Several Dutch cities closed off central squares to new visitors on Sunday evening as King’s Night crowds reached capacity. Police said the night was busy but largely incident-free.

Utrecht’s local authorities told people to avoid the centre from around 9pm after Janskerkhof, Stadhuisplein and the Van Asch van Wijckskade flea market all filled up. In Gouda, an estimated 12,000 to 14,000 people packed the Markt for the Oranje Geluk festival, with gates closed and visitors complaining of overcrowding.

Almere brought the start of its King’s Day flea market on Monday forward by four hours because of early crowds. In Hilversum some traders spent the night in sleeping bags in the street to claim a spot, while in Alkmaar sellers were already laying out goods at 9am on Sunday.

Arnhem’s mayor Ahmed Marcouch said around 80,000 people attended the festivities in the city and reported four arrests. He told reporters the atmosphere was “good”, despite local accounts of  widespread public urination.

The Hague’s six-stage The Life I Live festival on the Lange Voorhout drew large crowds without major incidents, police in the city said.

Rail operator NS ran extra and longer trains overnight on an “orange” schedule, with alcohol banned at stations and on board from 7pm on Sunday until 7am on Tuesday.

In Rotterdam, mayor Carola Schouten used the evening to back a police campaign on women’s safety in public spaces, with officers handing out orange wristbands tied to the unsolved 2001 killing of Mariska Klompenhouwer.

Royals in Dokkum

The royal family arrived in Friesland late on Sunday and were cheered by waiting crowds at their hotel in Hurdegaryp. King Willem-Alexander will walk through Dokkum from 11am – the first time in his near 13-year reign that the king has celebrated his birthday in the northern province.

A Leeuwarden court on Sunday banned anti-monarchy group Republiek from placing a 10-metre high inflatable dinosaur, “Wim”, along the royal route in Dokkum, ruling it would block emergency exits. The figure has been moved elsewhere in Friesland.