The 3 Biggest Parties in Amsterdam: King's Day, Pride & ADE

Three times a year, Amsterdam transforms from a city into a party. Not a neighborhood party, not a festival in a park — the entire city becomes the event. Streets, canals, squares, rooftops, boats, bridges, living rooms. Everything.

My friend Rosa has lived through all three and ranks them like this: "King's Day is chaos, Pride is love, ADE is music. They are all incredible. They are all exhausting. Plan for all three if you can."

1. Koningsdag (King's Day) — April 27, 2026

King's Day is the biggest party in the Netherlands and there is nothing else quite like it anywhere in the world. On April 27 (the King's birthday), the entire country turns orange and goes outside. In Amsterdam, this means about a million people in orange clothing flooding the streets, canals, and parks for a day-long celebration of... honestly, nobody is really sure anymore. It started as a birthday party for the monarchy and turned into the Dutch national excuse to party.

Here is what happens: the whole city becomes a flea market. Literally everyone sets up a blanket on the sidewalk and sells their old stuff. Kids sell lemonade. Adults sell vintage clothes. Someone is always selling a bizarre painting. The flea markets are genuinely fun and you can find amazing deals. My friend Rosa found a vintage Polaroid camera for 5 euros.

Beyond the flea markets, there are DJs on every square, live music on stages throughout the city, and the canals become a parade of boats packed with people and sound systems. The Jordaan has traditional Dutch music. The Vondelpark becomes a giant children's market. Rembrandtplein and Museumplein have the big DJ stages. And everywhere, everywhere, there is orange.

Survival tips from Rosa:

• Wear orange. This is not optional. Even a small orange accessory. Rosa once forgot and felt like a spy in enemy territory
• Bring cash. Most flea market sellers do not take cards
• Wear comfortable shoes. You will walk 25,000 steps. Rosa tracked hers
• Start early. The best flea market finds go by 10 AM
• The boat parties on the canals are the highlight. If you know anyone with a boat, that is the move
• Public transit basically stops working. Walk or bike
• Book your hotel MONTHS in advance. This is the one day of the year where Amsterdam truly sells out. My coworker's mom could not find a room last year. If you are coming for King's Day, book now

Vibe: Controlled chaos. Joyful, sweaty, orange, loud, unforgettable.

2. Amsterdam Pride / WorldPride 2026 — July 25 to August 8, 2026

2026 is a special year for Amsterdam Pride because it is also WorldPride — the global event that rotates between cities and comes to Amsterdam this summer. This means Pride will be bigger, longer, and more international than usual.

The highlight is the Canal Parade on August 1, where boats decorated by organizations, companies, and community groups sail through the canals while hundreds of thousands of people line the bridges and streets to watch. It is colorful, emotional, and joyful in a way that is hard to describe until you see it. Rosa cries every year. She says it is "the best version of Amsterdam."

But Pride is not just the Canal Parade. The full program runs for two weeks and includes street parties, exhibitions, performances, film screenings, and events across the city. The Reguliersdwarsstraat and Zeedijk areas are the traditional centers of Amsterdam's LGBTQ+ nightlife and will be the heart of the street celebrations.

Tips from Rosa:

• The Canal Parade is August 1. Claim your spot early — the bridges fill up by noon. Rosa suggests the Prinsengracht near Westerkerk for the best view
• Wear color. Rainbow everything. This is the time
• Check the full program at pride.amsterdam — there are events every day for two weeks
• Amsterdam's LGBTQ+ community is welcoming but these events are for everyone. Allies are welcome and celebrated
• Accommodation will be expensive and scarce. Book as early as possible, especially for the Canal Parade weekend
• The street parties around Reguliersdwarsstraat go late into the night

Vibe: Inclusive, colorful, emotional, celebratory. The city at its most open and loving.

3. ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event) — October 21-25, 2026

Amsterdam Dance Event is the world's largest electronic music conference and festival. For five days in October, the global dance music industry descends on Amsterdam, and the city hosts over 1,000 events across 200+ venues. From intimate club nights to massive warehouse parties, from industry panels to art exhibitions, ADE turns Amsterdam into the world capital of electronic music.

2026 is ADE's 30th anniversary, which means it will be even bigger than usual.

The event has two parts. The conference (daytime) is for industry professionals — panels, workshops, networking. The festival (nighttime) is for everyone. Every club, warehouse, and venue in Amsterdam programs special ADE events. Paradiso, Shelter, De School, Melkweg, the Gashouder — all running lineups with the best DJs and producers in the world.

Tips from Rosa's DJ friend Kas:

• Buy a Pro Pass if you want access to the conference and priority access to events. It is not cheap (around 350 euros) but it is worth it if you are serious about electronic music
• If you just want to party, buy individual event tickets. They go on sale weeks before and the popular ones sell out fast
• Download the ADE app. It is the only way to keep track of what is happening where
• Pace yourself. Five days of parties is a marathon. Rosa's friend Kas learned this the hard way his first year and was "finished" by day three
• Earplugs. Non-negotiable. The venues are loud
• Many of the best events are not the biggest ones. Look for the smaller club nights and label showcases. Kas says "the warehouse parties with 200 people are better than the arena shows with 5,000"
• Amsterdam in October is cold and rainy. Bring a jacket. Kas once wore a t-shirt to an outdoor afterparty and "deeply regretted it"

Vibe: Epic, intense, international. Five days of the best electronic music on the planet, in one of the best nightlife cities in the world.

Which One Is for You?

| | King's Day | Pride | ADE | |---|---|---|---| | When | April 27 | July 25 — Aug 8 | October 21-25 | | Best for | Everyone | Everyone | Electronic music fans | | Budget | Low (street party) | Low-Medium | Medium-High (event tickets) | | Advance booking | Hotel: months ahead | Hotel: months ahead | Hotel + events: weeks ahead | | Energy | High chaos | High joy | High intensity | | Group size | Any | Any | 2-4 ideal for club nights |

Rosa's final advice: "If you can only pick one, pick King's Day. It is the most uniquely Dutch experience you will ever have. If you can do two, add Pride because WorldPride 2026 will never happen in Amsterdam again. And if you love electronic music, ADE is non-negotiable."

All three events will affect hotel prices and availability. Plan ahead, book early, and prepare for the best version of Amsterdam.