On the water · Pride Amsterdam
Canal Parade
The parade route, Oosterdok to Westerdok, Amsterdam52.36720, 4.90270
About the event
The Canal Parade is the heart of Amsterdam Pride: around 80 decorated boats winding from the Oosterdok down the Nieuwe Herengracht to the Amstel, along the Prinsengracht and out to the Westerdok, watched by well over half a million people from the quays and the bridges. It is the city's second-biggest day out after King's Day. In 2027 the parade is on Saturday 7 August, 12:00 to 18:00. The boats in the parade are entered by organisations rather than individuals: entry runs 4 January to 1 February 2027, with starting places announced at a kick-off on 13 February, and a lottery when it is oversubscribed. To watch from your own boat you need a Pride Vignette, which lets a boat up to 10 metres moor in an assigned zone along the route; vignette sales open on 1 July 2027. Everyone else watches free from the banks and bridges.
Programme
The organiser
The foundation behind Amsterdam Pride. They run the Canal Parade, the vignette system for spectator boats along the route, and the wider Pride programme across the city each summer.
From the water
The canals are the venue for this one, not the way to get somewhere. Around 80 decorated boats leave the Oosterdok at 12:00 and work down the Nieuwe Herengracht to the Amstel, along the Prinsengracht and out to the Westerdok, with the quays packed the whole way. To be on the water along the route you need a Pride Vignette (boats up to 10 metres), and spots are limited; for 2027 vignette sales open on 1 July. Without one, pick your stretch of bank early and the whole route is yours to watch for nothing.
How it works
Going to this one by boat
Being there: Free from the quays, no ticket needed, which is how the vast majority of the half million or more people there will see it. Get in well before 12:00, pick your side of the canal before the crowd does, and settle in. Amplified sound has been banned along the route since 2019, on moored boats and on the shore alike, and nothing gets thrown or sprayed at the parade boats.
By boat: To moor along the route you need a Pride Vignette, for boats up to 10 metres. Sales open 1 July 2027 and places are limited, so it goes fast. Both ways onto the water are listed under Joining below with their dates.
Tickets: Free to watch from the quays and bridges. There is no general ticket: being in the parade is for organisations, and being on the water needs a Pride Vignette (see By boat).
Joining
2 paths in, depending on how you're joining.
To come and watch you need nothing at all: the quays are free and open to everyone on the day. Two routes onto the water need arranging, a place in the parade and the Pride Vignette, and both are below with their 2027 dates.
Being in the paradeNot open yet
Parade boats are entered by organisations, not individuals. For 2027, entry runs 4 January to 1 February 2027, with starting places announced at a kick-off on 13 February and a lottery when oversubscribed. If your group wants a place, watch for entries opening in early January.
How parade entry worksPride VignetteNot open yet
The pass that lets a private boat up to 10 metres moor in an assigned zone along the route. For 2027, sales open on 1 July 2027, and places are limited, so arrive ready. The 2027 price has not been published yet.
How the vignette worksOn the map
Where to moor
Mooring along the route needs a Pride Vignette (boats up to 10 metres), with sales opening 1 July 2027 and spots limited, so it goes quickly. The quayside is car-free all day, so without a vignette come in on foot and claim a spot on the bank early.
Weather & wind
Forecast lands closer to the day. Check back within 10 days of the event.
Our take as floating people
Go and see it. Even if crowds are not usually your thing, this is one of the best days the city has, and from the bank it costs nothing. The practical notes are the dull ones: get in well before 12:00, because the centre fills early, and settle in once you have found your spot, because you will not be moving far afterwards. If you would rather be afloat that day, head out of the centre instead. While half a million people are packed along the route, the rest of Amsterdam's water is about as quiet as it ever gets.
Don't miss the next one
Events like this need real planning, sometimes a captain's spot needs booking weeks out. Set a reminder, and we'll email you about this one and others like it.
Good to know
When and where is the Canal Parade 2027?
Saturday 7 August 2027, 12:00 to 18:00. It sets off from the Oosterdok, runs down the Nieuwe Herengracht to the Amstel, along the Prinsengracht and out to the Westerdok. Anywhere along that line works from the bank, and the earlier stretches see the boats first.
Can I bring my own boat to the Canal Parade?
Only with a Pride Vignette, which lets a boat up to 10 metres moor in an assigned zone along the route. Sales open 1 July 2027 and places are limited, so it goes quickly. Without one, the route is an event area on the day, so plan to watch from the bank.
What is the difference between a Pride Vignette and being in the parade?
The vignette lets a private boat moor in an assigned zone and watch from the water. Being in the parade as one of the decorated boats is a different process, open to organisations, with entry in early February and a lottery when oversubscribed. The two get muddled constantly.
Is it free to watch?
Yes, from the quays and bridges, and that is how most of the half million or more people there will see it. There is no general ticket; only a spectator boat (via the vignette) or a parade place (for organisations) needs arranging.
Can I take my boat out elsewhere in Amsterdam that day?
Away from the route, the normal rules apply, and it is a good day for it: with the whole city at the parade, the outer water is unusually quiet. We have not seen a general navigation ban published beyond the route being an event area, so check the official channels before you cast off.
Around the event · 6
Curated Floating Today spots within a short hop of the water here.
More on the water
We list this as an event we think is worth knowing about. We're not the organiser, and these details aren't official. Pride Amsterdam and the signs on the quay have the final say, so give them the final word. More in our Terms.