Amsterdam King’s Day trash tops 3,500 cubic meters; City says celebrations were relaxed

Cleaning workers in Amsterdam have collected 3,540 cubic meters of waste after King’s Day celebrations so far, a small increase compared to last year’s 3,520 at the same point. The city has mobilized 485 workers and roughly 200 vehicles, including sweepers and cleaning trucks, to restore the streets.

Cleaners in Amsterdam have been working through the night and will continue until Tuesday afternoon. Alderman Hester van Buren described the operation as “the biggest cleanup of the year” and praised the sanitation teams for their work. While much of the city has already been cleared, she noted that 3,540 cubic meters of waste had been collected, more than last year.

The alderman expects it will still take a few days before the city is completely clean again. “Of course, you can also help by sweeping the pavement in front of your home.”

Amsterdam officials say this year’s King’s Day passed more calmly than last year, with fewer crowds in the city and on the waterways. While precise numbers are still pending, the municipality believes the situation improved following a set of safety and event measures introduced by Mayor Femke Halsema earlier this year.

Authorities tightened enforcement of street alcohol sales, while also limiting boats in the city center to 12 passengers plus a skipper. “Overcrowded boats were stopped before entering the canals. The 12+1 rule for boats also seems to have had a positive effect on managing conditions on the water and reducing congestion in the canals.” Several fines were also handed out for illegal parties and unauthorized alcohol sales.

Despite measures, the city center remained very crowded in places, including Leidseplein, Leidsestraat, Bijlmerplein, and Bloemgracht. Police responded multiple times to violent incidents and shut down music at several hotspots, instructing crowds to move elsewhere.

Riot police were deployed at Leidseplein to keep people flowing through the area. Late in the evening, emergency orders were also imposed there and on Leidsestraat.

The NS has said that visitor numbers to Amsterdam built up later than usual, but the return flow remained active late into the night. Because crowds were more evenly distributed, no additional measures were required. Amsterdam Zuid station also saw fewer passengers than in previous years.

Halsema said last year that King’s Day in Amsterdam’s city center has grown into a “hard-to-manage open-air festival” with “risks that are too great.” Emergency services reported an overwhelming number of calls, while the mayor once again advised non-residents to stay away from the city. People living in Amsterdam but outside the center were encouraged to celebrate locally instead of traveling into town.