King's Day in the Netherlands

Background

King's Day grew out of Princess's Day, created on 31 August 1885 for the birthday of Princess Wilhelmina; after she came to the throne in 1890 it became Queen's Day, and its date shifted with each change of monarch. Since 2014 it has celebrated the birthday of King Willem-Alexander on 27 April. The whole country turns orange, a colour taken from the name of the royal House of Orange-Nassau. The most distinctive feature is the nationwide free market: on this day anyone may set up a stall on the street without a permit to sell second-hand goods, toys and homemade snacks. Amsterdam's canals fill with boats carrying music and crowds, there are concerts on Dam Square and in the major parks, and orange-clad crowds surge through the whole city.

Local customs

• Browse the street free markets for second-hand finds
• watch the boat parties from the canal banks
• put on orange and join the crowds in the streets
• listen to live music on Dam Square and in the major parks.

Travel tips

• King's Day is fixed on 27 April each year, moved to 26 April when the 27th falls on a Sunday
• it is a national holiday, and each city's programme is subject to local announcement. In Amsterdam the main areas are the canal belt in the city centre, Dam Square and the major parks
• the streets are very crowded, some roads are closed and public transport arrangements may change, so walking is advisable and you should check travel information in advance.

2027 schedule

• 27 April 2027 is a Tuesday, so King's Day falls on that day as a national holiday
• the detailed programme is yet to be announced locally.