What’s the Deal with King’s Day in the Netherlands?

If you’ve ever seen photos of the Netherlands awash in a sea of orange, boats crammed with dancing people, and street parties that seem to go on forever – you’ve probably caught a glimpse of King’s Day (or Koningsdag in Dutch). But what exactly is King’s Day? And why does the whole country turn into one giant festival for it?

After celebrating it firsthand (yes, orange outfit and all), I can confirm that it’s not just a national holiday – it’s a full-blown cultural phenomenon. From massive open-air music festivals and buzzing canals in Amsterdam to charming flea markets and local street celebrations in small towns, King’s Day is something everyone should experience at least once.

In this guide, I’ll break down what it’s all about, how to survive (and thrive) during the festivities, and the best ways to soak up the party atmosphere – whether you’re in it for the music, the traditions, or just some good old-fashioned Dutch bargain-hunting.

What is King’s Day?

Basically, King’s Day is the King’s birthday! King Willem-Alexander is the current monarch of the Netherlands, and his birthday (along with the night beforehand) is a nationwide party. Street parties, concerts and flea markets pop up all over the country to celebrate his special day, plus he and the rest of the royal family head to one town each year for even more special celebrations.

When is King’s Day?

King’s Day is celebrated every year on April the 27th, which is the King’s actual birthday. However, if his birthday falls on a Sunday (as it does in 2025) then the celebration is moved to Saturday. If it falls on a weekday, then it’s a national public holiday. Before King Willem-Alexander took the throne in 2013, the holiday had been Queen’s Day (Koninginnedag) for over a hundred years, as there were three ruling queens in the three generations before Willem-Alexander. The date for the previous two queens was also April the 30th, as Queen Beatrix (Willem-Alexander’s mother) decided to keep the date the same as her mother since her actual birthday is the 31st of January and (I assume) it’s much nicer to celebrate in April than January!

Why Does Everybody Wear Orange?

You can’t help but notice that there is a LOT of orange everywhere in the Netherlands on King’s Day. This seemed confusing to me at first since the Dutch flag is red, white and blue – but the Dutch royal family is the House of Orange-Nassau so orange is much more associated with the country and the royal family. This is why you’ll see Dutch spectators at sports events wearing orange and many official national sporting teams wearing orange as well, much in the same way as Australians wear yellow and green even though they aren’t on our flag either.

What Can You Do on King’s Day?

King’s Day is basically a good excuse for a party, although there are lots of other things to do throughout the country if being surrounded by drunk people wearing orange isn’t your cup of tea. While the canal party in Amsterdam is the most famous event (many people even travel to the country just to take part), there are open-air concerts and other events all over the place. For example, Kingsland Festival is a huge music festival which is held on King’s Day in Amsterdam and Groningen, if you’re more into live music than watching people on boats.

Open-air flea markets (known as vrijmarkts in Dutch) are also hugely popular, with people setting up makeshift stalls in town centres to sell pretty much anything, from kid’s toys to clothes, books and everything in between. Usually, permits are required for selling at street markets, but not on King’s Day. Since the Dutch love a bargain, perusing these markets is also very popular – we even got a beautiful big painting of tulips for free one year at the end of the King’s Day market, which has been hanging on our wall ever since!

Most towns and cities will also be decorated with orange and Dutch flags, with live music and other things going on, often including fun things for kids like face painting and crafting crowns. If you’re interested in finding out what might be on near you, just Google “King’s Day + year + location” to find out all the details.

Also, the night before King’s Day, known as King’s Night, is a big party night, with many special events at local pubs and clubs. And the night of King’s Day the party continues, especially in Amsterdam. So yes, you can come to Amsterdam and party all night and all day for King’s Day if you want to.

Must-Knows for Celebrating King’s Day in the Netherlands

If you’re heading to the Netherlands for King’s Day this year, here are some helpful tips, tricks and must-knows to ensure you have a fantastic time!

• Be careful of your valuables: The crowds on King’s Day, particularly in Amsterdam, are next level, which means it’s the perfect spot for pickpockets – especially when so many people will be drunk and much easier targets. Be very careful of your possessions and try not to bring too much money or cards with you just in case you do fall prey to a crafty pickpocket.
• Have some cash if you go to any of the vrijmarkts: While the Netherlands is a very card-friendly country, the flea markets on King’s Day are a notable exception as most of the people selling things are just average citizens, not business owners with card readers. If you think you might buy something, make sure you have some cash on you.
• Know the rules: On King’s Day, people are allowed to have one alcoholic drink in their possession on the street, but you’re not allowed to be wandering around with a six-pack or something ridiculous. You also aren’t allowed to bring alcohol into the train stations or onto the trains. Additionally, public urination is punishable by a €150 fine, so if you need to go, make sure you find a proper toilet.
• Be okay with walking if you’re in Amsterdam: Because of the massive number of people in the Amsterdam city centre on King’s Day, all public transport is rerouted, and not even taxis or Ubers are allowed in the city centre. So you will need to walk to get around, which will take longer than usual because, again, there are SO many people!
• You can go on a boat: Yes, if you want to be one of the people in orange partying on a boat along the Amsterdam canals, you can do it by booking with any number of local boat tour operators. Just be aware that, if you are going to be drinking on the boat, it’s very unlikely that there will be any toilets on board…
• Try some tompouce! Finally, if you’ve never had tompouce (the sweet treat in the photo above) then this is the perfect time. Tompouce is a delicious pastry a bit like a vanilla slice, but it is way yummier than vanilla slice. They’re usually decorated with pink icing, but around King’s Day, you will start seeing them at the shops with bright orange icing and little Dutch flag-coloured decorations. Lekker!

Pin Me!

Have you celebrated King’s Day in the Netherlands before? Let me know in the comments if there’s any info I should add to this post, or pin one of these if you’re planning to experience King’s Day for yourself in the future!