King's Day in Amsterdam

The date and the night before

King's Day, Koningsdag, is 27 April, and in 2027 that is a Tuesday. The date moves to the 26th only if the 27th falls on a Sunday. Koningsnacht, the party night, is the evening before, Monday 26 April. The city's tourism site lists parties for it.

The free market

King's Day is the day Amsterdam turns its streets into a flea market. Anyone may set up a vrijmarkt, a free market, between 6am and 8pm, and most markets start at 9am, including the well-known one in the Vondelpark. Spots are often claimed with chalk early in the morning. Stalls can go almost anywhere except where they block foot traffic, such as house entrances and shop openings. Bridges, bridgeheads and fire hydrants must stay clear.

What can be sold: furniture, clothing, games, soft toys, and other things you want to get rid of. What cannot: live animals and alcohol. Food is limited to dry, non-perishable snacks unless you are registered with the Chamber of Commerce as a trader in that category.

The city lists its neighborhood markets by name: Bredeweg in Watergraafsmeer, Eikenplein, Beethovenstraat, Rivierenbuurt, Erasmuspark, Buikslotermeerplein, Van der Pekstraat and the Jordaan. The children's markets, where children sell toys and clothes they have outgrown, are at NDSM Vrijhaven, the Vondelpark, Amsterdamse Poort, Amstelveld, Noorderpark, Erasmuspark, Rembrandtplein, Artisplein and Westerpark. Zaanstad, outside the city, has four of the largest markets, in Zaandam, Krommenie and Assendelft.

The Vondelpark closes the night before and reopens at 9am on King's Day for a children-only market, with performances.

Rules in 2026

The city tightened the rules in 2026, and its tourism site lists them. These are the latest published.

• Alcohol: no more than one can or bottle on the street (a home tap or a six-pack counts as more than one, and six-packs and kegs may be confiscated), one can or bottle per person in shops, no glass, and no alcohol at stations or on NS trains from 7pm the night before until 5am the day after.

• Music: amplified or live music in public spaces was not allowed.

• Enforcement: extra checks on illegal alcohol sales and illegal parties, and more cycling first-aid teams in the center.

• Families: the city advised families with children to avoid the Jordaan and Westerstraat because of crowds.

• Water: free drinking water at public taps.

For questions, the municipality's information line is 14020.

Boats

Canal boats have their own rules, and in 2026 the city enforced them without exceptions. The boat needs an activated vignette, may not go faster than 6 km/h, and its skipper must not drink alcohol. The "12+1" rule applied: a maximum of 12 passengers plus the skipper. Amplified music is banned if it can be heard 10 meters from the boat. The city's rules page, last updated in April 2025, adds that boats up to 10 meters may use the canals, but boats over 10 meters are banned on the Zoutkeetsgracht, Prinsengracht, Rokin, Grimburgwal and Oudezijds Voorburgwal, and flat-bottomed boats and pontoons are not allowed on the Singel. Keep to the right, follow the one-way system on certain canals, and bag your rubbish for one of the four waste collection boats.

Getting around

In 2026 buses and trams ran only to the edge of the center, the metro stations at Nieuwmarkt and RAI were closed, and there were no trams in the center. The city center was closed to cars from 7:30am, the RAI park-and-ride was shut, and most taxi stands in the center were out of action. Walking is the plan: colored pedestrian routes lead to the main events.

NS ran modified timetables on the evening of 26 April and on the day, with longer and extra trains, and Amsterdam Science Park station was closed for the day. There are no luggage lockers at Amsterdam Centraal on King's Day. To reach Schiphol, trains run but need extra time, and the city suggests a station other than Centraal. You can check in and out of city transport with a debit card, credit card or phone through OVpay, with no separate ticket.

Most events start at midday and nearly all outdoor events end at 8pm. Most high street shops close, and shops on the Kalverstraat usually stay shut. Larger supermarkets open for part of the day. Big ticketed parties such as Loveland van Oranje and Kingsland Festival sell tickets in advance, and many street parties are free.

Where to sleep

The markets are spread across the city. Zuid and Rivierenbuurt hold the Beethovenstraat and Rivierenbuurt markets. Oost has Bredeweg and Eikenplein. Noord has Van der Pekstraat, Buikslotermeerplein and the NDSM Vrijhaven children's market. Book the room first, and read the Amsterdam travel guide for the neighborhoods and the Haarlem day trip if you want a quieter day out.