Kingsday April 26, 2025
While the King is blowing out 58 candles on his birthday cake, we are going to celebrate his birthday with him as well in Leeuwarden! In the lively city centre, you will find the best stalls and games at the flea market, and at the same time it will be bursting with good parties. From the big squares to the clubs and pubs: your favourite artists will be performing here and you will never want to leave. Read all about the full programme on this page. So grab your red, white and blue face paint set, get that orange scarf out of the attic and hit the town!
-
Score second-hand gems!
browse
Programme - party!
Are you going to go completely crazy on King's Night, or are you going to get up early for the best second-hand gems? Whichever you prefer, Leeuwarden has it all!
April 25, 2025 - King's Night
One of the liveliest nights of the year! The terraces are packed, Dutch tunes sound from the bars, orange cocktail shots are practically thrown at you, and the pubs are nicely decorated. Are you in for a pub crawl in the Doelesteeg? On Wilhelminaplein, it’s also a big party: at Oldepop you will enjoy the hottest live music from 6:00 pm to midnight. We’ll be going back to the 50‘s, 60’s, 70‘s and 80’s! Famous hits by Elvis, funky Earth, Wind and Fire (and more) will make this night unforgettable. At Neushoorn, you can participate in the Queens and Quizzes pub quiz, a pub quiz unlike any other one you have experienced before! Finally, at the Oldehoofsterkerkhof, under the watchful eye of our ‘skeve’ (crooked) tower, there will be a great party on King's Night and also on King's Day. So much to choose from!
April 26, 2025 - King's Day
Leeuwarden is home to the largest flea market in all of Friesland. On Nieuwestad, Wirdumerdijk, Gouveneursplein, Eewal and sometimes even a bit of Voorstreek, you will find rugs, stalls, trunks and tables full of second-hand goodies. The real early birds will do their first lap around the flea market at 7:00 am.
Several places in Leeuwarden celebrate King's Day. In the Prinsentuin you will find the King’s Day Festival. At the Oldehoofsterkerkhof, there is a party all day long as well. Wilhelminaplein will be transformed into Leeuwarden’s Music Square, Special beer café de Markies will once again turn the place upside down, De Toeter will once again have a cosy, large terrace, at music venue Neushoorn will host Hard Gaan on King’s Day and in the Koperen Tuin, you can dance to the hottest techno until the early hours of the morning during Tuinfeest.
The Royal Roots of Leeuwarden
King’s Day is, of course, all about our orange roots. But did you know that the Frisian capital played an undeniable role in the birth of the Royal Family? From 1584 to 1747, Leeuwarden was the court city of the Frisian Nassau's. To this day, you can still see that. Hunt for the roots of the royals on King's Day, here in Leeuwarden.
Meet the Nassaus!
Accessibility - handy!
Leeuwarden is also easy to reach during King's Day, although we recommend you to come to the city by public transport or by bike. This is because the city centre is closed to cars from 8:30 am to 5 pm. Public transport will run according to the Saturday timetable. There are no buses running through the city on King's Day. For the most up-to-date info and departure times, check Arriva and NS. Coming by car anyway? Then check here for available parking spaces. Also handy:
