King's Day in Amsterdam (formerly Queen's Day)

Queen's Day is gone. Since 2014 the Netherlands has celebrated King's Day (Koningsdag) instead, on 27 April, and Amsterdam still goes completely mad for it. The whole city turns orange, every street becomes a flea market, and hundreds of thousands of extra people pour in. It's a love-it-or-hate-it day. If a city-wide street party sounds great, plan your trip around it. If it makes you cringe, pick another week.

King's Day dates

• 2027: Tuesday 27 April, with King's Night on Monday 26 April.
• 2028: Thursday 27 April, with King's Night on Wednesday 26 April.
• When 27 April falls on a Sunday, King's Day moves to Saturday 26 April.

From Princess's Day to King's Day

The holiday started on 31 August 1885 as Prinsessedag, Princess's Day, for the fifth birthday of Princess Wilhelmina, according to the history of King's Day. When she became queen in 1890 it turned into Queen's Day, still on 31 August. After Juliana took the throne in 1948, it moved to her birthday, 30 April, from 1949.

Queen Beatrix, who reigned from 1980, kept 30 April as a tribute to her mother, partly because her own birthday, 31 January, is a terrible day for an outdoor party. When Willem-Alexander became king on 30 April 2013, the first Dutch king in 123 years, the holiday moved to his birthday, 27 April, starting in 2014. So if you see "Queen's Day" and "30 April" in an old guide, it's out of date.

King's Night: the party starts early

The evening before, Koningsnacht, is when a lot of Amsterdam really gets going. Clubs and bars run special nights, and neighborhoods like the Jordaan, normally one of the calmer parts of the center, get loud. It's easy to find something happening, and the GVB runs its night buses on a Saturday schedule, with the free ferry to Noord sailing all night.

The vrijmarkt: a city-wide flea market

On King's Day only, anyone can sell second-hand stuff on the street without a permit. Blankets full of old toys, clothes, records and junk cover the sidewalks, and kids busk for coins. According to I amsterdam, the vrijmarkt officially runs from 6am to 8pm.

A few rules apply to sellers: no alcohol sales, no perishable food containing meat, fish or dairy unless you're licensed, don't block doorways, and some streets in Centrum, Zuid and West are off-limits, as listed on the City of Amsterdam's site. Vondelpark is reserved for a children's market and usually opens its gates at 9am.

Parties and events

The day gets compared to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and that's fair. Amsterdam alone can draw up to a million visitors on top of its own residents. Squares, parks and canal sides fill with stages, DJs, bands and street performers, and most events start around midday. The street market and nearly all outdoor events wrap up at 8pm, though paid festivals on the edge of the city can run to 10pm.

Dam Square and the canals around the Jordaan are packed. The big ticketed parties sell out in advance, but plenty of the street parties are free. From 2027 the city plans to run Westerstraat and Noordermarkt as fenced event grounds, and it already put private supervisors there in 2026. Families with small children are advised to avoid the Jordaan and Westerstraat area altogether.

For the full events list, see the city's official tourism site, I amsterdam's King's Day page, and our Amsterdam holidays and events calendar.

Wear orange or be left out

The royal family is the House of Orange-Nassau, and orange is the national color. On days the national football team plays, a good share of the city wears it. On King's Day it goes further: orange shirts, wigs, hats, face paint and dyed hair. The Dutch call it oranjegekte, orange madness. Pack something orange, or buy it from a street stall on the day.

Rules for drinking and boating

The city sets a few rules to keep the day safe, published on I amsterdam and the City of Amsterdam's King's Day pages (in Dutch):

• You may carry only one can or bottle of alcohol at a time in public. A six-pack or a home beer tap counts as more than one, and shops sell one can or bottle per person.
• Don't bring glass, and don't bring alcohol into train stations or onto NS trains.
• No amplified music in public spaces.
• On the canals: a 6 km/h speed limit, no alcohol for whoever is steering, a working vignette, and the "12+1" limit on how many people a boat may carry, enforced with no exceptions since 2026. Some canals become one-way.

Getting around on King's Day

This is the one thing the old version of this page got wrong. Public transport doesn't shut down. It's restricted around the center, and walking is still the best way to get around.

• Trams and buses run on a Saturday timetable but only reach the outskirts of the center, with diversions. On King's Night 2026, trams 2, 17 and 24 skipped Leidsestraat from 6:30pm.
• Metro 52 is the easy way in. In 2026 GVB ran it every six minutes from 10am between Centraal Station and Station Zuid, stopping at Rokin, Vijzelgracht and De Pijp. Some stations close or partly close; in 2026 that included Amstelveenseweg, Europaplein and RAI. Bikes aren't welcome on the metro that day.
• Trains run to a special timetable with longer and extra trains, and they're packed from the evening before through the day after. Check ns.nl before you travel. There are no luggage lockers at Amsterdam Centraal on King's Day.
• Cars and taxis: the center is closed to cars from 7:30am, and most taxi stands there are out of action. Don't drive.
• Flying in that day? Trains to Schiphol run, but allow extra time, and don't plan a quick layover visit to the city.

Paying is simple: tap in and out with a contactless bank card, credit card or phone. You don't need a separate ticket. Our public transportation guide explains how it works.

Where to stay for King's Day

King's Day is one of the most in-demand dates of the year for hotels and hostels in Amsterdam, and prices peak. Book months ahead, and remember the 12.5% tourist tax on top of the room rate (the city plans to raise it to 16% in 2027). If the center is full or too pricey, look at Haarlem and take the train in, but expect crowded platforms.

Coming in spring anyway? Our April in Amsterdam guide covers the rest of the month, including tulip season.

FAQ

Is King's Day the same as Queen's Day?

It's the same holiday under a new name and date. Queen's Day on 30 April ended in 2013. King's Day on 27 April has been celebrated since 2014.

Are shops and museums open on King's Day?

Shops may open, but most high-street stores in the center close, including those on Kalverstraat. Larger supermarkets usually open for part of the day. Museum hours vary, so check each one before you go.

Is King's Day good for families?

Yes, if you plan it. Vondelpark's children's market is the family hub. Avoid the Jordaan and Westerstraat, which get very crowded and rowdy.