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King’s Day, the crowning glory of the Netherlands’ festival calendar, took place on Saturday 26 April 2014.

This annual celebration of the Dutch royal family is a real sight to behold. Amsterdam’s population swells to double its size as the entire city is swamped in a sea of bright orange costumes and banners.

Despite its regal roots, this special festival is about much more than pomp and pageantry. The crowds came out in force to fill Amsterdam’s canals with rowing boats, while revellers pack the pubs by the waterside.

It was also an incredible time to nab a bargain. Flea markets take place across the country, with a huge array of stalls at the Jordaan Quarter, Vondelpark and Apollolaan in Amsterdam. Here, locals sell their second-hand wares at very low prices.

The party continued into the night too. The biggest concert took place at the Museumplein, where almost a million people gathered to watch live performances from Dutch musicians. There was also a host of exciting clubbing events with famous DJs.

There were several changes for this year’s festival. It was the first time the event has been named King’s Day, as the Netherlands had a queen on the throne since 1890. The date had also been tweaked to match King Willem-Alexander’s birthday.

It was an amazingly orange parade for the entire country!

Jet2.com flies to Amsterdam from Leeds Bradford.

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