By Harry Nara · Last updated
- Remembrance Day: the ceremony on the Dam and the silence at 8pmTuesday 4 May 2027
- Liberation Day: free festivals across the countryWednesday 5 May 2027
- Where
- National Monument, Dam Square
- Tickets
- Free
- Time of year
- May
- Dates
- Around the same dates every year
Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5 May 2027. The national ceremony on the Dam is listed for 7:30 to 9pm on 4 May, with the two-minute silence at 8pm. Ascension Day follows on Thursday 6 May, so the city fills with Dutch visitors for a long weekend.
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On the evening of Remembrance Day the whole country stops for two minutes of silence at 8pm, and the national ceremony, with the King, is held at the National Monument on the Dam. The next day is Liberation Day, marking the end of the German occupation, when free festivals with music from the afternoon into the night run in every province, Amsterdam included. Visitors are welcome at both. The one thing asked of everyone is to be still at eight on the first evening, wherever you are.
What Remembrance Day actually is
Dodenherdenking, Remembrance Day, honours the Dutch civilians and soldiers who died in the Second World War and in wars and peacekeeping missions since. Flags fly at half-mast from six in the evening until sunset, and at eight the country falls silent: trams and trains halt, cafés go quiet, people stand still in the street.
Bevrijdingsdag, Liberation Day, follows straight on, and the mood turns. The national remembrance committee runs fourteen Liberation festivals, one in each province plus Amsterdam and The Hague, which together draw about a million people. Many people also share a Freedom Meal with neighbours or strangers.
Liberation Day is a national holiday, though many employers give the day off only in jubilee years, so for a lot of Dutch people it is an ordinary working day with a festival at the end of it. Shops and museums are open.
Where to be
- The Dam on Remembrance evening. The national ceremony at the National Monument is open to the public, and the square fills long before eight. Come early for a place, and expect security checks and closed streets around it.
- Any quiet street at eight. The silence is national, and a canal-side street where you can watch a whole neighbourhood stop around you is as moving as the packed square.
- The Liberation festival the next day. Amsterdam’s has been held in the Westerpark in recent years, free, from the afternoon into the night, with bands, talks and food; other Freedom Meals and smaller events run across the city.
Tickets and what it costs
Neither day needs a ticket. The Dam ceremony is open to all, though space near the monument is limited, and the festivals are free to enter.
Hotels are another matter: Ascension Day often falls in the same week or soon after, and many Dutch people make a long weekend of it, so book early if your dates touch the holidays.
Official information and booking: www.4en5mei.nl/herdenken/nationale-herdenking-op-de-dam
Getting there
From Centraal Station the Dam is ten minutes on foot down the Damrak, or take a tram to the Dam stop, which may be diverted on the evening of the ceremony. Walk if you can.
For the Westerpark, take the tram or walk from Centraal in about twenty minutes. The park is busy on festival afternoons, so cycling is easiest if you are confident on a bike.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Talking through the silence
At eight on the evening of Remembrance Day, everyone stops for two minutes. Stand still and stay quiet, even indoors.
Arriving at the Dam at a quarter to eight
The square is full well before. Come early or watch from a quieter street.
Treating the evening as a party
Remembrance comes first. The celebrating is for the next day.
Leaving the hotel booking late
The holidays bring Dutch visitors into the city. Book early.
Other Amsterdam events
Frequently asked questions
What time is the Remembrance Day silence in the Netherlands?
At 8pm on the evening of Remembrance Day, for two minutes, across the whole country; the dates card above shows this year’s.
Can tourists attend the ceremony on the Dam?
Yes. The national ceremony at the National Monument is open to the public; arrive early, because the square fills long before eight.
Is Liberation Day a public holiday in the Netherlands?
It is a national holiday, but many employers give the day off only in jubilee years. Shops and museums stay open.
Where is the Liberation Day festival in Amsterdam?
In recent years it has been held in the Westerpark, free, from the afternoon into the night. Check the year’s programme in the spring.
What should visitors do during the two-minute silence?
Stop where you are, stand still and stay quiet until it ends. Shops, cafés and even trams pause too.
Sources
- Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei, the ceremony on the Dam (Dutch)
- Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei, the Liberation festivals (Dutch)
- I amsterdam, Remembrance and Liberation Day in the city (Dutch)
Dates on this page are checked against the organiser’s own listing and confirmed through 2028. Written and maintained by Harry Nara.