The Koninginnedag celebrations started peacefully in the big cities, with dozens of bars and clubs open for what has become known as Koninginnenacht – the night before Queen’s Day. The free market started in Utrecht at 6pm last night; in most other places it began early this morning.

With the weather set to stay warm and dry, although slighly colder than recent days, the free markets are expected to do big business.
A survey by ING last week, said one in five people over the age of 18 planned to sell on Koninginnedag. The survey forecast total spending of €261m.