Celebrating Carnival in the Netherlands: your ultimate guide

Carnival in the Netherlands in 2024: all you need to know about the drinking, weird language, when and where, costumes, partying and history behind the Dutch carnival

Apart from celebrations like King’s Day and Sinterklaas; the southern provinces of the Netherlands (Limburg and Brabant but also some parts of Drenthe) have something else going on: Vastelaovend, also known as Carnival in the Netherlands.

And I’d strongly recommend that you take part in the celebration.

The History behind Carnival in the Netherlands

The first Dutch Carnival was celebrated in Den Bosch as early as the 14th century with the mention of games, dressing up, cockfights and gambling.

By the time the 16th century had arrived, the excessive big and glorious days of the Carnival were long gone but were revived in the early 19th century.

This was a way for people to hold on to their roots and culture while the Netherlands was under French rule.

Even though Carnival has not been celebrated in the Netherlands for that long (since the end of World War II), it is a tradition loved by many.

Mainly celebrated in the predominantly Catholic southern provinces, Carnival was celebrated as a religious festival.

READ MORE | Ready for the Dutch Carnival? Here are some fun facts and words to know!

Nowadays, the religious meaning of Carnival in the Netherlands has disappeared, but the soul of the celebration still remains strong.

Every year, thousands of Dutchies flock to southern cities to don their costumes and get their drink on! But don’t think it’s only for adults.

Kids and people of all ages are welcome to join in the craziness!

Customs and Traditions

Carnival in the Netherlands is all about reversing rituals, social roles and everything else you can think of (genders included).

Even the city names change during the celebrations. To give an example, in 2016 Amsterdam joined the fun by calling itself Gròòtgragtegat – rough translation: ‘big place with canals’.

Another thing to know about is the Prince Carnival, where the mayor symbolically gives the keys of the city to the Prince.

Therefore for the upcoming three days, the Carnival Prince has control of the city and their Kingdom of Fools. There is one important rule: you have to cheer with “Alaaf”.

Next comes the music, after World War II, Carnival developed its own type of music. Often accompanied by a marching band, the songs include some comical and almost vulgar lyrics.

Costumes at Carnival in the Netherlands

No matter where you end up celebrating Carnival, costumes go without saying.

Think of masks, city colours, cross-dressing (why not?), mocking authorities with your outfit and anything else you can think of.

In this particular case, the more colour, the better. So, get creative and go wild this year!

Carnival in the Netherlands: when and where?

If you would like to join the fun, here are some of the biggest Carnivals happening in the country:

1. Maastricht Carnival

If you want to see the biggest Carnival in the Netherlands, then Maastricht is the place to be!

The celebrations kick off on Sunday, 11 February and last until Tuesday, 13 February.

Like all the others, Carnival is an outside event celebrated all around the city. If you would like to read more about it, you can visit their official website.

2. Venlo Carnival

With its new name Vasteloavend in Venlo, the city plans to party hard from 9 February to 13 February with a series of parades and concerts.

If Limburg is your place to experience this event, you can find all the information you need on their official agenda.

3. Eindhoven Carnival

There’s plenty to do for anyone at the Eindhoven Carnival.

Celebrations span from the 9 to 13 February with different events taking place in a huge tent located on the Market Square.

Want to see the parade (duh!)? Then don’t miss out on the parade route that starts on the 10 February. For the detailed route, you can check their official site.

Oh and the name of the city? It is Lampegaste!

Popular spots in Lampegaste during Carnival include the Stationsplein, Market Square, Hotel Pullman Cocagne, Wilheminaplein and the famed Stratumseind.

4. Tilburg Carnival

Ah Tilburg! As we have mentioned before, Tilburg is on the rise. You could visit this city during one of the many events and festivals that it organizes if you like buzzing activities.

The annual parade of Tilburg’s Carnival celebrations starts on with the Kruikenconcert. This year there was so much demand for tickets that two concerts were arranged for the start of Carnival on February 7 and 8.

You can read more about the Kruikenstad Carnival agenda on their website.

5. Den Bosch Carnival

Den Bosch (or should we say Oeteldonk?) kicks off its Carnival celebrations on 11 February with the city’s grand parade and end on 13 February.

On the day of the Oeteldonk’s Carnival, The Prince and his helpers arrive at Oeteldonk Centraal (or Den Bosch station) at 11:33 AM sharp.

After several ceremonies, they make their way gloriously towards the Market Square. 

Followed by many other events, the parties go on until the last days, and the full agenda for Den Bosch Carnival can be found on their website.

6. Nijmegen Carnival

The people of Nijmegen know how to party regardless of the time of the year but trust us when we say it’s better to see the city during Carnival.

The Nijmegen (or Knotsenburg) leg of Carnival starts on 9 February with the court ball. 💃

The real fun begins when the people hand over the city’s keys to the Carnival Prince and tap the first beer keg to celebrate later in the day (don’t miss it).

In the upcoming days, there will be other events all over the city which you can see on their website’s agenda.

Get, set and “Alaaf”!

Properly equipped with all the necessary knowledge regarding Carnival in the Netherlands, we saved the best till the last: which is to go out there and have fun!

Have you celebrated Carnival in the Netherlands? Tell us about your experiences in the comments below!