Cities prepare for high demand for public toilets on King’s Day
As the sun rose on King’s Day, municipalities across the Netherlands had already ramped up their preparations to handle the massive influx of visitors expected to fill the streets for the annual celebrations. With long lines and overflowing portable toilets often being a significant issue, particularly for women, cities had put additional measures in place to ensure better access to sanitary facilities, according to Nu.nl.
In Amsterdam, the city had increased the number of public toilets for both King’s Night and King’s Day, placing 528 in total, 133 more than the previous year. This included 95 additional urinals, 30 standard toilets, and 4 accessible toilets. Despite these efforts, the city remained on alert, knowing that King’s Day celebrations, combined with the fact that the holiday fell on a Saturday this year, would attract an even larger crowd than usual. The municipality had advised residents and visitors to avoid the city center, anticipating a particularly high number of attendees. The weather forecast, with sunny skies expected, also raised concerns about more people heading to Amsterdam to join the festivities.
In Rotterdam, the city had prepared its signature urilifts—unisex toilet units that are typically underground but can be raised during major events. However, beyond these facilities, Rotterdam was not adding extra public toilets. The city confirmed that the toilets available in bars and restaurants would be sufficient for the King’s Night parties. For King’s Day itself, toilet provisions remained on par with previous years, and event organizers were responsible for providing sanitation at private events. The exact number of public toilets in the city, however, was not specified.
The Hague was preparing for a large turnout as well, expecting hundreds of thousands to join the festivities. The municipality had yet to confirm the exact number of toilets for King’s Day but made it clear that event organizers, including those hosting smaller neighborhood celebrations, were responsible for ensuring their own facilities. The expectation was that large crowds would descend on the city throughout the day, but details about how many toilets would be available remained unclear.
In Utrecht, the city made a significant increase in the number of toilets compared to last year, placing 101 portable toilets around the free market area—up from 50 in 2024. Additionally, three toilet trailers and three urinals had been added to accommodate the crowds expected on both King’s Night and King’s Day. Despite these additions, the city did not specify how many visitors it was anticipating, but officials hoped the extra facilities would alleviate pressure on existing ones.
Though many municipalities had taken extra steps to ensure more sanitation options this year, the question remained: Would it be enough to prevent long lines? In Rotterdam, the situation seemed to hinge on the availability of toilets in bars and restaurants. In Amsterdam, despite the increase in facilities, officials were cautious, warning that the heavy crowds could still overwhelm the system. The city's ongoing efforts to maintain the cleanliness of toilets between King’s Night and King’s Day would hopefully ensure that facilities remained usable throughout the holiday.
Meanwhile, in Doetinchem, the town expected around 25,000 visitors for the royal visit but had not added any extra toilets, relying on the usual provisions of 84 toilets, including 6 accessible units, along with those available in nearby buildings. Despite the smaller scale of the town’s festivities, they expressed confidence in the current setup, relying on experienced event organizers to ensure proper management.
In Emmen, where King’s Day last year attracted significantly more visitors, extra toilets had been added to handle the increased demand. However, the specific number of additional facilities had not been disclosed.
