KING'S DAY IN AMSTERDAM

King’s Day festivities invite people to have open-air fun. As it is a public holiday, the streets, canals and parks are in orange for people to enjoy the biggest street party of the year. This special day will be celebrated on Friday, 27 April 2018.

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This event was celebrated for the first time in 2014. The royal celebrations were held on 31 August 1885 in honour of the birth of Queen Wilhelmina and the Queen’s Day tradition was born. The name and the date officially changed because of the King’s birthday, but the spirit of the day is still the same. The royal entourage visits a town or municipality as part of the celebrations.

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Amsterdammers love to haggle over the price of goods. The free market gives everyone the chance to sell their second-hand belongings on the streets and parks of Amsterdam. It is one of the world’s largest flea markets.

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On King’s Day, there are plenty more activities across the city such as face painting, games and sports events. The event traditionally begins on the eve of King’s Day with the carnival atmosphere continuing throughout the city on King’s Day. Brightly decorated boats are on the canal with live music from café patios. The next best things are to watch the festival from one of the many bridges and dance to the music on them.

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Although the major museums are closed on this holiday, the Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum and the Rijksmuseum are traditionally open.

(Adapted from the iamsterdam website)