Upcoming Holidays and Festivals in the Netherlands
- Before planning a trip around a festival, verify the festival dates on the festival's website or with a local tourist information office. For more information about these and other events, visit the official tourism site for the Netherlands.
- This list includes major festivals in major cities, plus national holidays observed throughout the Netherlands. Many sights and banks close down on national holidays — keep it in mind when planning your itinerary. Note that this isn't a complete list; holidays can strike without warning.
- See upcoming holidays and festivals across Europe
2019
November 17: Sinterklaas Procession, Amsterdam (when Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet arrive from Spain)
November 20–December 1: International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
November 28–January 19: Amsterdam Light Festival
December 5: St. Nicholas' Eve (Sinterklaasavond, when Dutch children get their presents from Sinterklaas)
December 25: Christmas (Kerstmis; closures)
December 26: "Second Day" of Christmas (Tweede Kerstdag; closures)
December 27–30: International Chamber Music Festival, Utrecht
2020
January 1: New Year's Day (closures; icewater swims across the Netherlands, most notably in Scheveningen)
January 18: National Tulip Day, Amsterdam (official start of tulip season; tulips fill Dam Square and are free for the picking in the afternoon)
January 23–26: Jumping Amsterdam (international equestrian competition)
February–March: Carnival (Mardi Gras) celebrations in various towns, mostly in the south
March 21–May 10: Keukenhof flower show, near Lisse (huge gardens in bloom)
April 4–5: Rotterdam Marathon
April 12–13: Easter Sunday and Monday (closures)
April 16–19: KunstRAI Art Amsterdam (contemporary-art exhibition)
April 25: Bloemencorso (25-mile flower parade from Noordwijk to Haarlem)
April 27: King's Day (Koningsdag, King Willem-Alexander's birthday; party in the streets of Amsterdam and elsewhere)
May 4: Remembrance of WWII Dead (Dodenherdenking; laying of wreaths and two-minute silence)
May 5: Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag; closures; Liberation Festival in Amsterdam with live music)
May 21: Ascension Day (closures)
May 29–June 23: Holland Arts Festival, Amsterdam (concerts, theater, etc.)
May 31–June 1: Pentecost and Whit Monday (closures)
June 11–21 (likely): Festival Classique, Scheveningen
June 19–21: Pinkpop, near Maastricht (rock festival)
Late June (1 day): Grachtenloop run around canals, Haarlem
Late June (3 days): Parkpop music festival, The Hague
Early July (9 days): Amsterdam Roots Festival (ethnic food, music, world culture)
July 10–12: North Sea Jazz Festival, Rotterdam
July 21–25 (likely): Rotterdam Unlimited (street festival with live performances)
July 25–August 2: Amsterdam Gay Pride
August 7–8 & 14–15 (likely): International Fireworks Festival, Scheveningen
August 7–16 (likely): Grachtenfestival (music and festivities on Prinsengracht barges, Amsterdam)
August 12–16: SAIL Amsterdam (historic ships sail into the city, performances and concerts)
August 12–22 (likely): Pluk de Nacht (outdoor film festival on the site of an old harbor in Amsterdam)
August 14–30: De Parade Theatre Festival, Amsterdam (outdoor theater)
August 15: Assumption Day (closures)
August 19–22: Haarlem Jazz (free jazz festival on Grote Markt)
August 21–23 (likely): Uitmarkt, Amsterdam (performances, book market, and kid-friendly activities)
August 27–28 (likely): Jazz in the Canal (Jazz in de Gracht), The Hague
September (first week): Flower parade on canals, from Aalsmeer to Amsterdam
September 4–7 (likely): Jordaan Festival, Amsterdam (neighborhood street party)
September 5–6: Open Monumentendag (normally closed historical sites open and free to the public)
September 27–28: Yom Kippur (some closures of Jewish-history sights, including Anne Frank House and Jewish Historical Museum in Amsterdam)
October 14–18 (likely): Amsterdam Dance Event (electronic music)
October 18: Amsterdam Marathon
October 27–November 1 (likely): Crossing Border Festival, The Hague (books, music, spoken word; much of it in English)
November 7 (likely): Museum Night Amsterdam
November 18–29 (likely): International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
November 26–January 17 (likely): Amsterdam Light Festival
December 5: St. Nicholas' Eve (Sinterklaasavond, when Dutch children get their presents from Sinterklaas)
December 25: Christmas (Kerstmis; closures)
December 26: "Second Day" of Christmas (Tweede Kerstdag; closures)