King's Day Best Parties in Amsterdam

King's Day (Koningsdag) is the most important day in the Netherlands and biggest party day of the year. It is a national holiday in celebration of King Willem-Alexander’s birthday. Like Oktoberfest is to Germans and Carnival is to Brazilians, King's Day is to Dutch people a very big deal! The streets bleed orange and the whole country parties for two days straight.

An article curated with ❤ and 🍺 for PartyWith, the free app that connects people who love to party. Hi, I’m Izzy and I used to work with the amazing PartyWith team in Amsterdam. Today I write for them on Itinari, sharing my best tips about nightlife in Europe. My goal is to connect people one party at a time. So join me on the app and let’s party💃!

The Gathering Starts When the Sun is Up!

King's Day is the biggest party day of the year. It falls on the weekend of the 27th of April. People don orange (the Dutch national color) and spill out into the streets and canals. The city comes alive after a long winter hibernation, celebrating with festivals and flea markets. With an overabundance of choices on what to do, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Here’s the ultimate guide of the top parties happening every year on King's Day in Amsterdam. Don’t forget, you can always log into the PartyWith app to find people to join up with at these events!

Cartel Kingsday

For 18 hrs non-stop, Cartel Kingsday is the festival that will take you from day to night with over 20 artists coming to play. A techno and house festival, usual headliners include house heavyweights like Hunee and Mr G. It takes place at one of Amsterdam's best festival locations - the WesterUnie - with both outdoor and indoor stages so a good time is guaranteed whatever the weather! And tickets are a steal! (€10 for a day or night ticket or €20 for a combo).

Kingsland Festival

The biggest nationwide King's Day in the Netherland, the Kingsland Festival hits five of the major Dutch cities: Groningen, Maastricht, Den Bosch, Twente and of course, Amsterdam! This festival celebrates all things Oranje. If you’re a dance music fan, you may know that a large majority of the world’s most well-known DJs hail from the Netherlands. As such, the festival features some of the famous Dutch DJs as Tiesto and Chocolate Puma. Besides Big Room and Future House, there’s a Hardstyle stage (also a product of the Netherlands). Lastly, there’s a Dutch top 40 stage, for example Lil Kleine is a well-known Dutch rapper & The Flexican combines Dutch hip hop, house and electronic. Definitely a good musical & cultural experience!

Oranjebloesem

Oranjebloesem, which means, “Orange Blossom”, takes place at Blijburg Aan Zee, which is a beach on the IJmeer river, about 35 minutes away from Amsterdam by tram. It’s a great city festival alternative, away from the craziness of the city center and in a gorgeous natural venue. The festival has 5 stages featuring house and techno artists and exciting live acts.

Free Parties: Koningsdag Op Straat & Koningsdag Uit Je Bak

Partying doesn’t have to cost any money… Especially on King’s Day where having fun is a basic human right! There are a couple free parties around Amsterdam. Koningsdag Op Straat is in Frederiksplein, in the South part of the city center and close to the Heineken Experience. It’s a good choice if you want to stay central, though it’s almost guaranteed to be packed. If you’re looking for a free King's Day party away from the craziness of the Center, Koningsdag Uit Je Bak is a good choice. It’s a house & disco party on NDSM Wharf, just a short 10 minute free ferry ride from the Amsterdam Central Station.

© Photo credit by: Alex Proimos

Boat Parties

Finally, a great way to do King’s Day is on a Boat Party! Locals sail the canals all day, dancing and drinking on boats. If you already have a group of people, rent a boat on Barqo, the Airbnb for boats, and roam the canals to your heart’s content, freeing your inner captain. If you’re trying to join a big group, several boat parties are organized by student groups or tour companies: Fun Amsterdam King’s Day Boat and Amsterdam Boat Parties have several 3 hours shifts throughout the day, and includes unlimited drinks (beer, wine, vodka) and finger food.

And What About King's Night?

Everyone knows that King's Night is just as important as King's Day. If you like to party, lucky you, as just about EVERY bar in the city will have something going on! But don't worry if you haven't got your night planned yet - Go on PartyWith to discover more King's Night parties and find a party squad!

For more inspiration about Amsterdam's exciting nightlife, check out my article on Amsterdam’s Best Techno Clubs.

An article curated with ❤ and 🍺for PartyWith, the free app that connects people who love to party.