Amsterdam to tighten control over King’s Day festivities in city center

Amsterdam will continue to allow King’s Day festivities in the city center, but tighter control is needed. Mayor Femke Halsema outlines a new strategy in a letter sent to the city council on Tuesday, saying that celebrations in the heart of the city have evolved into a hard-to-control open-air event with unacceptably high risks.

The plan is for parts of the city center to become “designated festival areas,” such as Westerstraat and Noordermarkt, where there is room for an organized event. “But not beyond those areas,” Halsema said.

The city also wants to discourage visitors from elsewhere, while boosting paid festivals on the outskirts by allowing them to run until 10 p.m. Additional bicycle-based first-aid teams will be deployed, and enforcement against illegal alcohol sales and unlicensed street parties will be stepped up.

It remains unclear whether the revised format for King’s Day can be implemented as early as the next celebration. Regardless, the mayor stressed that meaningful change will take several years to achieve.

King’s Day in the capital is facing growing pressure due to massive crowds and excessive drinking. According to Halsema, the burden on emergency and enforcement services is rising. During the last celebration, numerous incidents were reported, and the ambulance service described the volume of calls as unmanageable, with dozens of urgent cases queued.

Halsema’s intention to change the way King’s Day is celebrated had been clear for some time. More far-reaching options, including what she described as “intensive intervention.” However, Halsema considers it important “that there remains room to celebrate, including in the city center.”