Amsterdam runs on a calendar of year-round festivals and cultural events — from the orange-soaked King’s Day to the wild WorldPride Canal Parade, from Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), one of the world’s biggest electronic music festivals and industry conferences, to the magical winter Light Festival on the canals. This month-by-month calendar covers every major Amsterdam festival in 2026, what to expect, when to book, and how to plan a trip around the event you most want to see.
2026’s Major Annual Events
- King’s Day: 27 April — orange-clad national party.
- WorldPride Amsterdam: 25 July – 8 August.
- Canal Parade: 1 August (Pride); the 2027 parade sails on Saturday 7 August.
- ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event): 21-25 October.
- Light Festival: 26 November 2026 – 17 January 2027.
- Christmas Markets: late November – end December.
- Museum Night: first Saturday of November.
- NYE Electric Fireworks: 31 December at Museumplein.
Month-by-Month Calendar
January
- Amsterdam Light Festival: continues to 17 January.
- Last Sunday January: Auschwitz Memorial ceremony at Wertheimpark.
- 27 January: International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
- Mid-January: First Friday Cocktail Carnival (annual rotating).
- Weather: cold, post-holiday quiet.
February
- 25 February: February Strike commemoration at Dockworker statue.
- Late February: Roze Filmdagen (Pink Film Days) — LGBTQ+ film festival.
- Cheapest hotel rates of the year.
March
- Mid-March: Keukenhof Gardens opens (~19 March 2026).
- Cinedans Festival: dance films.
- STRP Festival: art and technology (varying years).
- Weather: emerging spring; mixed.
April
- 26 April: King’s Night (Koningsnacht) — pre-party.
- 27 April: King’s Day — orange street party that can draw up to about a million visitors on top of the city’s own residents.
- Tulip festival: hundreds of thousands of tulips planted across the city all month.
- Keukenhof peak: April, with the exact timing set by the spring weather.
- Imagine Film Festival: fantasy and horror cinema.
- Easter (variable, often April): markets and family events.
May
- 4 May: National Remembrance Day; 2-min silence at 20:00.
- 5 May: Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag) — free open-air concerts.
- Late May: Open Studios Amsterdam — artist studios open to public.
- KunstRAI: contemporary art fair.
- Free Liberation Festivals nationwide.
- Tour de Force / Amsterdam Tulip Festival continues.
June
- Holland Festival: international performing arts (about four weeks; 3-28 June in 2026).
- Open Garden Days: private canal gardens open (3rd weekend).
- Amsterdam Craft Beer Week: city-wide brewer events.
- Vondelpark Open-Air Theatre: free summer programme begins.
- Roots Festival: world music at Oosterpark.
- Amsterdam Half Marathon: typically mid-month.
July
- Vondelpark Open-Air Theatre: full summer schedule.
- Milkshake Festival (late July): LGBTQ+ friendly electronic music at Westerpark.
- 25 July: WorldPride Amsterdam opens.
- 29-30 July: Open Air Film Festival (queer cinema), free on Mercatorplein.
- Julidans: international contemporary dance festival.
August
- 1 August: Canal Parade — 80 boats; about 300,000 spectators.
- 5-8 August: WorldPride Village at Museumplein.
- 4 August: WorldPride UNITY Concert.
- 8 August: WorldPride closing.
- 21-23 August: Lowlands Festival in Biddinghuizen — major music festival, with camping open from the Thursday.
- De Parade: travelling theatre festival.
- Amsterdam Roots Open Air: world music in Oosterpark.
September
- 3-13 September: Dutch Theatre Festival.
- 3-13 September: Amsterdam Fringe Festival.
- Second weekend September: Open Monumentendag — historic buildings across the city open free (12-13 September in 2026).
- Mid-September: Unseen Photography Fair at Westergas.
- Amsterdam Sinfonietta classical season begins.
- Dam tot Damloop: road race between Amsterdam and Zaandam.
October
- 21-25 October: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) — a leading electronic music festival and conference, in its 30th-anniversary year.
- Bokbierfestival: October beer festival at Beurs van Berlage.
- Cinekid: kids’ film festival.
- Amsterdam Marathon: usually third Sunday.
- Halloween events: rising in popularity.
November
- First Saturday November: Museum Night (7 November in 2026) — 50+ museums open 19:00-02:00, one ticket.
- 11 November: Sint Maarten — kids’ lantern parade.
- 12-22 November: International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA), eleven days.
- Mid-November: Sinterklaas Parade (Sint arrives by steamboat from Spain).
- Late November: Christmas markets + Light Festival begin.
- 20 November: Transgender Remembrance Day.
December
- Amsterdam Light Festival: continues throughout December.
- 5 December: Sinterklaas (Pakjesavond) — Dutch gift-giving evening.
- Christmas markets: Museumplein, Westergas, RAI Winterparadijs.
- 1 December: World AIDS Day; check what’s planned locally closer to the date.
- 25-26 December: Christmas (Eerste + Tweede Kerstdag).
- 31 December: NYE Electric Fireworks at Museumplein.
- 1 January: Nieuwjaarsduik (New Year’s Dive) at Zandvoort beach, 12:00-15:00.
Film Festivals
- IDFA (Nov): the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.
- Cinedans (March): dance + cinema.
- Imagine Film Festival (April): fantasy, horror, sci-fi.
- Roze Filmdagen (Feb-March): LGBTQ+.
- Cinekid (Oct): family films.
- IDFA DocLab: experimental media.
- Open Air Film Festival (Pride, 29-30 July in 2026): queer cinema outdoors.
- Eye Filmmuseum special seasons: throughout year.
Music Festivals
- ADE (Oct): electronic music.
- Roots Festival (June + August): world music at Oosterpark.
- Milkshake Festival (July): LGBTQ+ inclusive electronic.
- Pinkpop (June): rock + indie in Landgraaf, a long train ride south in Limburg.
- Awakenings (July, Hilvarenbeek): techno at Beekse Bergen (10-12 July in 2026), plus Upclose at Spaarnwoude in May and an October run at the Gashouder.
- DGTL (April, NDSM): sustainable techno.
- Mysteryland (August): EDM festival nearby.
- Lowlands (late August): three-day camping festival in Biddinghuizen.
- Concertgebouw classical season: September-June.
- Holland Festival (June): international classical/opera/contemporary.
Cultural & Art Events
- Museum Night (first Sat November): single ticket, 50+ museums.
- Open Monumentendag (second weekend September): free entry to many historic buildings.
- Unseen Photography Fair (September): international photography.
- KunstRAI (May): contemporary art fair.
- Art Amsterdam Week (June): citywide gallery weekend.
- Open Garden Days (third weekend June): private canal gardens.
- Open Tower Day (autumn): historic towers open.
- Amsterdam Open Studios: artist studio visits.
Seasonal Markets
- King’s Day Vrijmarkt (27 April): city-wide tax-free flea market.
- Christmas Markets (December): Museumplein, Westergas, RAI Winterparadijs.
- Sunday Market (monthly, Westergasfabriek): indie design.
- Pure Markt (monthly): artisan food.
- IJ-Hallen Flea Market (a weekend roughly every three weeks; 10-11 October and 31 October-1 November 2026): billed as Europe’s biggest flea market.
How to Plan Your Trip Around an Event
- King’s Day: book hotels 9-12 months ahead; wearing orange is tradition, not a rule.
- WorldPride 2026: book hotels 9-12 months; private boat 6 months.
- ADE: book hotel 4-6 months; tickets release weeks/months ahead.
- Christmas markets: hotels 4-6 months; markets are drop-in, but check whether each one charges entry.
- NYE: hotels 6 months; Museumplein event free.
- Tulips / Keukenhof: tickets 4-6 weeks; hotels 3-4 months.
- Museum Night: buy tickets ahead.
- Light Festival: no tickets needed; just walk the route or book cruise.
Best Free Events
- King’s Day: entirely free; just turn up.
- Pride Canal Parade: free to watch from public spaces.
- NYE Electric Fireworks at Museumplein: free.
- Light Festival: walking route free.
- Liberation Day concerts (5 May): free.
- Vondelpark Open-Air Theatre: free June-August.
- Open Monumentendag: monuments open their doors free one weekend a year.
- Concertgebouw Wednesday lunch concerts: free Sep-June.
Budget Tips
- Avoid event weekends if budgeting: room rates climb sharply.
- Visit before/after: same city, easier on the budget.
- Pick one event: combine with cheaper non-event days.
- Free events first: prioritise King’s Day, Light Festival, Pride viewing.
- Combo tickets: city cards may save money during events.
Practical Tips
- Public transport during events: many tram lines suspended on King’s Day, Pride, NYE.
- Hotel surcharges: room rates climb steeply around the big events.
- Crowd management: arrive at major events early (08:00-10:00 for King’s Day prime spots).
- Photography: most public events are camera-friendly.
- Toilet planning: limited at large public events; pop-up urinals available.
- Cash: useful at street parties for food/drinks.
- Family timing: King’s Day daytime + Pride Vondelpark = family-friendly; evening events are not.
For the venues behind the calendar — who plays where, and how to get home from Zuidoost at midnight — see our Amsterdam live music, clubs and sport guide.
The winter entry on this calendar has its own page: our Amsterdam Light Festival guide covers the 2026–27 dates, routes and tickets.
Many of the year’s biggest indoor shows happen in one of two rooms: our Ziggo Dome and AFAS Live guide has the practical detail for both.
One long-standing August fixture has dropped off this calendar for good: our Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort guide explains what replaced it.
The electronic half of this calendar has its own page: our Amsterdam music festivals guide covers the sites, the seasons and the transport.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the biggest Amsterdam event of the year?
King’s Day (27 April) for public crowds; Pride Canal Parade (first Saturday of August, 7 August in 2027) for spectacle; ADE (October) for global music scene.
When is the Light Festival?
Late November to mid-January. 2026/27 edition: 26 Nov 2026 – 17 Jan 2027.
When is the Canal Parade?
First Saturday of August. The 2026 parade was on 1 August; the next is Saturday 7 August 2027, 12:00-18:00.
Are events free?
Many — King’s Day, Light Festival, Pride viewing, NYE Museumplein. ADE, Museum Night, concerts require tickets.
Best month for festivals?
April (King’s Day + tulips), July-August (Pride), October (ADE), December (Light + Christmas).
When should I book?
Hotels: 6-12 months for major events; 3-4 months otherwise. Tickets: weeks to months depending on event.
Final Thoughts
Amsterdam’s festival calendar lets you build your trip around exactly the experience you want — wild orange chaos on King’s Day, the rainbow-and-water Pride Parade, world-class electronic music at ADE, magical canal lights in winter. Book hotels far ahead for the big four (King’s Day, Pride, ADE, Christmas) and grab specific event tickets the moment they release. Whatever you pick, you’re combining one of Europe’s prettiest cities with one of its busiest cultural calendars.
Related Amsterdam guides
- Amsterdam Culture & History — museums, heritage and the Golden Age.
- Amsterdam history timeline — from medieval dam to modern capital.
- Dutch culture & etiquette — directness, tipping and the unwritten rules.
- Galleries & street art — the contemporary and independent art scene.
- Seasonal Amsterdam Guide — the best time to visit, month by month.
- King’s Day guide — dates, best spots and survival tips.
- Amsterdam Pride & Canal Parade — where to watch and how to plan the week.
- Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) — tickets, venues and how to survive five nights.