King’s Day Amsterdam
One day a year, Amsterdam turns completely orange. On 27 April, the city is the centre of King’s Day — the national celebration of King Willem-Alexander’s birthday. The canals fill with party boats, the squares are packed with free music, and the flea markets attract hundreds of thousands of visitors. No ticket, no wristband, no reservation needed.
✅ Free admission — King’s Day is completely free. Street parties, the flea market and concerts are open to everyone.
Free entry — King’s Day is completely free to attend.
How it started
King’s Day began as Queen’s Day, established in 1885. After the change of throne in 2013, it became 27 April — the birthday of King Willem-Alexander.
What you’ll find
Music on dozens of stages
From dance at Rembrandtplein to Dutch pop at Museumplein, from house music on boats in the Prinsengracht to live bands in the Jordaan.
The flea market
On King’s Day, anyone can sell goods anywhere without a permit. Children sell toys, adults offer vinyl and vintage items. The Vondelpark flea market is the largest.
Party boats on the canals
Amsterdam’s canals are taken over by hundreds of boats — from rubber dinghies with a Bluetooth speaker to professionally fitted party ships with a DJ.
King’s Night
The evening before is King’s Night: clubs and bars across the city are open, with free street parties.
What started as a fixed national holiday has since grown into the biggest free street party in the Netherlands.
The absolute highlight of the day plays out on the water. Amsterdam’s canals turn into a bobbing procession of boats, from a simple rubber dinghy with a Bluetooth speaker to professionally rigged party boats complete with DJ and sound system. It’s chaos in the best possible sense, and there’s really only one rule: whoever has a boat is king for the day. From the quays, you can watch hours of passing music, orange outfits and exuberant revellers drift by.
Away from the water, the rest of the city is just as lively. Dozens of squares host free stages with live music, and the streets fill with flea market stalls where Amsterdammers sell their old belongings — often the only day of the year this is allowed without a permit. Children sell toys from blankets on the pavement, neighbours set up tables of secondhand books, and street musicians and spontaneous performances draw crowds wherever they pop up.
The evening before King’s Day is King’s Night, and it deserves a mention of its own: clubs and bars across the city stay open, there are free street parties, and the atmosphere runs seamlessly into the next morning. Anyone with the stamina barely notices the difference between night and day, carrying on until the sun rises over the canals again.
King’s Day falls on Tuesday 27 April in 2027, with King’s Night on Monday 26 April. All festivities are free to attend. The city centre is barely accessible by car on the day, so the train is by far the best option — NS runs extra services. Anyone hoping to browse the flea market should come early, since the best finds disappear by mid-morning, while the evening is when the music and street atmosphere peak.
Practical info
- • Date 2027: Tuesday 27 April (King’s Night: Monday 26 April)
- • Entry: completely free
- • Getting there: take the train — the city centre is barely accessible by car on King’s Day
- • Tip: arrive early for the flea market
- • More info: iamsterdam.com