This week I celebrated my fourth Kingsday living in Amsterdam, arguably one of the best days of the year in The Netherlands. An annual holiday, it falls on the birthday of the country's monarch (currently King Willem Alexander) and is regarded as one of the biggest street parties in the world.
The entire country celebrates Kingsday wearing orange, worn in honour of the royal House of Orange. In the week leading up to it, stores sell all sorts of orange clothes, hats, wigs and nick nacks. This April 27th marked the second consecutive Kingsday, previously Queensday which fell on Queen Beatrice’s birthday before she abdicated in 2013.
Kingseve marks the start of the celebrations as stages are erected for live bands and DJs on the major canals and squares around the city. Clubs stay running through the night, open party boats cruise through the canals, and the streets fill up with drinking, dancing and noise. We wandered this Kingseve into Herengracht - Gentlemen’s Canal - to drink beer and listen to a reggae band along the water, watching the boat parties sail past.
People start marking their spots on the street with chalk days before, where they set up shop for the Kingsday flea market - anyone is allowed to sell unwanted items on this day. Strolling into the city centre in the morning and picking up some old records is a big part of the Kingsday experience for me, and a great way to soak up the atmosphere. Everything from clothes and books, to toys and old TV sets get bartered on the street, and children sing and dance for some loose change or work on their family stalls, bartering that fifty cent offer up to one euro.
Up to a million people - locals, tourists and Dutch from the wider Netherlands - come into Amsterdam to celebrate Kingsday. They take to the streets and canals, dressed in orange from head to toe, to drink, dance and party for the day and for many, the weekend. The canals are a sea of orange as thousands of boats circulate Amsterdam and provide music and entertainment for those partying on the surrounding streets. The atmosphere is elated and happy for the entire day, and when the sun comes out and you’re with friends on the canal side, there’s not much that can beat it.
A common Irish description of Kingsday is that it is like an orange version of St Patrick's Day. Both days similarly bring out a great sense of pride in their nation and involve people of all ages taking to the streets to party and celebrate their national holiday, countrywide. Kingsday however is that bit more spontaneous - events are not as officially organised so there is more of a sense of randomness to the day, and the party is more chilled.
As with the last three I’ve experienced in Amsterdam, and despite a previous week of cold and cloudy skies, the sun shone for the entire day. Not being ones for tradition, my friends and I met at the spot the Irish gang here have met for years, number 545 Prinsengracht - Prince’s Canal. Aside from simplifying meeting on a day when mobile phone coverage (and general movement) is minimal, the meeting point was set years ago by one of the lads who then lived there and could provide the all important toilet facility. The location still remains the indisputable place where we all gather for the day, before the canals quieten down about 8pm. At this point, we retire to Dan Murphy’s, our local in Leidesplein.
Kingsday always lives up to expectations. It provides a street party that is understandably considered one of the best in the world, an upbeat and chilled atmosphere and a sea of orange party goers that are happy and carefree. For the Dutch, they associate the “orange feeling”’ with national pride and a sense of both freedom and togetherness. For me, it was an epic day and weekend, and once again, one of my best days of the year living in Amsterdam.
