Vrijmarkt, straatfeesten, liveoptredens en boottochten — in 15+ steden in Nederland. Tuesday, April 27.
Koningsdag — King's Day — is the Netherlands' national party. On April 27 every year (or April 26 when the 27th falls on a Sunday) the entire country turns orange for the King's birthday: street markets pop up overnight, public squares fill with stages, the canals of Amsterdam and Utrecht clog with thousands of decorated boats, and family neighbourhoods host their own micro-festivals. It is, by some measures, the largest open-air party in continental Europe.
The holiday has its roots in 1885, when the country first celebrated the birthday of Princess Wilhelmina. Through twentieth-century monarchs it became Koninginnedag (Queen's Day, on April 30 under Queen Beatrix), and in 2013 it shifted to April 27 when Willem-Alexander took the throne. The texture of the day stayed the same — the vrijmarkt, the orange clothing, the boat parades — but the scale has grown every year as the holiday became a tourist anchor.
Amsterdam is the postcard but every Dutch city runs its own programme. Utrecht's canal scene rivals the capital; Rotterdam puts on the country's biggest single street concert (Koningsdagfestival on Coolsingel); Leiden and Delft offer the loveliest day-trip alternatives for families who want the energy without the crush.
Koningsdag has three reliable rhythms. Early morning (6am–10am) belongs to the vrijmarkt — locals stake out their patch of street, lay down a blanket, and start selling. Late morning to mid-afternoon is the family window — kids' markets, boat parades, the Vondelpark scene, food trucks. Evening turns the city centres into open-air concerts and bar gardens until midnight, with the loudest crowds in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and Groningen.
Elke Nederlandse stad heeft een eigen Koningsdag-programma. Klik op een stad voor de actuele lijst van straatfeesten, vrijmarkten, optredens en familie-activiteiten.
Amsterdam is the world capital of Koningsdag — the canals fill with thousands of boats from sunrise, the Vondelpark becomes a giant children's vrijmarkt and the Jordaan turns into an open-air street festival from 10am.
Rotterdam hosts the Koningsdagfestival on Coolsingel — three stages, headline Dutch artists, and a vrijmarkt on the Witte de Withstraat.
Den Haag's Koningsdag is the calmest of the big cities — the Lange Voorhout hosts a family-leaning vrijmarkt, with classical performances at Het Plein.
Utrecht's Koningsdag fills the Singel canals with boats and pop-up bars along the Oudegracht; the Lepelenburg park hosts a 5,000-person open-air party.
Eindhoven's Koningsdag focuses on the Stratumseind nightlife strip and a family-friendly vrijmarkt around the Markt; Strijp-S draws the design and tech crowd.
Tilburg combines a city-centre vrijmarkt with the Koningsdag Kermis funfair at the Piusplein — one of the country's biggest temporary fairgrounds.
Groningen's student energy makes the Grote Markt one of the country's loudest Koningsdag street parties — and the Noorderplantsoen park hosts a calmer family alternative.
Leiden's Koningsdag is a perfect day trip from Amsterdam — the historic centre is car-free, the Pieterskerk plein hosts open-air music and the vrijmarkt stretches along the Nieuwe Rijn.
Delft turns the Markt into one of the prettiest Koningsdag scenes in the country — the gables, the church tower and the orange crowds make for the best photographs of the day.
Koningsdag 2027 is op dinsdag 27 april. Koningsdag is elk jaar op 27 april, of op 26 april als 27 april op zondag valt — sinds de troonsbestijging van Koning Willem-Alexander in 2013 wordt Koninginnedag (30 april) niet meer gevierd.
King's Day (Koningsdag) celebrates the birthday of the Dutch monarch, King Willem-Alexander, who was born on April 27, 1967. It replaced Queen's Day (Koninginnedag) when he took the throne in 2013. The day is a national public holiday and the country's largest street festival — most cities run a vrijmarkt (free flea market where anyone can sell on the street) alongside concerts, boat parades and parties.
De beste Koningsdag activiteiten zijn: de vrijmarkt bezoeken (vroeg opstaan voor de beste vondsten), naar livemuziek luisteren op een van de tientallen open-air podia, een boottocht maken door de grachten van Amsterdam of Utrecht, straatfeesten bijwonen in de hipste buurten, en — als je in Amsterdam bent — vroeg naar de Vondelpark voor de kindervrijmarkt.
Amsterdam heeft de grootste Koningsdag viering ter wereld — verwacht 750.000+ bezoekers. Rotterdam, Utrecht en Den Haag organiseren grote programma's op centrale pleinen. Voor een gemoedelijker dag uit kies je Leiden, Delft of Haarlem — historische centra, dezelfde sfeer, minder drukte. Groningen en Eindhoven hebben de studentikoze energie van de avond.
The vrijmarkt is a one-day, country-wide free market: on King's Day anyone can lay out a blanket on a public street or in a park and sell whatever they want, with no permit and no sales tax. Kids sell toys; adults clear out attics. In Amsterdam the Vondelpark and Jordaan are the biggest scenes; in Utrecht the Lepelenburg park; in Rotterdam the Witte de Withstraat. Arrive before 9am for the best finds.
Yes — the daytime calendar is built for families. Most cities run a separate kindervrijmarkt (children's market) in a park, with face painting, music and lower-key crowds. Boat parades and parade-style processions are family-friendly. Evenings (especially Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Groningen) tilt heavily toward the adult party crowd, so families typically head home by 6pm.
Trains run a Sunday timetable but get extremely crowded — book seats on the intercity to Amsterdam by mid-March if you're travelling from outside the city. Central Amsterdam is closed to most car traffic; the metro and tram stay open but slow to a crawl during peak hours. The easiest way to move between neighbourhoods is on foot or by bike.
If you want the world's biggest street party, yes — but expect 750,000+ visitors, hotel prices 3–4x normal, and full hostels booked four months ahead. For a calmer experience with the same orange-coloured charm, pick Utrecht, Haarlem, Leiden or Delft. All are 30–60 minutes by train from Amsterdam and run their own city-wide vrijmarkt and music programmes.
Andere Nederlandse feestdagen