It’s almost that time of year again: King’s Day. 🧡 The day to party, drink, buy and sell random things — and forget even the slightest semblance of worry.
King’s Day is the day when the Dutch celebrate the birthday of King Willem-Alexander. But don’t be fooled, this national holiday is not so much about the birthday of the King. Instead, it’s much more about wearing orange, drinking stupid amounts of alcohol and roaming the streets of your favourite Dutch city.
New to this favourite of Dutch traditions? Here are some things you can do that’ll catapult you at least ten steps forward in your inburgering (integration) process to become a true Dutchie.
1. Attend Festivals
Well, let’s get one of the most obvious to-do’s out of the way, shall we? It doesn’t matter where you are in the Netherlands, there’s always going to be a King’s Day festival within a comfortable travelling distance. (And by ‘comfortable’ I mean an overly packed train and an incessant stream of hour-long delays.)
While almost any venue will be hosting a King’s Day event, it’s the annual festivals that boast the biggest parties. Most festivals focus on genres like house and techno, but if you’re looking to party the Dutch way, then it’s an ideal way to let loose. And there are dozens of options when it comes to festival choice. Get your groove on and find a festival in your area!
READ MORE | Here’s everything you need to know for King’s Day 2023 in Amsterdam
Want a sneak peek of how King’s Day celebrations looked like last year? Check out this after-movie! 🎊
2. Visit flea markets
If you don’t think the Dutch are weird enough, and you’re not feeling the festival vibe, then make sure to check out the King’s Day flea markets. It’s the one day of the year that the ban on free trade is lifted, and so everyone sets up their own makeshift shops and begins to haggle mercilessly with everyone else in sight.
Why? Because we’re Dutch and we like a ‘good’ deal. And so yes, we will shamelessly spend half an hour trying to convince our neighbours to cut 20 cents of the asking price of their third-hand copy of a useless Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban DVD.
READ MORE | Best options for selling your stuff in the Netherlands
So if you’re in need of some useless old crap, need to get rid of some, or if you just want to find a way to spend your money other than online slot games, make sure to hit up the King’s Day flea markets.
Most cities will have a number of centres where the newly-christened merchants set up more densely, but it’s not uncommon to see them spread all throughout urban areas.
3. Witness royalty
For those wondering what the King actually does on King’s Day, wonder no longer. Each year the King visits a different city where he parades around with his family, and everyone can come together to celebrate with the monarch himself.
In the past King Willem-Alexander has visited De Rijp, Amstelveen, Dordrecht, Zwolle and Tilburg. This year Rotterdam is the lucky host.
The Dutch royal family will kick off the celebrations at 11 AM at Afrikaanderplein and end the tour at the Binnenrotte at 1:00 PM. If you want to get a glimpse of the beloved Dutch family, you can follow their royal route here.
4. Drink beer
There’s not much explanation needed for this. While the weather on any Dutch day is excuse enough to resort to beer drinking, King’s Day is truly a special day for the nation’s favourite alcoholic beverage.
It might also just be the most popular thing to do on King’s Day. While public drunkenness is regularly frowned upon, King’s Day makes the practice entirely acceptable, or at least tolerable.
I’m not saying you should start day drinking, but if there’s ever a day for it, King’s Day is that day. If nothing else, King’s Day is the country’s biggest annual party, and it wouldn’t be a Dutch party without a bit (read, a lot) of beer. Or drink wine, no one’s going to judge you (probably).
5. Do nothing
And if you’re not into doing any of the activities above, just do nothing. No one can stop you. It’s King’s Day. No one can force you to work today (unless, of course, you’re helping to facilitate the aforementioned activities).
READ MORE | 8 things you should know about King’s Day in the Netherlands
So just go lie in bed, snuggle under the covers, and spend your entire day watching all the Netflix you could ever dream of….until the next day, when it’s straight back into the daily grind.
Whatever it is that you’re planning to do to celebrate King’s Day this year, have fun integrating with Dutchies and enjoy the total chaos! 🎉
How are you celebrating King’s Day this year? Tell us your plans in the comments below!
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in April 2017, and was fully updated in April 2023 for your reading pleasure.
[…] with herds of people visiting the Keukenhof for the short period that it stays open. And of course King’s day, the most important holiday of them all, at the end of […]
[…] not least: Have fun!! From huge open-air dance events to small stages set up in neighborhood cafes, King’s Day offers something for everyone. Stroll through the flea markets (vrijmarkt), which are spread all over the city and go on a […]