QueensDay Amsterdam 2013 ( Koninginnedag in Dutch ) is the biggest festival of the year in the Netherlands!!
Amsterdam explodes into an orange bonanza with the people, boats, houses and canals all decorated in the national color Queens’s day is officially the Queen Mother’s birthday and people celebrate by having what the Dutch call a ‘freemarket’ with everybody allowed to sell their stuff on the streets.
This year will be a special Queensday, because our Queen will reside from the throne and her son Prins Willem will become our new king! Therefore the next Queensday in 2014 will be called Kingsday, and will be held on april 27th instead of on April the 30th. That’s because on the 27th it’s our new King his birthday! If you want to have a glance of how we (the dutchies) celebrate this great event you should head up to the dam where the crowning will take place in the palace on the dam.
On 30 April 2013, Amsterdam will host a special royal boat parade on the River IJ to celebrate the inauguration of the new king and queen. The royal couple will set sail from the EYE Film Institute Netherlands and travel past the Oeverpark, via the northern side of the River IJ to the Kop van Java and Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ. Well- wishers will be able to greet the royal couple from the quayside. A unique programme of festivities featuring art, culture and sport will take place at various locations along the parade route, providing entertainment for the whole family.
The programme will commence at 10:00 on 30 April with the abdication of Queen Beatrix at the Royal Palace on Dam Square, after which the royal couple will join the departing queen to make an appearance on the palace balcony. The inauguration will take place at 14:00 in De Nieuwe Kerk. This will be followed by a private reception at the Royal Palace, and then the new king and queen will depart for the EYE Film Institute Netherlands. The royal parade is planned to set sail at approximately 19:00.
Other activities are live music and dance parties set up at various locations, especially at Museumplein where they have a big concert every year. The Vondelpark is reserved for the children of Amsterdam, who as well as selling their old toys, play musical instruments and games to make a few cents and for fun of course. The atmosphere on Queen’s Day is amazing and you wont forget this date for the rest of your life!
The best locations in Amsterdam during Queensday:
Amstelveld
Leidseplein
Marie Heinekenplein
Museumplein
Olympisch Stadion
Rembrandtplein
Thorbeckeplein
Vondelpark
Westerpark
Jordaan
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