8 Must Do’s on Kingsday in Amsterdam

Thinking about Kingsday always makes me smile spontaneously. It’s the festival in Amsterdam’s annual calendar of events. Of course, since things changed last year, we still need to get used to donning our orange outfits on 27 as opposed to 30 April. And we often mix up Queen’s… erm Kingsday when chatting to friends. Nonetheless, these changes haven’t dampened the orange party spirit. On the contrary, I think Kingsday will become even more fun in the years to come. More contemporary, more for the younger generation, my generation!

Queensday was always my favourite celebration as a child. And let’s be honest: Amsterdam is the place to celebrate this Orange Extravaganza! I knew immediately that I wanted to live in Amsterdam the very first time I celebrated Queensday there. When I was younger, I enjoyed rummaging around looking for bargains or heading aimlessly through town.

Kingsday 2020

Amsterdam will be brimming with brilliant parties to celebrate the second Kingsday. From street-corner stages at local pubs to kids’ street markets and the Kingsday festivals with DJs into the early morning hours. As an expert on Amsterdam, I know exactly where you must be! So I’ve made a list of the best things for you to do in Amsterdam.

8 must-do’s for Kingsday

1. Orange, orange!

Steal the show in your orange outfit! You’ll be the odd one out if you don’t wear an orange outfit on the 27th  in Amsterdam ;-).

2. Festivals

Amsterdam will be brimming with festivals on Kingsday. The big parties will be outside the city centre and tickets have to be purchased in advance.

These are the best festivals during Kingsday: Loveland van Oranje, Cartel Kingsday, Kingsland Festival Amsterdam, Urban Music Festival.  But sure, we would not be Dutch if we would throw some free entry parties around; NDSM vrijhaven, Amstelveldthe free spirited will find their soulmates at the gay monument at the Westerkerk.

But the best thing is to roam around the city, there are plenty of spontaneous street parties out there, find your own gem!

Royals

3. Something more quiet

Not that keen on festivals and DJs? Perhaps a visit to one of Amsterdam’s museums would be best for you. The following museums are open on Kingsday: the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk Museum and the Anne Frank House!

4. Treasure hunt

Kingsday provides you with an opportunity to find the best bargains at one of the many street markets throughout the city. You’ll find the best ones in the Vondelpark and at the NDSM shipyard. Another brilliant idea: sell your own goodies or homemade goods at one of the street markets!

Koninginnedag 2008

5. Canalparties

Once you’ve celebrated Kingsday on a boat sailing through the canals you’ll be sold. Amsterdam is beautiful from the water and this applies tenfold on Kingsday! If you don’t have your own boat… The corner of the Prinsengracht and Amstelveld is one of the best places to enjoy all the orange boats from dry land!

6. Eat all the food!

Fancy yourself as a foodie? You’ll not be disappointed by all the stands with delicious snacks. Kingsday truly offers street food galore throughout Amsterdam.

Kingsday orange bike

7. Wanderlust

Of course, you can spend Kingsday wandering around town. The festivities extend to every square and every street corner. The best streets and squares to enjoy Kingsday from include the Westerstraat and the Noordermarkt in the Jordaan and the Utrechtsestraat.

8. Pre-fun

And if you can’t wait to till the 27th, you can start your Kingsday party on the 26th. You will find your party everywhere in town. Hit the streets in the Reguliersdwarsstraat, or how about a canal cruise party together with the Chin Chin Club? You can also celebrate Koningsnacht at Hannekes Boom (a super nice hotspot at the water) or if you feel like a night owl; Olivier Weiter b2b Miss Melera at the Marktkantine or check out Audio Obscura x Spectrum.

Here’s wishing you lots of fun on Kingsday in Amsterdam!

Anne

Posted by:   YourLittleBlackBook  | 
Join the conversation Show comments

piedad

Siempre he querido estar en AM,, para ésta fecha, me parece hermoso ver a todo un país vestido de naranja, de hecho adoro a Holanda!

Jan

Went to Amsterdam last April for the first time and met some friends from France. We read in a guide book that it was Queens day while we were there so bought orange tee shirts for us all. Arrived on the Sunday to discover that it is now Kings day and we had missed it by a day however decided to wear our tee shirts on Queens day anyway. One of the bars we went into thought it was great that we had done so after explaining our mistake and we tasted the local liqueur that they drink. Loved Amsterdam and it’s people.

Anne

Hi Jan. OMG, that must have been disappointing. It’s exactly the reason why I wanted to write this article a few weeks before the event. You were not the only one who was too late for all the festivities. Hopefully you will there in time one day to enjoy the whole ‘orange-experience’.

Anne

Hi Jan, oh no! Luckily you now know exactly where to go if you would come back this year. Happy to hear you love Amsterdam just as much as I do! – Anne

Lolita M. Balboa

I never experienced KINGSDAY in Amsterdam though I’ve been there for seven times. Now I only knew that it is being celebrated on the 27th of April. I’ve been in Amsterdam usually in the month of May and I never failed to visit your beautiful flower garden – the Keukenhoff where you can find different variety of flowers and especially my favorite one – the TULIPS with so many different colors. and so the canal cruise in Amsterdam. I really love Amsterdam with kind and beautiful people. I also love the CHEESE and the WOODEN CLOGS, the Windmill, Madurodam, etc. In the future, I hope I will experience your Kingsday and wear ORANGE Tee Shirt. TY very much for sharing. Very educational indeed.

Anne

It would be lovely to welcome you to Amsterdam one day to celebrate Kingsday with the locals. – Anne

JOSE GUARDADO

IT IS SO NICE I WOULD LIKE TO BE PART OF IT. I DON’T KNOW HOW TO DO IT……PLEASE JUST LET ME KNOW…..

Anne

Book a ticket and come over to Amsterdam on the 27th! – Anne

Mate

Great suggestions, Anne! Kingsday is definitely a must have for everybody. I visited Amsterdam last year for the first time, and it accidentally happened on Kingsday. The whole city was floating in orange, amazing! I loved the city so much, this year I’m gonna participate again, and maybe try out the Treasure Hunt or one of the Canal Parties.

Anne

Dear Mate,
So happy to hear that you had the chance to experience Kingsday last year! If you come back this year I can highly recommend stolling around the canals from Noordermarkt to Utrechtsestraat and then watch the boats on the canals at the Amstelveld.
Have fun and I’ll wave to you from our boat! Cheers, Anne

tessa

Hii everyone, I am planning on going going to kingsday with Stoke Travel, anyone any experiences?

Casey

Hey tessa! I think I’m going to book with Stoke also! I haven’t been to a King’s day event with them, but stayed with them for Oktoberfest this year, and the campsite was almost more fun than the halls themselves! Definitely do it!

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