King's Day 2027 in Amsterdam and the Netherlands: what visitors need to know
· by Robin Lenskens · Updated
King’s Day in Amsterdam and across the Netherlands falls on Tuesday 27 April 2027. It is the birthday of King Willem-Alexander, who turns 60 that day, and the whole country celebrates with street markets, orange clothing and music. The party starts the evening before, on Monday 26 April, with Koningsnacht (King’s Night). Amsterdam is the busiest place in the country that day, so plan your trains, your hotel and your sightseeing around it, or spend the day in a smaller city such as Utrecht or The Hague, where the markets are just as real and there is more room to walk.
Holland City Tours is a small private tour company based in Delft. Below is what a visitor needs to plan the day, with the official source for every rule. Most rules for 2027 are not published yet, so where we quote 2025 or 2026 rules we say so; check the linked pages again in April.
When is King’s Day 2027, and what is Koningsnacht?
King’s Day (Koningsdag) is always on 27 April, the King’s birthday. When 27 April falls on a Sunday, the celebration moves to Saturday 26 April, as it did in 2025. In 2027 there is no shift: King’s Day is Tuesday 27 April.
The evening before is Koningsnacht, King’s Night. On Monday 26 April 2027 cities hold concerts and parties, and in some places the street market already starts that evening. Utrecht is the best-known example: in 2026 its market ran for 24 hours, from 18:00 on King’s Night until 18:00 on King’s Day.
The King turns 60 on 27 April 2027, and the royal family will celebrate in Lelystad, the capital of the province of Flevoland. According to the Government Information Service, as reported by NOS, it is the first time Willem-Alexander celebrates his birthday in Flevoland. Lelystad itself turns 60 the same year. How the city will fill in the royal visit is to be announced later.
Sources: NOS on King’s Day 2027 in Lelystad, I amsterdam on the 2025 date change.
What happens on King’s Day?
Three things, almost everywhere in the country:
- The vrijmarkt (free market). On King’s Day people may sell second-hand goods in streets and parks without a permit, as the Dutch government’s guide for international residents puts it. Families lay out a blanket on the pavement with old toys, books and clothes. It is a flea market the size of a city.
- Orange. The royal house is the House of Orange-Nassau, so people wear orange shirts, hats and wigs, and houses fly the Dutch flag with an orange pennant.
- Music and parties. Cities put up stages and hold concerts and festivals, on King’s Night and on the day itself.
The royal family visits one city each year, which in 2027 is Lelystad. Everywhere else the day belongs to the street.
Source: Government of the Netherlands, King’s Day.
What is King’s Day in Amsterdam like?
Very crowded, from early morning to evening. The whole city centre turns into a market and a street party, and the canals fill with boats. If crowds are what you came for, it is a memorable day. If you have one day in Amsterdam and want to see museums and canal houses, it is the wrong day.
The rules the city published for recent years:
- Market hours. Anyone may set up a stall on King’s Day from 06:00 to 20:00. Most markets start around 09:00, but the best spots are claimed earlier with chalk.
- Where. Almost anywhere, except in front of house entrances and open shops, on bridges and bridgeheads, and at fire hydrants. Some areas in the Centrum, Zuid and West districts are restricted.
- What may not be sold. No alcohol and no live animals. Food only if it is dry, non-perishable snacks, unless the seller is a registered trader.
- Vondelpark is for children. The park closes the night before and reopens at 09:00 on King’s Day, and its market is for children only.
- Alcohol in the street. In public spaces you may generally carry no more than one alcoholic drink at a time; six-packs and kegs can be confiscated.
- Cars. In 2025 cars were blocked from Prins Hendrikkade, Damrak, Muntplein and Rokin from 04:00, and traffic in the centre was severely limited from 07:30. Driving into the city is strongly discouraged, and public transport in the centre is limited.
One change is announced: from 2027 the area around the Westerstraat and the Noordermarkt in the Jordaan becomes an organised event site, where in 2026 private stewards were used.
Sources: I amsterdam, King’s Day markets, I amsterdam, King’s Day rules and regulations (2025), I amsterdam, practical information (2026).
Can you take a boat on the Amsterdam canals?
Yes, with extra rules. On King’s Day the canals are full of private boats and the city adds traffic measures on top of the normal canal rules. These were the rules for 2025:
- Boats up to 10 metres long may sail the canals; boats longer than 10 metres are kept off the Prinsengracht, Rokin, Zoutkeetsgracht, Grimburgwal and Oudezijds Voorburgwal.
- The speed limit is 6 km/h, keep to the right, and some canals are one way.
- No amplified music: music may not be audible 10 metres from the boat.
- Flat-bottomed boats and pontoons are not allowed on the Singel canals.
- The person steering may not drink.
If you rent a boat or join a boat party, ask the operator how they handle these rules. Expect slow progress: on the busiest canals boats move at walking pace or not at all.
Source: I amsterdam, King’s Day rules and regulations (2025).
Do trains run on King’s Day?
Yes, and there are more of them, but they are full. In 2026 NS ran a special King’s Day timetable, the Oranjedienstregeling, with longer and extra trains. Departure times and platforms can differ from a normal weekday, so plan each trip in the NS journey planner on the day itself rather than the week before. In 2026 Amsterdam Science Park station was closed on King’s Day.
Two rules catch visitors out:
- No alcohol in trains or stations. NS bans alcohol on its trains and stations from 19:00 on King’s Night until early the morning after King’s Day.
- Allow extra time. Trains into and out of Amsterdam are the busiest, and so are the trains on King’s Night. If you have a flight or a ship to catch, leave much earlier than usual.
You pay as on any other day, by tapping in and out with a contactless card or phone. Our guide to Dutch trains, trams and buses explains how that works.
Sources: I amsterdam, practical information (2026), I amsterdam, King’s Day rules and regulations (2025), NS journey planner.
Which museums and shops are open on King’s Day?
Many museums are open, some are not. For King’s Day 2025 the Amsterdam tourist board listed the Anne Frank House, Artis, Hortus Botanicus, Moco Museum, Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk Museum among those that were open. Getting to them is the harder part: trams and roads in the centre are limited, so walk, and book timed tickets in advance as usual.
Shops follow local choices rather than one national rule. In The Hague in 2026, shops in the city centre were open from 12:00 to 18:00. For Amsterdam and other cities, and for supermarkets, check the shop’s own page before you go. If 27 April 2027 is your only day for a particular museum or the Keukenhof, check the venue’s own site for King’s Day hours.
Sources: I amsterdam, opening hours on holidays (2025), The Hague tourist board, King’s Day in The Hague (2026).
Where can you celebrate King’s Day outside Amsterdam?
In almost any Dutch city. Every town has its vrijmarkt, so the choice is about atmosphere and space rather than whether something happens. This is what the cities published for 2026; the 2027 programmes follow in spring.
| City | King’s Night (26 April) | King’s Day (27 April) |
|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam | Parties across the city | City-wide market 06:00 to 20:00, canal boats, the biggest crowds |
| Utrecht | The market opens at 18:00 | Market until 18:00 in the city centre, children’s markets on the Nijntjepleintje and the Van Asch van Wijckskade |
| The Hague | Live music across the city, including a free festival with more than 40 acts in 2026 | About 20 markets, including the Noordeinde by the palace, the traditional Geranium Market on the Lange Voorhout, a fair on the Malieveld |
| Lelystad | To be announced | The royal family’s visit |
In Utrecht only second-hand goods may be sold, no alcohol, and food only in sealed packaging, and from 01:00 to 11:00 on King’s Day no amplified music is allowed. The Hague combines the market with a city where the King’s working palace, Noordeinde, stands in the middle of the market streets, which is a good reason to spend the day there. Our private walking tour of The Hague can be booked for 27 April; tell us when you book and we will tell you how the day works in the city.
Delft and Leiden also celebrate with markets and music in their old centres. Their 2027 programmes are not published yet, so check the municipality’s site in April.
Sources: City of Utrecht, the free market (2026), The Hague tourist board, King’s Day in The Hague (2026).
Do tours run on King’s Day?
Our private tours can be booked for 27 April through the normal calendar, like any other day. Markets and stages change a city centre for one day, so if you have something specific in mind, such as a museum visit or a particular market, ask us when you book.
Our walking tours in Delft and The Hague take about two hours, the one in Utrecht about an hour and a half.
Practical tips for King’s Day
- Bring cash. Most vrijmarkt sellers are private people without a card terminal. Coins and small notes are the easiest; our post on tipping, cash and cards explains where to get euros without paying too much.
- Wear something orange. Nobody expects it from a visitor, but you will not feel out of place.
- Dress for April. The normal April average temperature in De Bilt is 9.8 °C, with about 40 mm of rain over the month (KNMI, 1991 to 2020). Bring a layer and a rain jacket, and expect long hours on your feet. Our post on the best time to visit the Netherlands has the figures for every month.
- Book your hotel early. King’s Day falls in tulip season, and Amsterdam fills up first. Staying in a city outside Amsterdam is often easier.
- Toilets. Amsterdam publishes a map of public toilets, first aid posts and cup return points for King’s Day; queues are long, so use a café or museum toilet when you can.
- Tulips the day before or after. If you also want to see the Keukenhof or the tulip fields, do not plan them for King’s Day itself. Our post on Keukenhof or the tulip fields explains why.
Sources: KNMI, April 2025 with the 1991 to 2020 normals, I amsterdam, practical information (2026).
Frequently asked questions
What date is King’s Day 2027?
Tuesday 27 April 2027. King’s Night, the evening of parties and in some cities the start of the market, is Monday 26 April. King’s Day only moves when 27 April is a Sunday, which is not the case in 2027.
Where does the King celebrate King’s Day 2027?
In Lelystad, in the province of Flevoland. King Willem-Alexander turns 60 that day, and it is the first time he celebrates his birthday in Flevoland. The city will announce later how the visit is organised.
Is it worth going to Amsterdam on King’s Day?
If you want to experience the biggest street party in the country, yes. If you want museums, canal views and quiet streets, no: the centre is packed, traffic is restricted and moving around takes much longer. Many visitors choose Utrecht or The Hague, where the markets are just as lively and the crowds smaller.
Can visitors sell things at the vrijmarkt?
The free market is meant for second-hand goods from your own home, sold without a permit. In Amsterdam anyone may sell from 06:00 to 20:00, but alcohol, live animals and perishable food are not allowed. In practice it is a market for residents; visitors come to browse and buy.
Are museums open on King’s Day?
Many are. In 2025 the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk Museum, the Anne Frank House and the Moco Museum were among those open in Amsterdam. Some museums close, and reaching them is slower than usual, so check the museum’s own site and book timed tickets in advance.
Can I bring children?
Yes. King’s Day is a family day, and some markets are for children only. In Amsterdam the Vondelpark market is one of them, and in 2026 Utrecht had children’s markets on the Nijntjepleintje and the Van Asch van Wijckskade. Busy city centres are hard work with a pushchair, so the morning is the easiest time.
Plan your King’s Day
If you would like to spend 27 April 2027 in a city with a guide, these private walking tours can be booked for that day like any other:
- Private walking tour of Delft: about 2 hours, from €199 per group.
- Private walking tour of The Hague: about 2 hours, from €199 per group.
- Private walking tour of Utrecht: about 1.5 hours, from €199 per group.
Questions about the day itself? Get in touch and we will answer within a working day.
