Kingsday in Amsterdam, what is it and why is it such a big party?

All 12 provinces turn Orange and celebrate the existence of their kingdom. Eat an orange tompouce and drink your Heineken, because this is a day of celebration. But what is the origin of this nationalistic celebration? Why do we celebrate it? Read all about King’s Day in this blog.

What is Kingsday?

King’s Day is a bank holiday usually celebrated on 27th of April, a celebration coming directly from the Royal House. If 27 April falls on a Sunday, it will be moved to Saturday. Like this year: King’s Day will take place on 27/04/2026. We will celebrate King Willem-Alexander’s birthday. This has been a tradition ever since we celebrated the first, then called ‘Prince’s Day’ in 1885, to mark the fifth birthday of Princess Wilhelmina. On 23 November 1890, Princess Wilhelmina became Queen and the first Queen’s Day was celebrated on 31 August 1891. Under Queen Juliana, this day grew into an official day off, and the occasion grew into a celebration for and by Dutch people, with an emphasis on togetherness.

Why Orange?

Why is the colour of the Netherlands Orange, and not Red-White-Blue? The colour Orange is very deep in the history of our Kingdom. After all, the surname of our royal family is: Van Oranje-Nassau. The term ‘Orange’ used to belong mainly to politics. This comes from the 16th-century term: Orangists, supporters of the House of Orange. During World War II, Orange was the colour of resistance against Nazi Germany. Today, Orange symbolises togetherness and commitment throughout the country. If someone needs help, ‘Orange’ can help them. Hold on to them through these difficult times.

Sales and activities.

The day before King’s Day, the King’s Games take place. You might remember this: start the day with a king’s breakfast and then lol sports. This is an event for primary schools in the Netherlands with a free breakfast. On Kings Day, many people take to the streets to sell their old stuff. This will be named the ‘vrijmarkt’. Some people offer their goodies, others organise activities for a euro, and some make sandwiches or snacks.

Party & Festival Fest.

So what is there to do on King’s Day? The list of celebrations gets longer every year, from festivals such as: ‘Kingsland Festival’, ‘Loveland Burst’, ‘Oranjebloesem’ and much more to a huge party in every pub you can find. This is all huge fun of course, but the real party is of course the city itself. Watch the city come alive. Not only in Amsterdam does everyone come out to celebrate this spectacle with their fellow Dutchmen. Now if you ask me, “what is the best way to celebrate Koningsdag in Amsterdam?” Then my answer is always: a boat party! What could be better than bobbing through the bright orange city with your best mates? Nothing at all! Would you now like to experience this spectacle with you and your friends? Then hire a boat from us or buy tickets to this event, and create memories you will never forget.