Kings Day (in dutch: Koningsdag) is the national holiday of The Netherlands., celebrating the birthday of the king.
In Amsterdam almost the whole city centre is a turned into a free market. There is live music on every corner, outside street parties small and large.
During the day it's fun to walk around the city. The Jordaan area if most fun to go. End of afternoon the gay streets get very busy. Outside events and music have to stop at 9 when Kingsday is not on a weekend day.
Several large gay dance parties usually take place around the day of Kingsday.
The dress code for the day is orange. And when we say orange we mean really orange. The streets and Amsterdam canals turn into a wave of people dressed up in orange. The name of the royal family is van Oranje, which translates as 'of orange'.
Visiting Amsterdam for Kingsday
If you plan to visit Amsterdam for Kingsday make sure to book your hotel in advance, as hotels are always fully booked around those days. See our hotel map for hotels in or outside the city center.