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HAPPY KING’s DAY Celebrations

The Straight People’s Pride Parade

If you’ve ever woken up in Amsterdam on April 27th and thought, “Why is everyone dressed like an orange traffic cone and drinking beer at 9 a.m.?” — Congratulations, you’ve discovered Kingsday, one of the most iconic celebrations in the Netherlands.

A Royal Rave in Orange

The vibe? Pure chaos — in the best way possible. Imagine a street festival meets flea market meets outdoor rave — with boats blasting techno through Amsterdam’s canals. It’s got everything: day drinking, boat parties, DJs, glitter, feather boas, and crowds in orange tutus and inflatable crowns. Honestly, if you squint just a little, it looks like a straight, orange version of Pride. And in this case? We’re totally here for it. Even the famous Reguliersdwarsstraat in Amsterdam, with all the bars, is buzzing.

From Monarchs to Market Stalls

Kingsday is the official birthday bash of King Willem-Alexander since 2013. Before him, we had decades of queens: Queen Juliana and Queen Beatrix both celebrated their birthdays on the same date, with what became Queensday. So what’s with the orange explosion? The Dutch royal family belongs to the House of Orange-Nassau. Pity to say: three daughters — but still no prince for us. And here’s something adorable and weirdly democratic: the “”vrijmarkt”” (free market) tradition. On Kingsday, everyone is allowed to sell their old stuff in the streets without a permit. That means thousands of people turn sidewalks into DIY garage sales. It’s like capitalism took a nap and woke up in a flea market with dance music.

What It Means to Us

We’re living in Antwerp gor some time now — but Pink In Our Lives team is originally Dutch and is still part of our roots. Meaning we have these memories of orange cake and royal parades. And we do know how to enjoy a damn good party. And Kingsday is exactly that: a wild, joyful, slightly chaotic celebration of life and freedom. While it might not be a Rainbow event, it definitely gives off big Pride energy.