How To Celebrate King's Day (online)

On April 27th, we celebrate King Willem Alexander's birthday, 'King’s Day' (or Koningsdag in Dutch). Being the most highly celebrated holiday in the Netherlands, King's Day holds a special place in the hearts of the people. But how to celebrate in times of covid19? No worries, there are plenty of activities you can still enjoy. Below are some tips on how to have a King's Day to remember!

Let’s Go Wild With the Orange 

It might be confusing when the Dutch flag is red, white and blue, but orange is the colour you will need to celebrate King's Day like a local. Why? Orange is the colour of the Dutch Royal Family, which hails from the House of Orange. And on King’s Day that is the colour of choice.

Have the Correct Date

King's Day is celebrated on April 27th. In the past, King's Day was Queen's Day and was celebrated on a different day. Confused? To be fair, it is a little confusing. The tradition was originally called Princess' Day and celebrated on August 31st, the birthdate of Princess Wilhelmina. When Wilhelmina became Queen, the name was changed to Queen's Day, but the date remained the same. Both Wilhelmina's daughter – Juliana - and granddaughter - Beatrix - continued the Queen's Day tradition, albeit on a different day: April 30th. The important thing now is to remember April 27th is the day you are after. Sadly, each year a handful of tourists, dressed all in orange, still show up on the wrong day.

Gather Your Old Stuff or Your Wallet

King's Day is the only time of year when you are allowed to sell on the streets without a permit, making this the perfect day to either offload some stuff you have been accumulating or to go out and find some new treasures. Due to the restrictions this yearly flea market moved online, hosted by our favorite online marketplace: Marktplaats.nl.

What To Do at King’s Day During Covid19?

Unfortunately, 2021 will be the second year that we are limited in celebrating King’s Day due to covid-19. This year the king will celebrate his birthday in Eindhoven in a high tech studio and will be live-streamed (from 10:30 am).

Furthermore, in the evening (08:00 pm), you can join the livestream of 'The Streamers', including performances of many (Dutch) artists! In order to check the livestream, you need to get a free ticket upfront, which you can order here.

Moreover, all municipalities have done their utmost to celebrate this special day differently. Check out how you can celebrate King’s Day in your favorite city:

Amsterdam

Usually, the Vondelpark will be crowded with people celebrating King’s Day together. This year we have the opportunity to walk through the Vondelpark online and enjoy the musical talents and other acts of talented young people from our own homes.

Rotterdam
Our beautiful Harbour City is hosting a King’s Day Beach Hop. This activity is for all ages and includes an informative scavenger hunt through the dunes of Rotterdam (‘s-Gravenzande). Furthermore, you will pass by local restaurants and bars where you can enjoy some tasty bites and a refreshing drink.

The Hague
Beachclub Amigos (Location: strandslag 6) is hosting typically Dutch games such as ‘spijkerpoepen, touwtrekken, zaklopen, blikgooien of koekhappen’, all corona-proof! Furthermore, there will be a lot of take-away stands at all beach clubs where you can enjoy Dutch delicacies.

Eindhoven
Eindhoven will host the King and the rest of the Royal family on this special day. Besides the live stream of the King, a lot of other events are hosted online. Here you can find the full programme.

We hope that even though we are limited by the restrictions, you will enjoy your (online) King’s Day and stay safe!