What to do on Kings Day in Amsterdam 2019

It’s almost that time again: King’s Day! King’s Day was formerly known as Queen’s Day and is a national holiday that has been around since 1885, celebrating the birth of the then Queen Wilhelmina. This year the festivities are happening on Saturday 27th of April. It’s one big open-air party around town, with street markets, concerts, canal boat parades, parties and much more. Oh, and don't forget to cover yourself with something orange, as this is the national colour of The Netherlands and everybody will be proudly wearing this colour to celebrate the royal family. Never been to King’s Day and want to find out what fun things you can do? No worries, we’ve got you! Check out this list of fun activities.

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The festivities start the night before on King’s Night. On this night, numerous venues all over town host amazing parties to celebrate the King’s birthday. Head over to Belushi’s, Paradiso, Melkweg, AIR or just any random pub around the corner, because there will be an epic party wherever you go. Definitely don’t miss out on this one, King’s Night will be a night to remember. Make sure you save enough energy for the next day though, as the partying continues on King’s Day.

Want to take it easy or start up slow? Visit the citywide street markets, they often start early in the morning. The city transforms into one huge flea market, giving everybody the chance to sell their things on the street and for you to score cool stuff for a bargain. Not looking to buy anything? No worries, besides random second hand things, there’s also a lot of street performers and yummy food stalls where you can fuel up for the rest of the day.

Although King’s Day primarily celebrates the King’s birthday, it also has a special significance for the LGBTQ+ community. Visit the famous Homomonument at Westermarkt, near the Anne Frank House, because they will be throwing an epic party there! You can enjoy some drinks from the bar while dancing to the finest DJ sets right under the sun (hopefully). The cool thing about this mini-festival is that the entrance is free!

Yeah, sure, celebrating King’s Day on land is cool, but partying while cruising the IJ? Even cooler! Kingsday Cruise will carry 500 (!) orange party people across the river. This is definitely an unforgettable way to celebrate the King’s birthday… The boat has an indoor and outdoor area with numerous stages giving the hottest DJ’s the opportunity to blast banging tunes. The boarding time is 12PM and the boat will dock at 5PM. Get your tickets on time and don’t forget the dress code, which is orange, of course.

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Amsterdam is known for its amazing music festivals, and King’s Day is just another excuse for festival organizations to throw incredible events. Check out Kingsland, a festival with a diverse stages ranging from techno and hardcore to hip hop and electronic. Looking for celebrating King’s Day on a budget? Then you should visit NDSM Vrijhaven, a free festival located in the NDSM area across the IJ behind Central Station. Here you can dance and sing to live acts, enjoy delicious food, appreciate nice artwork and much more.

Of course it’s a good idea to plan everything out, but if you’re feeling like going with the flow, then you don’t have to worry. You don’t necessarily need to plan out what to do and where to go, because you can go anywhere and there will be something fun going on. The city centre is very busy and there will be fun activities and parties on the corner of every street. One tip: go to the canals and enjoy the canal boat parade. The canal will be filled with outrageously fun party boats.

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Article by Nylo Damanafshan