Liberation Day festivals drew 1 million visitors nationwide

The Netherlands’ Liberation Day festivals attracted an estimated 1 million visitors nationwide on Tuesday, Hans Laroes, chairman of Stichting Bevrijdingsfestivals Nederland, told RTL.

Laroes expects the total to be slightly lower than last year. He attributed the dip to May 5 falling outside the May school vacation period and not being a public holiday. The foundation is calling for May 5 to become a national public holiday.

“It is time that The Hague pushes employers a bit more firmly in that direction,” Laroes said.

Festivals in Noord-Brabant and Drenthe reported quieter crowds than in 2025. The Drenthe festival drew a small 30,000 visitors across the full day.

“We have received a small number, 30,000 visitors, over the entire day. That is more than we expected this year. Last year, May 5 was a national public holiday, and we see that it is always busier then,” a Drenthe festival spokesperson said.

The Utrecht festival drew 48,000 visitors and looked back on a well-attended edition. Leeuwarden organizers expressed satisfaction with 85,000 visitors. Groningen recorded 75,000 visitors, in line with last year, a spokesperson said.

Despite the attendance dip, Laroes called it a “fantastic day." For the first time, the Judiciary held pop-up courts at festivals in The Hague, Almere, Leeuwarden, Utrecht, Wageningen, and Zwolle.