Favorable weather expected for Liberation Day festivals

Although the weather was poor in many parts of the Netherlands during Remembrance Day on Saturday, the weather on Liberation Day was expected to be much nicer on Sunday. Liberation Day will formally get underway in Roermond, Limburg. The Liberation Day fire will be lit at the beginning of the afternoon by outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Ambassador of Freedom Wende Snijders in the host province, at which point the celebrations to honor the end of the World War II occupation will begin.

The temperature will reach a maximum of 14 degrees Celsius in the north. In the southeast, temperatures of up to 18 degrees are expected, according to Weeronline

Rain showers were predicted at the start of the day in the north, but in the south it was expected to remain dry with periodic moments of sunshine. Thought it was no warmer than about 10 degrees, the weather was expected to be much improved by the afternoon nearly everywhere.

There is still a small chance of light localized rain, but the clouds will disappear after a short time. The weather website said it expects most of the afternoon to remain dry, with plenty of sunshine. For the center and south of the country, the maximum temperatures will be between 16 and 18 degrees. It will be slightly cooler in the north, with a high temperature between 14 and 15 degrees.

Rutte and Snijders will light the Liberation Day fire after the May 5 lecture by lawyer and human rights activist Lilian Gonçalves-Ho Kang You. After that, all freedom celebrations in the country start.

The National Commemoration of the 1945 Capitulation will take place in Wageningen. This includes British veterans, outgoing Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren and Pieter van Vollenhoven. Part of the commemoration in the Gelderland city is the Freedom Parade, the traditional parade in honor of the liberators and veterans. The veterans present will be in front.

People can join a freedom meal at about 700 locations, 57 of which are in the Caribbean portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The idea is that people will discuss what freedom means to them while enjoying this year's Freedom Soup, a tomato soup with miso and spring onion. In the Centrale Markthal in Amsterdam, children prepare Freedom Soup to serve to their loved ones from all generations and other invited guests.

There are several free Liberation Day festivals throughout the country. Liberation Day ends with the May 5 concert in Amsterdam's Carré. Rutte will join King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima at the event.

April Darby, Emma Kok, FLEMMING, Gaia Aikman and Guus Meeuwis will perform on Sunday evening during the traditional May 5 concert on the Amstel River in front of Carré. It is the 13th edition of the concert.

Karsu and Frits Spits will present the May 5 concert, which traditionally marks the end of the national celebration. They will connect the performances with personal stories and music. Karsu himself will also gives a performance where she will sing "Laat Mij In Die Waan," together with Meeuwis.

Hip-hop dancer Redo will also perform, as will 18-year-old pianist Thijs Willers and drum band Slagerij van Kampen. The May 5 concert will be broadcast live by the NOS on NPO 1. Visitors can attend the concert in Amsterdam from the quay around the Magere Brug.