🇳🇱 King’s Day falls on 27 April 2026 in Netherlands. Here’s your complete guide — from the history and meaning of the day, to what’s worth doing, and how to stretch it into your best break of 2026.
What Is King’s Day?
Koningsdag celebrates the birthday of King Willem-Alexander (born 27 April 1967). Every Dutch city explodes with orange — the national colour — as millions of people fill the streets for outdoor markets, boat parties, and live music. Amsterdam’s canals become one giant floating festival. There is nothing quite like it anywhere in the world.
Local name: Koningsdag First observed: 1890 Type: National Public Holiday
👑 Why Netherlands Celebrates
The Netherlands turns entirely orange for the King’s birthday
Koningsdag celebrates the birthday of King Willem-Alexander (born 27 April 1967). Every Dutch city explodes with orange — the national colour — as millions of people fill the streets for outdoor markets, boat parties, and live music. Amsterdam’s canals become one giant floating festival. There is nothing quite like it anywhere in the world.
Things to Do on King’s Day
Whether you’re a local or visiting Netherlands, here’s what to do with the day:
🟠 Wear orange — everything orange
It’s a national dress code. Hats, wigs, face paint — the more the better
🚣 Amsterdam canal boat party
Rent or join a boat on the canals — it’s the most iconic King’s Day experience
🏷️ Vrijmarkt — the free market
Anyone can sell anything on the street. It’s a massive nationwide car boot sale
🎶 Live music everywhere
Hundreds of stages across every city — free concerts from morning to midnight
Fun Facts About King’s Day
- 🟠 Amsterdam sees over 800,000 visitors on King’s Day — more than double its normal daily foot traffic.
- 👑 The holiday was originally Queen’s Day (Koninginnedag) until King Willem-Alexander took the throne in 2013.
- 🚲 The Dutch cycle to King’s Day events — Amsterdam has more bikes than people.
How to Maximize Your Time Off Around King’s Day
King’s Day lands on a Monday. Here’s what that means for your break:
The Optimal Window
By using just 4 vacation days, you can take 11 consecutive days off from Saturday 25 April to Sunday 3 May 2026.
That breaks down as:
- 4 PTO days you take off
- 1 public holiday already covered
- 4 weekend days you get for free
How to Request the Time Off
- Open the Vacation Maximizer app
- Select Netherlands (NL) as your country
- Set your available PTO days to 4
- The app automatically shows you the best windows including this one
April 2026 also has Good Friday (Apr 3), Easter Sunday (Apr 5) and Easter Monday (Apr 6) — that’s two excellent long-weekend opportunities in one month.
Is King’s Day a Public Holiday in All of Netherlands?
Koningsdag is a national holiday observed throughout all provinces of the Netherlands.
Travelling to Netherlands for King’s Day?
King’s Day is genuinely one of the best days to visit Amsterdam — if you plan ahead. The city is electric with energy, the weather is usually decent, and it’s a uniquely Dutch experience you won’t find anywhere else.
Tip: Book Amsterdam accommodation months ahead — King’s Day is one of the most visited days in all of Europe.
Plan Your King’s Day Break
Don’t wait until the last minute to request time off. 27 April 2026 is 51 days away — book your PTO now.
Vacation Maximizer automatically calculates the best vacation windows for Netherlands and 100+ other countries. Free on iOS and Android.
Public holiday data sourced from Nager.Date. Vacation window calculations use Vacation Maximizer’s PTO optimization algorithm.