King's Day 2018

Amsterdam always goes big for King's Day, and today is no exception with five big parties, a number of smaller events and flea markets across the city.

Below see a compilation of photos of the goings on in the Dutch capital on King's Day 2018. 

Excitement is mounting in Groningen as people line the streets, waiting for the Royal Family to arrive. 

King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and their three daughters are set to arrive at 11:00 a.m. Other members of the Royal Family attending the festivities in Groningen include Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien, the King's cousins Princes Maurits, Bernhard, Pieter-Christiaan and Floris, and their wives. Princes Anita, Prince Pieter-Christiaan's wife, will not be there because she is sick, according to NOS.

While King's Day will not be sunny and warm, the weather won't be too bad either. Cloudy and cool with light rain in some places during the afternoon is what Buienradar expects.

"The day start's nice", Maarten Stam of Buienradar said to RTL Nieuws. "It will stay dry until the afternoon with an orange sun every now and then. But from noon onwards it will start raining lightly from the southwest." 

The Royal family will be spending the day in Groningen. A good choice, according to Stam. Groningen will stay mostly dry.

King's Day celebrations don't only attract thousands of party goers to Amsterdam, but also pickpockets, the Amsterdam police warns. Stay aware of your surroundings and where your personal belongings are.

"Pickpockets often make use of crowds and festivities in the city to work as unobtrusively as possible", the police said. "Yet they also sometimes opt for a different method: distraction."

In a video released on Wednesday, the police show footage of a pickpocket distracting a victim by showing him a football trick, and stealing his possessions while he was at it.