Also on Bank Holidays UK: Summer Bank Holiday 2026 — August Bank Holiday Date · Spring Bank Holiday 2026 Date — When Is It? · The King’s Birthday — Public Holiday Status
NETHERLANDS · PUBLIC HOLIDAYS · OFFICIËLE FEESTDAGEN · KING’S DAY · UK TRAVEL GUIDE
Public Holidays in Netherlands 2026: Complete Guide for UK Travellers
The Netherlands officially recognises 11 public holidays (officiële feestdagen) in 2026 — but here is the catch UK visitors should know first: there is no legal right to a paid day off in the Netherlands. Unlike UK bank holidays, Dutch public holidays are governed by your employment contract or collective labour agreement (CAO), so what closes and what stays open varies more than you might expect. This guide lists every 2026 date, explains the famously joyful King’s Day, clarifies why Liberation Day is a normal working day this year, and shows how the Dutch calendar compares with UK bank holidays — verified against the Dutch government (Government.nl) and triangulated with Nager.Date.
Next public holiday
—
—
Updates automatically
Public Holidays in Netherlands 2026 — Full List
The table below lists all 11 official Dutch public holidays for 2026, with the local Dutch name, the English name, the type and the day of the week. Two dates carry an important asterisk for UK travellers: Goede Vrijdag (Good Friday) is widely observed by banks and schools but is not a guaranteed day off for most workers, and Bevrijdingsdag (Liberation Day) is only a paid public holiday once every five years — 2026 is a normal working day. All dates are triangulated against Government.nl and Nager.Date.
Long Weekends in Netherlands 2026
The Dutch are masters of the brugdag (bridge day) — taking a single day off to stretch a mid-week holiday into a four-day break. For UK travellers, these are exactly the windows when the Dutch themselves travel, so book flights and hotels early. The 2026 calendar is unusually generous between late April and late May.
✅ The best long weekends in the Netherlands in 2026
• Easter weekend (3–6 April): Good Friday through Easter Monday gives a natural four-day break — the spring tulip season at Keukenhof is in full bloom.
• King's Day weekend (25–27 April): with King's Day on a Monday, you get a guaranteed three-day weekend and the single biggest party of the Dutch year.
• Ascension long weekend (14–17 May): Ascension Day falls on a Thursday, so almost the entire country takes Friday 15 May as a brugdag for a four-day break — the busiest domestic travel window of the year.
• Whitsun weekend (23–25 May): Whit Sunday and Whit Monday create a three-day weekend just nine days after Ascension.
Unlike UK bank holidays, the Netherlands does not shift holidays that fall on a weekend to the following Monday — Boxing Day on Saturday 26 December is simply enjoyed on the day.
What's Open and Closed on Public Holidays
The Netherlands is far more relaxed than Germany about holiday closures — many shops and supermarkets stay open, especially in the big cities. But banks, government offices and public transport all shift to reduced timetables. Here is the practical breakdown for UK visitors.
⚠️ Travel tip — King's Day is a city-wide event, not a quiet day off
On Monday 27 April 2026, Amsterdam's population swells by hundreds of thousands. The canals fill with boats, the streets turn orange, and the entire city becomes a flea market and street party. Central-Amsterdam trains, trams and metro are suspended or severely reduced from early morning, hotels sell out months in advance at peak prices, and roads close. If you want the experience, book accommodation by January and plan to travel on foot. If you would rather avoid the crowds, schedule your city sightseeing for a different day and use King's Day for a quieter town such as Utrecht, Haarlem or Delft.
How Netherlands Public Holidays Compare with UK Bank Holidays
England and Wales have 8 bank holidays in 2026 (Scotland and Northern Ireland differ slightly), all of which carry a customary right to a paid day off and all of which shift to the following Monday when they fall on a weekend. The Netherlands lists 11 official public holidays but, crucially, gives no statutory legal right to paid time off — entitlement depends entirely on your employer or collective agreement (CAO). For a fuller picture of how the two calendars line up, see our list of UK bank holidays.
The biggest practical difference for UK visitors is that the Netherlands keeps four spring religious holidays the UK dropped long ago — the UK abolished Whit Monday as a fixed bank holiday in 1971, replacing it with the late-May bank holiday. In the Netherlands, Ascension and Whitsun remain full public holidays, which is why May is the country's peak domestic travel month.
Key Cultural Holidays Explained
Koningsdag (King's Day) — 27 April. The Netherlands' national day celebrates the birthday of King Willem-Alexander. The whole country dresses in orange (the colour of the royal House of Orange-Nassau), and cities — Amsterdam above all — host the vrijmarkt, a vast free street market where anyone can sell anything from the pavement. Canals fill with decorated boats, music plays on every corner, and it is, without exaggeration, the most joyful day in the Dutch calendar. When 27 April falls on a Sunday, King's Day is moved to the 26th; in 2026 it lands on a Monday, so no shift applies.
Bevrijdingsdag (Liberation Day) — 5 May. This marks the end of Nazi occupation in 1945. It is preceded on 4 May by Dodenherdenking (Remembrance of the Dead), with a nationwide two-minute silence at 20:00. Liberation Day itself is celebrated with open-air Bevrijdingsfestivals across the country. However, it is a paid public holiday only once every five years (most recently 2025, next in 2030) — so in 2026 it is a day of festivals and concerts but a normal working day for most people.
Hemelvaartsdag & Pinksteren (Ascension & Whitsun) — 14–25 May. These two Christian holidays, ten days apart, anchor the Dutch spring. Ascension on a Thursday triggers the year's biggest brugdag exodus, and Whitsun closes the season. Together they make mid-May the most popular — and most expensive — window for travel within the Netherlands.
💡 Did you know?
The Dutch celebrate two Christmas days — Eerste Kerstdag (First Christmas Day, 25 December) and Tweede Kerstdag (Second Christmas Day, 26 December) — just like the UK's Christmas Day and Boxing Day, but with a twist: many Dutch families keep one day for relatives and the other for shopping or a restaurant meal, and the shops often reopen on the 26th. They also celebrate Sinterklaas on 5 December — the country's main gift-giving occasion — which, despite being the most beloved December tradition, is not an official public holiday.
Planning Your Trip Around Public Holidays
The Netherlands rewards strategic timing. To experience Dutch culture at its most vivid, target King's Day (27 April) for the national party, the Keukenhof tulip season (late March to mid-May) around the Easter weekend, or the Ascension brugdag for festival season. To save money and avoid the crowds, avoid the mid-May Ascension–Whitsun fortnight, when Dutch domestic demand pushes hotel prices to their annual peak, and book well ahead for any stay spanning King's Day.
For accommodation across these peak windows, compare flexible-cancellation rates on Booking.com and lock in early. For canal cruises, Keukenhof tickets and museum skip-the-line passes, pre-booking through GetYourGuide is essential during holiday periods, when same-day availability disappears. If you are extending a Dutch break into a neighbouring country, our guide to public holidays in Germany 2026 covers the calendar just across the border, and our overview of long weekends in 2026 helps you line up the dates that matter most.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many public holidays does the Netherlands have in 2026?
The Netherlands officially recognises 11 public holidays in 2026. However, there is no statutory legal right to a paid day off — whether you actually get the day depends on your employment contract or collective labour agreement (CAO). In practice, most workers get New Year's Day, Easter Monday, King's Day, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day off.
Is Liberation Day (5 May) a day off in 2026?
No. Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag) is a national commemoration every year but is only a paid public holiday once every five years. The most recent was 2025 and the next is 2030, so 5 May 2026 is a normal working day with festivals and concerts in the evening.
When is King's Day 2026 and what happens?
King's Day (Koningsdag) is on Monday 27 April 2026. It celebrates King Willem-Alexander's birthday with nationwide street parties, the famous vrijmarkt free market, orange clothing everywhere and boats packing the canals of Amsterdam. It is the busiest and most festive day of the Dutch year.
Are shops and supermarkets open on Dutch public holidays?
Many are, especially in big cities — the Netherlands is far more relaxed than Germany about holiday trading. Supermarkets such as Albert Heijn often open with Sunday hours. The main exceptions are Christmas Day, Boxing Day and King's Day morning, when most shops close (though King's Day turns the streets themselves into a giant market).
Do Dutch public holidays move to Monday if they fall on a weekend?
No. Unlike the UK, the Netherlands does not give a substitute day when a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday — the day is simply observed as it falls. In 2026 this affects Boxing Day, which is on Saturday 26 December.
Is Good Friday a public holiday in the Netherlands?
Good Friday (Goede Vrijdag, 3 April 2026) is an official holiday but is widely observed only by banks, schools and government bodies. Most private-sector employees work unless their CAO grants the day, so it functions as a partial holiday rather than a guaranteed day off.
What is the best time to visit the Netherlands around the holidays?
For atmosphere, late April around King's Day and the Keukenhof tulip season is unbeatable. For value, avoid the mid-May Ascension-to-Whitsun fortnight, when Dutch domestic demand pushes prices to their annual peak. Always book accommodation early if your trip includes King's Day.
Sources & Last Verified
• Primary source: Government.nl — Official public holidays in the Netherlands
• Cross-check: Nager.Date — Netherlands public holidays 2026
• Additional verification: UK search results triangulated for King's Day and Liberation Day dates and observance rules.
• Last verified: 12 June 2026
• Author: Bank Holidays UK Editorial Team