According to the municipality, King’s Day has grown into a ‘large-scale, not always regulated and difficult to manage open-air festival’, especially in the city center. This is due to the increase in the number of visitors, partly due to the growth of the city itself, but also due to an influx of people from surrounding municipalities.
“At the moment, King’s Day is not always safe everywhere and always, not always festive and not always Amsterdam; that has to change,” said the mayor. “Visitors to our city remain welcome, but to a lesser extent.”
Illegal alcohol sales
This year the municipality is taking extra measures to keep King’s Day manageable. For example, enforcement of illegal alcohol sales is being tightened. This year, ‘enforcement action’ will be taken immediately and anyone who made a mistake during previous editions will receive a penalty. This means that they must pay immediately in the event of a new violation. The minimum fine is then one thousand euros.
An internal report showed that King’s Day will take place in 2025 was ‘uncontrollable’ for the ambulance service. To prevent this in 2026, additional cycling first aiders will be deployed and there will be more operators in the control room. “Better coordination ensures more efficient deployment of ambulances,” says the mayor.