King’s Day is the day when the whole of the Netherlands gets dressed in orange, goes on the streets and celebrates. And who doesn’t love a good party with free music? So, how do you properly celebrate King’s Day in the Netherlands? Read further to find out. This post is packed with useful tips and does and don’ts, so that you can have a blast on King’s Day in the Netherlands.
The big news: In 2026 the Royal Family are celebrating King’s Day in Dokkum (Friesland)!
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What is King’s Day?
King’s Day is a public holiday in the Netherlands and it marks the birthday of the reigning king of the Netherlands – Willem-Alexander. Sometimes it is referred to as a national holiday, but the Netherlands doesn’t have a real national holiday. Some may argue that Liberation Day (5 May) is a national holiday, but given that it’s not a bank holiday, and once in 5 years you may eventually have a day-off from work, doesn’t really make it a holiday.
So, the Dutch being quite pragmatic, they consider King’s Day as their unofficial national holiday.
When is King’s Day celebrated?
King’s Day is celebrated on 27 April. If 27 April falls on a Sunday, then it is celebrated on 26 April. King’s Day (Koningsdag) replaced Queen’s Day (Koninginnedag) in 2014 after King Willem-Alexander ascended to the throne.
The holiday was first celebrated on 31 August 1885, in honor of the 5th birthday of Princess Wilhelmina. When Wilhelmina’s daughter Juliana ascended to the throne in 1948, the holiday was moved to 30 April. When Beatrix became queen, she kept the holiday on the same date, as her own birthday is on 31 January, and let’s be honest January is less fun month for outdoor celebrations.
King Willem-Alexander is lucky to have his birthday in April, so it was easy just to move the whole thing 3 days ahead to 27 April, which is also his actual birthday.
8 ways to celebrate King’s Day like a local
If you want to celebrate King’s Day in the Netherlands, here are some ways to do it like a local. Pay attention to No. 3, as this is the most important one!
1. Start on King’s Night
If you want to celebrate King’s Day like a local, start partying the night before. King’s Night (Koningsnacht) is as important as the day after – King’s Day. In each large city there are happening lots of parties and concerts. Most of the events are free of charge.
2. Join a boat party
On King’s Day everyone is on the street celebrating or in the boats, if you happen to be in a city with canals. This is one of the coolest things to do on Kings’ Day – party on a boat while navigating the canals.
You can party on a boat dressed up in orange in Amsterdam, Utrecht, or Haarlem.
Or check here the availability. Remember, you can do this only on 27 April!
3. Dress in orange
If you want to blend with the crowd on 27 April, orange is your color! Dress in orange! Like everything in orange. The more orange you are, the better. Why not even wear an orange wig, or a crown!
Believe me if you show up in anything but orange, you’ll feel out of place.
You may ask yourself, why on earth orange of all colors? Well, orange is the national color of the Netherlands. The current reigning house in the Netherlands is the House of Orange-Nassau (founded in 1544), so yep, orange is the color!
4. Get your groove on
Kingsland is the most popular festival for King’s Day in the Netherlands, and one of the best things to do on King’s Day. In 2026 there will be festivals in Amsterdam and Groningen. Another festival in Amsterdam is held at Meerpark: Loveland van Oranje.
There are also other festivals like Kingdance in Zwolle, KingSize in Arnhem, Oranjekorts in Delft, Kralingsebos Festival in Rotterdam, Kingsworld in The Hague.
5. Score a bargain at the vrijmarkt (free flea market)
It might seem quite a weird tradition, but King’s Day is the day of the ‘garage sales’. All over the Netherlands, in every town and every village there are free flea markets where people sell their second-hand goods on the streets.
These flea markets are called free, as there is no charge to sell your stuff. And the only time you can do this is on King’s Day. So do the spring cleaning and off to the free market!
6. Listen to live music shows
In all large cities at each corner there are outdoor stages where you can listen to live music and DJs. It’s time for the local bands and performers to show their talent. The crowd loves a free performance paired with a beer, so wander from one square to the other (if you can walk through the crowd…) and enjoy the live shows!
7. Eat an orange tompoes
On King’s Day everything is orange – even the food. Another tradition for King’s Day in the Netherlands is to eat an orange tompoes (or tompouce). This is a kind of a mille-feuille with an orange icing.
Don’t bother to eat it with a fork or in a decent way, that’s almost impossible. Be prepared to get messy and end up having cream oozing everywhere.
8. Watch the celebrations with the Royal Family
Each year the King visits a different city to celebrate his birthday. This place becomes the capital of all festivities and the celebrations are broadcasted live on national TV. So, if you want to have your one second of TV fame and spot the Royals, you should visit Dokkum in Friesland.
In 2025 Willem-Alexander visited Doutichem, in 2024 – Emmen, in 2023 – Rotterdam, in 2022 – Maastricht, in 2021 he celebrated his birthday in Eindhoven, in 2019 – in Amersfoort, and in 2018- in Groningen.
Another interesting tradition around King’s Day in the Netherlands is the King’s Games. This is a special day with lots of sport activities and games for the children. The King and the Queen open officially the King’s Games. They are always held on the Friday before King’s Day.
Tips about celebrating King’s Day
- On King’s Day trains are packed. Really packed. There are fewer trains and it’s really crazy at the train stations. Don’t travel by train on King’s Day unless you are for the party!
Pro tip: Buy your train tickets online with the Dutch Railways (NS) for hassle-free travel. On the website of NS you can also check for any discounts.
- Public transit in the city centres of the large cities is not working. Well, that’s logical as everyone is partying on the street. Get off at the local train or bus station and walk.
Tip: Read this post about using the public transport in the Netherlands. It’s packed with tips that only a local knows!
- Museums are mostly closed on King’s Day, as well as shops, including grocery shops and supermarkets.
- It’s gonna be almost impossible to find accommodation in Amsterdam around King’s Day. So make sure you book well in advance! Or stay in a small place that has a good train connection to Amsterdam Centraal.
Do you need some extra help to plan your trip to the Netherlands? Join the dedicated Exploring the Netherlands Facebook Group, where you can get tips from other travellers and locals. Or perhaps you have questions or comments? Join the group and I’ll be happy to answer them.
