Prince’s Festival is a celebration of the Dutch monarchy, centred around Prince’s Day. The days leading up to Prince’s Day are full of markets, concerts, a photo exhibition, cabaret, hat fashion show, hat design competition and many more exciting activities in The Hague.

Highlights of Prince’s Festival 2025 (Prinsjesfestival)

Prince’s Festival is primarily a celebration of the royals, but also a celebration of democracy. The theme this year is "Together Free, Together Strong; Celebrate Democracy!" Here are some of the Prince's Festival programme highlights:

Thursday, September 4: Prince’s Pub Quiz

Held in Dutch, the Prince’s Pub Quiz takes place at the Nieuwspoort on September 12 at 7.30pm. 

Monday, September 8: Evening of the Political Book

The Prince’s Book Prize is awarded annually in September. Each year, a few days before the prize presentation, the public can attend the Evening of the Political Book, a free event at 7pm, which brings together the nominees for the Best Political Book of the Year. This year it takes place at Nieuwspoort.

Saturday, September 13: Prince's Market

For the general public, this may well be the highlight of Prince's festival, because this vibrant and atmospheric market takes place all day at Hofvijver, one of the most iconic areas of The Hague near the historic parliament buildings. Entrance is free, and there are plenty of stalls, music, and dance acts to add to the festival vibe!

This is also the main day for the famous Hat Festival! The dashing hats on the catwalk at the Prince’s Hat Walk are displayed, and a winner is determined. This spectacle shows the high standards of hat design and exclusive style in the range of hats among Dutch politicians and their partners. 

Sunday, September 14: Dress Rehearsal for Prince's Day

If you can't make it to the big procession on Prince's Day, come down on Sunday morning and see the full military cavalcade practise the route and formations. The only thing missing is the King!

Tuesday, September 16: Prince’s Day

The Royals are at the centre of Prince's Day, as the King addresses the Dutch parliament about the government budget for the coming year. Prince's Day essentially marks the new parliamentary season and is also known as the budget day.

Get ready for Prince's Festival

With so many events happening over so many days, there's a lot to do and see in The Hague for free! Some events require tickets, while others require arriving early to secure a good spot in the crowd. Plan your visit to the centre of The Hague for this unique event! Keep an eye on the Prince's Festival website.

Thumb photo credit: The Hague & Partners/Jurjen Drenth