King’s Night parties passed off with little trouble in most parts on the country ahead of the first ever King’s Day celebrations.

In The Hague, there were 38 arrests for assault, pickpocketing and public drunkenness.

Parts of the city around Noordeinde and the Marktstraat were so busy police closed off the area for a time. Some 175,000 turned out to take part in the open-air festivities. Nine stages were set up around the town centre for bands and djs.

Utrecht was also busy and with what police described as a ‘celebratory’ atmosphere. Measures were also taken there to restrict the crowds in the busiest parts of town.

Police made just a handful of arrests. In Utrecht, the open-air market traditionally starts in the early evening before King’s Day itself and runs for 24 hours.

In Amsterdam there was no major event but clubs and bars opened their doors to partygoers. Police arrested 77 people overnight and ambulances were called out 108 times, local broadcaster AT5 said. On Saturday there are dozens of smaller events and 13 large dance parties on the agenda, all of which are outside the city centre.

Amsterdam cafe De Blaffende Vis, which makes a statement with its Queen’s Day decorations every year, has kicked of King’s Day by portraying queen Máxima as Miley Cyrus astride a wrecking ball.

King Willem-Alexander and Máxima will visit Amstelveen and De Rijp north of Amsterdam to join in the festivities later in the day It is likely to be the last time the king takes part in traditional village games. Willem-Alexander has said he plans to modernise the way King’s Day is celebrated next year.

King’s Day will be sunny and warm in most places during the morning, but cloud will move in later in the day and there could be heavy showers at times, particularly in the north east of the country.

King’s Day in Rotterdam

King’s Day in Eindhoven

King’s Day in Maastricht