Events in Alkmaar
An overview of all big events in Alkmaar. This page changes regularly to keep you updated!
An overview of all big events in Alkmaar. This page changes regularly to keep you updated!
You can enjoy this traditional event from the 29th of March until the 27th of September, every Friday from 10:00h to 13:00h, on the Waagplein in the centre of Alkmaar.
Experience the Cheese Market in the evening, which is held every Tuesday night in July and August from 19:00h – 21:00h.
King Willem-Alexander will be celebrating his birthday on 27 April and we will of course also be celebrating that in a big way in Alkmaar! Are you planning to come to Alkmaar on King's Night or King's Day? Here you’ll find all the information you’ll need. And, don't forget to come in orange, because it will be one big orange party.
King's Night - Strolling along the free market, enjoying a drink and enjoying live music in the squares and in the pubs.
King's Day - The large free market, many different parties and orange everywhere: view all activities for young and old here.
Plan your trip - because it gets busy in the city and trains and buses occasionally depart at different times, it is useful to plan your visit in advance.
Free market - The free market in Alkmaar is always a pleasant bustle on Koningsdag. Residents and visitors to Alkmaar sell second-hand items, such as items from the shed or attic. The free market takes place on 26 April from 6 p.m. You can sell until 27 April at 5 p.m. View the free market area here. Car traffic is not possible in the free market area and bus lines are diverted through the city centre.
Meet veterans, who will be telling about their stories and adventures. For children there is a Fiep-bus, carousel, make-up artist, inflatable bouncer and a pirate run. Fun for the whole family!
Every year, there are a few cozy nights on which shops in the city centre are open until 23h. In 2020, you'll find 3 of these Shopping Nights in the city centre of Alkmaar.
On Saturday the 6th and Sunday the 7th of June 2020, the spectacular event called 'Kaeskoppenstad' will take place in Alkmaar again. During this weekend, hundreds of actors will show you how daily life in Alkmaar was, 445 years ago.
Against the historic backdrop of Alkmaar's Old Town, travel back to the year 1573 during Kaeskoppenstad.
On 26, 27 and 28 June, the time has come again and the food truck festival Alkmaar Smult will be back. For the sixth year in a row you’ll be at the right address for three days of delicious food, drinks and entertainment on Noorderkade and Ringersplein. From fish to meat and from South American to Asian: Alkmaar Smult has something for everyone. The food trucks will surprise you with incredibly tasty culinary delights. And all of course while enjoying a good glass of wine, a cold beer, great music and, above all, a lot of fun. Don't eat meat? No worries: this year a number of vegetarian food trucks will also be rolling onto the festival grounds.
Admission is completely free and there will also be plenty of entertainment for the kids in a closed-off kids' area, so that you can sit back and enjoy eating and drinking.
In the summer you can enjoy Zomer op het Plein (Summer on the Square). In the summer weekends, TAQA Theater De Vest programs free performances on the Canadaplein in the heart of Alkmaar. On Saturday evenings, come and listen to the best concerts. On Sunday afternoons, it's time for spectacular shows of different genres.
For a few years now, there are 3 nights on which you can enjoy live concerts on a canal in the city centre of Alkmaar.
You can choose to rent (or bring your own) boat or to take a seat at the side of the canal.
At the funfair of Alkmaar, you can enjoy all sorts of amusement rides as a visitor. There are rides for children but there are also exciting rides for real daredevils.
There are various nostalgic amusement rides that evoke the fairground atmosphere of the past. A big fireworks show takes place on the last day of the funfair.
Lionsclub Alkmaar organizes an enchanting evening boattour on the canals of Alkmaar. This year will be the 7th edition of this event!
During this boattour you will see the historical citycentre, the beautiful canals, monumental buildings and nostalgic bridges. An amazing way to enjoy this annual event with family, friends, business relations or colleagues! All the profit will go to charity.
On Saturday the 14th of September, 82 monumental doors in the municipality of Alkmaar are open for visitors. The theme of Open Monumental Day of 2019 is Places of Pleasure!
Everyone can enjoy the beautiful homes, town halls, mills, churches and more on this day. In and around the monuments are fun activities for all ages.
The most important date in Alkmaar's history is the 8th of October, 1573. This is the day when the courageous people of Alkmaar defeated the Spanish army in the Eighty Years' War.
Every year around this special date, Alkmaar's Victory gets celebrated with several festivals and open-air theater performances. The celebrations around the 8th of October are called the Victory celebrations.