Some 1,500 people attended a memorial ceremony for the victims of flight MH17 at a conference centre in the town of Nieuwegein near Utrecht on Friday afternoon.

The event was organised by a foundation set up by relatives of the 298 victims who died when the Malaysian Airways plane was brought down over eastern Ukraine, apparently by pro-Russian rebels, exactly one year ago.

The ceremony was closed to outsiders and the press but included a roll call of the names of the victims, music and dance, broadcaster Nos said. A video summary of the event will be broadcast later on Friday.

Prime minister Mark Rutte, foreign minister Bert Koenders, justice minister Ard van der Steur and several others were among the guests. There was not thought to be any representative of the Dutch royal family, ANP said.

Other, small remembrance ceremonies took place elsewhere in the Netherlands and flags were flown at half mast on government buildings. The dead included 196 Dutch nationals.