re planning to take to the water in Amsterdam and don’t own your own boat, you can book a place on a shared boat or rent a private boat through the Amsterdam Boat Experience.
The shared King’s Day boat is possibly the most fun option, as it includes an open bar with unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks, a skipper (so you don’t have to worry about driving), onboard music, and of course, a bunch of other people in the party spirit! A single ticket costs €75, but book early, as these will run out quickly.
Eat Tompouce
Tompouce is a classic Dutch pastry, sandwiching a thick layer of cream with two slices of pastry and covered in pink icing. Especially for King’s Day, the tompouce gets a makeover in orange!
Grab a pack from a local supermarket like Albert Heijn, Jumbo or Hema, and enjoy with a cup of coffee to start off your day.
