10 Best Festivals in Amsterdam
Unique Amsterdam Celebrations You Won’t Find Anywhere Else
Amsterdam is the city of festivals in a very literal way. This place has hundreds of festivals every year celebrating everything from lights to music and culture. It’s not surprising given how multicultural this capital city is. Many of the festivals you can attend here are even world famous.
A great number of the festivals here are family-friendly and offer fun for all. Whether you’re on a romantic getaway for 2, or you’re on a family vacation, you’re sure to find a festival in Amsterdam almost any time you visit. Check out some of the best festivals in Amsterdam for your next trip.
1. King’s Day
Celebrate the king’s birthday
Good for: Couples, Families, Photo
King’s Day is among the biggest celebrations in Amsterdam and takes place on the king’s official birthday (27th April). Millions of people dress in orange to show their pride for the royal family. Everywhere you look, you’ll find orange, in the streets and on the canals. As you move through the town, you’ll be surrounded by music, food, parades, vendors selling orange clothing, and a gigantic, city-wide party.
King’s Day changes whenever the king (or queen) does; when the country gets a new monarch, the festival will shift to their birthday. No matter where you’re staying in the city, there’s fun to be had. You’ll come across boat parties, street parties, and a happy atmosphere everywhere
2. Amsterdam Light Festival
Hundreds of displays of illuminated art
Good for: Photo, Unusual
The Amsterdam Light Festival is an annual, wintertime celebration focused on the use of light in art, featuring famous artists and designers worldwide. These creative people bring their international creations to Amsterdam and place them along two different routes to create themed displays.
Naturally, since the festival uses light to present art, it’s best to go out after dark to view the light sculptures all over the city center. You can enjoy the works on foot or book a boat tour to see it all from the waterways. The Light Festival takes place from late November to mid-January each year, bringing an especially cheerful atmosphere to the festive season.
3. Amsterdam Gay Pride
Celebrating diversity and individuality
Good for: Nightlife, Photo
Annual Pride festivals are an increasingly popular phenomenon worldwide, raising awareness and celebration of the unique individuality of the LGBTQ+ culture. Amsterdam Gay Pride is no exception. Between late July and early August, the city is alive with rainbow colors and attracts hundreds of thousands of people every year.
The festival spans a whole week of events and activities, including cultural exhibits, sporting events, public speakers, and live entertainment. Street parties and parades are common, and the event is designed to be inclusive and welcoming to all. It culminates in the super colorful Canal Parade of boats.
4. National Tulip Day
Bouquets from the largest garden in Amsterdam
Good for: Couples, Families, Photo
Tulip Day celebrates the worldwide Dutch association with tulips with a massive garden of around 200,000 tulips at Dam Square. Visitors to this beautiful spectacle can even pick a free bouquet. Thousands of people descend on the most extensive garden in Amsterdam to view the sea of color and enjoy the fragrant perfume of an enormous variety of tulips.
This lovely event kicks off tulip season in the country, when public parks and farmer’s fields around the county become awash with the iconic flower. The Tulip Day festival is not only a large garden, however. The festival organizers are known for arranging promotions and surprises that change every year, from live appearances to special deals at local shops and restaurants.
Location: Dam, 1012 RJ Amsterdam, Netherlands
National Tulip Day
5. Amsterdam Coffee Festival
All things coffee, tea, and chocolate
Good for: Couples, Families, Food, Shoppers
The Amsterdam Coffee Festival draws caffeine lovers in droves with more than 200 craft coffee roasters, food stalls, equipment makers, and celebrations of all things coffee, tea, and chocolate. If you have a favorite coffee brand, you may well find them here, and every coffee connoisseur should experience this festival at least once.
The brands are accompanied by specialist roasters, baristas, and representatives who give you the chance to smell, taste, and revel in the latest trends in coffee. It’s certainly a popular event as about 12,500 people descend on Amsterdam every year for this festival that occurs in mid April.
Location: NDSM-Plein 90C, 1033 WB Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam Coffee Festival
6. Mysteryland
For lovers of dance and electronica
Good for: Nightlife, Photo
Mysteryland was the first festival of its kind in Amsterdam to be exclusively dedicated to electronica and dance music, and sees the world’s biggest DJs take to the stage every year. Tens of thousands of people descend on Amsterdam every August for a three-day festival where people camp out to catch their favorite acts.
The event, which began in 1993, has exploded from its origins and today even has overseas versions in Chile and the United States, but the Amsterdam original is the place to be. Check it out at the end of August in Haarlemmermeer every year.
Location: Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands
Mysteryland
7. Open Garden Days
Exclusive private gardens open up to the public
Good for: Couples, Families, Photo
Open Garden Days are celebrated all across Amsterdam during the third week of June, highlighting the beautiful private gardens in the city by opening them up for public viewing. These gardens are considered some of the best-kept secrets and hidden gems along the city’s canals, and seeing them in person is a breath-taking sight to behold with brilliant colors and elaborate layouts.
About 30 gardens are open to the public during this time every year. Tickets are required, but one ticket lets you access every participating garden. You can also book passage on a special boat that will take you from one garden to another along the canal.
8. Chinese New Year
A celebration of Chinese culture in Amsterdam
Good for: Food, Nightlife, Photo
Chinese New Year is a big celebration all over the world, but in Amsterdam’s Dam Square, you’ll find firecrackers, lanterns, dragon dances, and delicious cuisine like you’ve never seen. Also known as Lunar New Year, this time of year is an important celebration in Chinese culture and includes huge family gatherings, elaborate food rituals, temple charity, and of course, red and gold everywhere you look.
It’s said that raw fish salad eaten on Chinese New Year brings good luck and prosperity. If you happen to be in Amsterdam on February 1st, head for Nieuwmarkt, the Amsterdam Chinatown, and get lost in this fantastic celebration.
Location: Dam, 1012 RJ Amsterdam, Netherlands
Chinese New Year
9. Holland Festival
International movies, music, dance, and theater
Good for: Couples, Families, Photo
The Holland Festival is one of the largest operating arts festivals in the Netherlands, showcasing theater, dance, opera, movies, live music, and other arts and entertainment. This international performance art festival takes place all over the city at various venues and is famed for providing the latest and greatest in renowned worldwide productions.
If you’re interested in traditional live entertainment, or even Dutch or international movies, the Holland Festival is the place to be. It lasts an entire month and takes place every June.
10. Amsterdam Dance Event
Legendary DJs and underground icons
Good for: Nightlife, Photo, Unusual
The Amsterdam Dance Event, or “ADE” as it’s called locally, turns the capital city into a hotbed of electronica with parties, workshops, concerts, and events all over the city. You can hear your favorite DJ’s from all over the world, including old-school legends and the latest up-and-coming talent, as well as icons of the underground.
You can purchase memorabilia, meet industry figures, and catch live shows. If you love to party the night away, this is the event to visit, and thousands of people come to Amsterdam in late October to check out the artists and events.
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